Red Hat Partners Rochester Institute of Technology to Arm Next Generation of Workers with Necessary Skills

Red Hat (News - Alert), Inc., the world's leading provider of open source solutions, announced a partnership with Rochester Institute of Technology (News - Alert) (RIT) to introduce open source to collegiate-level students. This move will arm the next generation of workers with the required skills to compete in a challenging global work and social environment. RIT with the help of the Red Hat-sponsored Professors' Open Source (News - Alert) Summer Experience (POSSE) workshops has enhanced its open source efforts, and some of its students are using their open source expertise to make a positive impact for deaf and hard of hearing children.

In a press release, Stephen Jacobs, associate professor of Interactive Games and Media at RIT and organizer of POSSE at RIT, said, “POSSE has been a large driving force behind RIT's continued introduction of open source to its faculty and their coursework and curriculum. We established FOSS@RIT as a way for students, staff and faculty from all of our colleges to engage around open source projects and events on campus. POSSE has been a natural extension of FOSS@RIT, and open source is making a lasting and great impact on RIT's students across the disciplines.”

Three RIT students, namely Justin Lewis, Fran Rogers and Taylor Rose, created an XO-based open source prototype video chat package that is able to produce the quality of video required for smooth signed communication previously unavailable on the XO. The team was awarded Digital Rochester’s first G.R.E.A.T! student achievement award in February 2011 for leadership and skill in applying or advancing innovative technology for the betterment of themselves, their educational institution, and the greater Rochester community.

Jim Whitehurst (News - Alert), president and CEO of Red Hat, said, “Red Hat congratulates Justin Lewis, Fran Rogers, Taylor Rose and the entire open source community at RIT on their work to harness the power of open source in the classroom and apply it to the world around them to effect positive change. The Open Video Chat project has the potential to open doors for many deaf and hard of hearing children to better communicate. RIT's collaboration with POSSE and its students' interest in open source serves as an inspiration, and we look forward to working with RIT to encourage innovation in the future within FOSS communities.”

Red Hat was in the news when the company announced the availability of JBoss Enterprise SOA Platform 5.1, with new extensions for data services integration.

Sujata Garud is a TMCnet freelancer with three years of writing/editing experience and two years of market research experience. As an editor she has covered the IT, electronics, banking, pharma, construction, mining and healthcare industries. To see more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell