The University of British Columbia and TELUS have agreed to a five-year strategic alliance to support communications research and provide telecommunications services to the university.
The partnership is valued at $4.1 million to the university and is expected to provide about $30 million in potential business to TELUS over the five-year term.
"This unique alliance is an example of an innovative partnership that promotes research on campus," said UBC President Martha Piper. "By working closely with TELUS, our university is not only keeping abreast of the communications technology evolution, we are helping to forge its future."
The alliance involves collaboration in wireless communications research, cooperation in the development of UBC's information technology services and campus-wide provisioning of the latest telecommunications technology. Specifically, the strategic alliance will:
establish the TELUS Mobility Industrial Research Chair with a $500,000 pledge;
provide funding from TELUS for research in advanced communications technologies;
establish a fund to support information technology on campus;
provide UBC an opportunity to be used as a beta site to test new telecommunications technologies;
provide UBC with products on a "best prices, products and practices" basis;
enable both parties to benefit from access to industry experts and specialists.
Under the alliance, UBC will largely use TELUS products and services, however, students, faculty and staff may choose TELUS or another supplier for personal telecommunications services.
"TELUS has long been a strong supporter of UBC and education generally," said Brian Canfield, TELUS's president and CEO. "Our alliance with the university provides us an ideal partner to help us hone and improve our technologies and education sector service skills to the benefit of both parties."