UB, Xerox form alliance to collaborate in research, technology, training

Under the partnership, the two will collaborate in areas including research, information technology, and education and training.

It is the first university-wide partnership agreement for UB.

The agreement was signed by UB Senior Vice President Robert J. Wagner and Maryann J. Lawler, Xerox senior vice president. Xerox is an $18 billion global enterprise with more than 90,000 employees, 18,000 of whom are employed in New York State.

Wagner said that as UB examines ways to provide support and resources for the future, it increasingly will be looking at alliances with companies and institutions.

"There is a spectrum of involvement we can have with outside concerns," he explained. "They can range from an exclusive contract for a good or services, like the 10-year exclusive contract we have with Coke that provides the university with $220,000 a year, to memorandums and partnerships, which are not a contract, but which have benefits for the university.

"We're looking for mutual benefits. We get something from the relationship, the other organization gets something from its relationship with us."

Wagner added, "Other institutions are doing this and we are beginning this as well. We probably are the leader in SUNY in this regard, but certainly not among our peers."

Michael Brannigan, vice president and general manager for Xerox's Upstate New York Customer Business Unit, described the understanding between Xerox and UB as reinforcing "Xerox's commitment to public institutions of higher learning.

Agreement may be extended

"We have an excellent opportunity to showcase the benefits of our document products and services as they relate to supporting UB's academic and business missions," Brannigan said. "We're both in the business of knowledge transfer. We believe UB will serve as our benchmark for alliances with other colleges and universities."

The agreement, covering the period from Feb. 18, 1997, through Feb. 17, 2002, may be extended for an additional five years by mutual written consent. The two partners will meet semi-annually to evaluate the success of the agreement and to identify action steps for the next six months.

Wagner said the university will "support Xerox by making available university expertise and equipment on a cost recovery basis. UB will also evolve its technology acquisitions in the future to provide for a much more integrated infrastructure across the campus, built on hardware, software and services, consumables and consulting available from Xerox. The university also agrees to serve as a Xerox beta test site for emerging technologies."

UB also will make available to Xerox education and training for its employees through formal degree programs and specially designed classes and training sessions.

The university and Xerox, according to the agreement, will identify areas of mutual interest in the evolving strategic information technology planning of the university and, where possible, "the university will enter into a sole or primary supplier purchasing agreement with Xerox for document management services to include hardware, software, services, consumables and consulting. To support this exclusive purchasing agreement, Xerox will guarantee that the university receives its most favorable discounting arrangementŠ"

While under a contract such as the one with Coke the university agrees to buy only the products of the company with which it has the agreement, Wagner said that with a partnership individual units retain the option to decide whether to purchase Xerox products.

Other benefits to the university from the agreement include a commitment by Xerox to:

- Actively recruit students for internships and students graduating from UB for jobs.

- Provide the university with event and marketing support.

- Support UB's athletics program in ways that include athletic scholarships.

- Support Student Affairs programming.

- Support the university's efforts in public service and urban affairs.

- Develop with the University Libraries a collaborative effort addressing a mutual interest in information technology for reserve materials.