Adjunct Professor lecture: Dr Irving Wladawsky-Berger

Business school staff and students were delighted to attend Adjunct professor Dr. Irving Wladawsky-Berger’s lecture on the development of interactive technologies and their impact upon the IT industry.

The 26th July saw business school staff and students receive a rare treat in the form of Adjunct professor Dr. Irving Wladawsky-Berger's lecture on the development of interactive technologies and their impact upon the IT industry. Dr Wladawsky-Berger was reporting on his experience direct from the coal-face, as he is responsible for identifying emerging technologies and marketplace developments critical to the future of IBM.

In a captivating performance, he demonstrated how human need for social contact and interaction is now driving the innovations being made by traditionally "cold" technological companies such as IBM. Through brand new gaming and social systems, such as Second Life, companies are creating new ways of working and meeting with colleagues, which is greatly facilitating the efficiency and innovation in global companies.

He suggested in his talk that companies working in the entertainment sphere have taken the lead in designing new IT interfaces that can capture a range of human emotions. However, he now feels that it is industrial powerhouses like IBM who will make these new technologies relevant to a broad cross section of companies, demonstrating the need for these companies to keep their ear to the ground and constantly use new innovations, even those originating from outside of the sector or company.