In mid-June, Delta Electronics, the world leader in power supply management for electronics, and NTU announced a project for the joint promotion of academic applications and talent development in the emerging field of cloud computing. Under the plan, Delta Electronics is providing over NT$200 million in equipment and services to the College of Management in order to assist the school establish Taiwan’s first comprehensive academic cloud computing environment. The two parties will collaborate as well on the development of courses exploring business applications using cloud computing, setting a world precedent among business schools. The joint project will see the college become the world’s first school of management to be based on cloud technology.

NTU President Si-chen Lee stated during the announcement ceremony: “Cloud computing is the greatest commercial revolution since the Internet. This new technology will spur a transformation in Taiwan’s communications industry, and see the industry upgrade from conducting hardware development to providing such services as software research and development and systems solutions. Yet, the country faces a shortage of qualified personnel in this field at the moment. Therefore, we hope this collaboration with Delta Electronics will exploit the company’s outstanding highly efficient energy-saving technology and industrial base to train more cloud computing professionals so that Taiwan can occupy a global leadership position within this field.”

Delta Electronics Chairperson Bruce Cheng said, “We look forward to this cooperation plan between Delta Electronics and NTU taking advantage of the College of Management’s outstanding academic research and educational traditions so that we can jointly make cloud computing technology take root in the domestic academic community. We hope to improve Taiwan’s cloud computing research capacities and cultivate cloud computing professionals, while also fulfilling the corporate social responsibilities Delta has always insisted on.”

Delta Electronics entered the field of cloud computing in 2010. The company has since developed a super energy-efficient cloud data center for use as a comprehensive remote back-up cloud for educational institutions. Housed completely in a 20-foot shipping container, the center can be placed on a campus to provide back-up computing capacity. When the capacity of an institution’s computer system is exceeded, Delta’s remote center provides back-up cloud computing capacity via the Internet, allowing users to enjoy uninterrupted service. Moreover, the center’s energy efficiency can save a school millions of NT dollars in electricity bills each year.

The other novel aspect of this cooperation project is the formulation of courses covering business models and service innovations related to cloud computing. Whereas other cloud computing courses focus solely on technological issues, these courses aim to create well-rounded professionals possessing knowledge of the technology as well as business development and management skills they can apply in the real world. The creation of these courses is funded in-full by Delta.