UK computer student wins hearts at IBM

IBM has promised to develop a computer program originally created by a University of Manchester student during his summer break.

Robert Craig, a final-year computer science student, played a key role in developing a piece of business software called ESP as part of IBM's Extreme Blue programme designed to foster technical innovation.

Craig and his team developed a web application that allows computer-readable data from policy documents to be interpreted and presented in a 'human readable' format.

The student said that, once his web application has been integrated with other tools, it should be able to scan the computer-readable data and check for policy compliance on all the computers within a customer's business.

Macclesfield-born Craig, who is 21, was one of just 16 students selected from universities across the UK to participate in IBM's 2006 Extreme Blue programme.

Four teams of undergraduates were involved in the UK programme, consisting of both business and technical members.

The UK scheme was based at IBM Hursley Park near Winchester, but schemes also ran in Ireland, France, Germany and Holland. All the teams then came together at a special expo at La Gaude in France.

The teams met each other and had the opportunity to present and demonstrate their projects to senior IBM executives and technical employees from around Europe.

Big Blue said that, following the expo in France earlier this year, ESP is now being investigated and developed.

"Extreme Blue was an amazing experience. The programme was only three months long, which meant that everything was quite intense," said Craig.

"The fact that our work is going to be continued is extremely exciting, as I know how much the final product will help a vast number of people."