New innovation hub set to give students and local community access to the latest technologies

BRACKNELL, United Kingdom — August 27, 2015 – Fujitsu, Intel, and Brocade today announced the launch of the new Innovation Hub at City College Coventry, which is set to put technology at the heart of learning for the college and its community. As part of a commitment to developing IT skills in the UK, the new Innovation Hub will transform the learning experience for all students participating in the technology curriculum, as well as providing a resource for the wider business community. These skills will help students and local businesses stay on top of the latest advancements in technology such as the New IP. The hub is the latest of its kind in the Fujitsu-Intel Education Ambassador Programme.

City College Coventry caters to over 6,000 students and draws strength from its close ties with local businesses and employers that contribute to the design of its courses to ensure that they are both current and relevant. Located in the south building of the college’s Swanswell Street Campus, the Innovation Hub is the latest step in this relationship. In addition to hiring new students, local organisations will be able to send staff to the College for training on a variety of the latest technologies and software from Fujitsu and Intel, helping them stay competitive both nationally and internationally. The hub will also offer courses in Brocade® networking certifications as well as a wide range of other disciplines, including 3D modelling, games development, automotive technologies, and mobile and Web development.

The hub has been designed to provide an engaging environment for existing students, as well as encouraging new students to enroll in technology courses. The facility has been equipped to optimise learning, with large display screens and advanced networking equipment that can be used for demonstrations and practical sessions. The facility has been fitted with a wide range of Fujitsu and Intel hardware, including workstations, tablets, and laptops, as well as a PRIMEFLEX vShape solution that is pre-integrated with Brocade networking technologies to help the college consolidate and virtualise its current IT infrastructure and deliver a future-proof solution to meet modern demands.

“The Innovation Hub means that we now have one of the most advanced technology education spaces in the region,” commented Steve Logan, Principal, City College Coventry. “The facility will make a real difference to the way in which we teach technology courses and will hopefully inspire new generations of students to take up IT subjects at the college. With an ever growing demand for skilled technology graduates, we hope the centre will benefit the wider community and we will be inviting schools and academies locally to view the facilities later this term. This simply would not have been possible without the support and investment that Fujitsu, Intel, and Brocade have provided.”

“City College Coventry is on an exciting journey towards a digital transformation,” said Ash Merchant, head of education, Fujitsu UK and Ireland. “As an educational establishment, it strives to achieve the very best and recognises the role technology can play. We’re incredibly excited to be supporting the team through this process and look forward to a successful future for the college and community.”

“Intel shares Fujitsu’s passion for education and inclusion for all, and is delighted to support the Education Ambassador Programme,” said Danny Arati, Education Manager, Intel Europe. “We have a decade’s worth of experience working with more than 12 million teachers and we know the potential technology can bring to the classroom to enrich learning. The Innovation Hub at City College Coventry will enable teachers to better help prepare students for success in the future.”

“This project is the first step in our new Academic Education Programme, which will help Education for Employment (EfE) institutions in the UK teach the skills businesses will need in order to adapt to the New IP,” commented Joy Gardham, Head of Western Europe, Brocade. “At Brocade, we want to help open up technology education to a far more diverse group of students, and especially women. Modern, purpose-built premises like the Innovation Hub will help young people learn both about the technology itself and the careers available to them within the IT industry. This is a key focus for us, given the growing need for IT skills across all industries and sectors, and we are therefore delighted to be able to support City College Coventry’s new Innovation Hub.”

Appendix

• PRIMEFLEX vShape: The flexible and scalable PRIMEFLEX vShape solution combines all aspects of a virtual environment, based on reliable technologies and best-practice solutions, with simple implementation and operation. With vShape, Fujitsu provides a solution that addresses the complex challenges of virtualisation such as performance, availability, security, flexibility, and efficiency. Fujitsu relieves the headaches of self-configuration and guarantees a tested and perfectly synchronised combination of reliable components. vShape is unique in bringing complete and validated infrastructures to enterprises—all from one trusted provider.