Today, IBM introduced a new game for university students and young professionals looking to develop business and information technology (IT) skills. Called Innov8, this new "serious game" is available at no charge. Over 2,000 universities around the world can download the game from IBM's website for use in the classroom starting today.

"The best kept secret in the world of computer and video games is the rise of a movement -- now in the thousands -- of gamers, universities and corporations dedicated to applying games to serious challenges such as education, training, medical treatment, or better government," said David Rejeski, director of the Serious Games Initiative. "IBM has established itself as a pioneer in serious gaming by enabling universities to educate students using the gaming medium they understand, enjoy and embrace."

Innov8 was created to teach the business students and young IT professionals who have grown up with games how to compete in business. The 3-D educational game is designed to help business leaders and IT teams function better together in an organization. Innov8 is based on advanced commercial gaming technologies, allowing players to see how technology and related business strategies affect an organization's performance and do things like identify bottlenecks and explore 'what if' scenarios before a technology is deployed.

"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 universities realize the benefits of using serious games as a powerful tool for teaching today's students."

For more information about Innov8, please visit www.ibm.com/soa/innov8.