Developing new software? Testing the latest in hardware? The Business Solutions Group in the College of Business has performed those services for Fortune 500 companies, start-ups and public agencies such as the Oregon Department of Transportation. Last year, BSG had $830,000 in revenues.
The BSG consists of full-time software and testing engineers, MBA and MIS (Management Information Systems) students and more than 50 student interns.
“The industry standard platform for most businesses is based on Microsoft,” says Mark Van Patten, BSG operations manager. “We develop that expertise in our students to meet market demand. At the same time, we do include open source components into our systems and instruction when beneficial.”
The group creates custom, multi-tiered Microsoft.NET applications for workflow processing, content management, business intelligence and large enterprise resource planning systems. In product testing, BSG identifies defects and performance issues per manufacturer specifications.
Dean Ilene Kleinsorge says, “Companies have often looked to universities for research collaboration. Now, they are realizing the win-win by contributing to the experiential learning of our students.”
- Business Solutions Group
- College of Business
- “Business Solutions Group” makes Outsourcing Educational (OSU press release, 11-15-05)
