Bangalore: The Karnataka state government and IBM India (www.ibm.com) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in a move to advance e-learning initiative within the state based on open-source technology. The e-learning platform will be based on the principles of cost-effective technologies and software as well as hardware neutral strategies.

Under the MoU, IBM will develop an e-learning platform for BITES (Board for IT Education Standards) for higher technical educational institutions in Karnataka. IBM will participate, along with BITES and IITB, Hubli, in the creation of an IBM centre of excellence in Hubli, devoted to the development of open-source software.

The MoU was signed by Frank Luksic, country executive, software group and developer relations, IBM India, and Vivek Kulkarni, secretary of IT and biotechnology, Karnataka state, Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna, Steve Mills, senior vice-president and group executive, software group, IBM Corporation and Abraham Thomas, managing director, IBM India.

Says Mills: "Customers now expect their technology infrastructure and solutions to work with hardware, software and solutions from multiple vendors, bringing to an end the era of proprietary systems. Industry and governments will now cooperate closely to create innovative and reusable solutions through open source software.

"IBM has the global expertise in providing e-learning services and setting up e-learning infrastructure. With this initiative we will leverage local talent through educational programmes and bring existing syllabus, faculty and students at par with the emerging technologies in IT. The e-learning platform with the Karnataka government will create one such eco-system and develop educational institutions in the state as centres of excellence."

Says Krishna: "I am pleased that IBM is creating a centre of excellence in Hubli, which will help develop the north Karnataka region. A key success factor of this initiative will be the close collaboration between IBM, academia and the education sector. I can proudly say that my government is the only state government to have taken such a major step."

Says Kulkarni: "The problem faced by the industry today in deploying new technologies is the paucity of skills and talent. The MoU addresses this concern and will enable knowledge sharing between BITES and IBM, where IBM will share its expertise in providing e-learning services and in setting up e-learning infrastructure thereby energising local talent and enabling it to capitalise on the emerging trends linked to open systems in IT products and service operations."

The e-learning portal will entail e-learning content, faculty training, mentoring of students and application developments. The courseware will be based on Linux and Eclipse OSS and work on development of technologies like Middleware Components, Device Drivers, and Real Time Applications.