Tagged: IBM

IBM is moving some of its product manufacturing from Rochester, Minnesota, to Poughkeepsie, New York, as well as to Mexico. Company officials are being tight-lipped about what this means in terms of jobs, but some onlookers in the Hudson Valley see a boost to the local economy.

Here’s IBM spokesman Scott Cook.

Governor Andrew Cuomo and IBM officials recently announced a public-private partnership they say will prepare New York students for high-skills jobs. The idea is based on a school in Brooklyn, highlighted by President Obama in his State of the Union speech.

The idea, say both the Governor and IBM officials, is to provide students with skills for careers in STEM, or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, while, at the same time, advancing regional economic development in New York.

In 2011, IBM's Watson supercomputer made national television history when it appeared on the "Jeopardy" program and knocked out two of the show's top champions. Now, the computer is in college.

RPI is the first university in the world to receive a Watson computer system from IBM - Just like the flesh-and-blood students who will work on it, Watson left home to sharpen its skills. Course work will include English and math. It will spend three years in Troy.

Officials at Vermont Technical College say an unofficial all-school competition and a grant from IBM helped reduce the school's electric bill by more than $40,000 in one year.

IBM also worked with the Howard Center, Vermont's largest health and human services organization, to help community members understand and establish procedures for managing the use, cost and conservation of energy.