IBM and IE Business School presented the first Executive Master in Service Management, which will focused on management in the services sector. The initiative is part of a scientific and technological collaboration agreement between IE and IBM to foster training and research activities and promote the use of information technologies in knowledge-based services. The signing of the agreement was attended by Amparo Moraleda, president of IBM, and Diego Alcázar, president of IE.

A key part of the agreement between IBM and IE Business School is the launch of joint research initiatives based on service science, an academic discipline promoted by IBM. The research will furnish the master’s degree with up-to-the-minute content and innovative methodologies, as well as helping to develop a more systematic service management approach.

The Executive Master in Service Management will receive its first intake in the academic year 2009-2010 and is based on a multidisciplinary approach that places an integrated focus on areas ranging from business strategies, engineering, computing, operations management, marketing and human resources to knowledge of social sciences and law.

The Executive Master in Service Management will shape a new generation of professionals, equipping them with a profile that will be in great demand in the future given the pivotal role they will be able to play in the development of business in the already booming services economy.

IE Business School will be responsible for running the course and for its design, management and coordination, as well as for the joint research initiatives. The School will also provide professors from its faculty, materials and contents required for the course. IBM will provide professionals with extensive knowledge in the areas of service science, management and engineering, as well as teaching material.

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