IBM has created Innov8 as a new way to teach MBAs and young IT professionals – many of whom have grown up playing video games – about competing successfully in business. Innov8 is an interactive, 3-D educational game designed to bridge the gap in understanding between IT teams and business leaders in an organization.

This type of serious gaming – simulations which have the look and feel of a game but correspond to non-game events or processes such as business operations – has emerged as a successful method to train employees or develop new skills.

IBS will be testing Innov8 in a course entitled "Technology Strategy" which explores strategies needed to develop businesses based on new technologies.  Innov8 will be utilized to help students understand business processes in technology firms and learn how to manage knowledge across complex global companies. IBM’s Academic Initiative, a program offering a wide range of technology education benefits to meet the goals of colleges and universities.

“IBM views serious gaming as a new and exciting way to develop the skills that are required as business and IT become more closely aligned,” said Sandy Carter, vice president, IBM SOA and WebSphere strategy, channels and marketing. “Innov8 was designed to address this specific skills shortage while also helping business schools like IBS realize the benefits of using serious games as a powerful tool for teaching today’s students.”

Serious games are computer and video games used as educational and training tools. Just as airline pilots initially learn using flight simulators, many corporations and universities see serious games as an effective way of teaching new skills to a generation that has been brought up in the video game era. In fact, according to The Apply Group, by 2012, between 100 and 135 of the Global Fortune 500 will have adopted gaming for learning, with the U.S., United Kingdom and Germany leading the way.