Oxford, 12 December 2012 – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Nexus Protocol Ltd. will work together to commercialise the university’s IT-based products and technologies internationally. Nexus Protocol Ltd. is a company based in Oxford and provides software product development for global market.
The Licensing Agreement for the global engagement was signed in Oxford between both organisations, with the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Datuk Ir. Dr. Zaini Ujang representing UTM and Mr. Hamidi Rahman representing Nexus Protocol Ltd. in the exchange of agreement.
Under the agreement, four of UTM’s IT solutions will be marketed by Nexus Protocol ltd. This includes MyLine Online Resources for Learning in English; Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS); Human Resource Management Information System (SMUHR), and Wastewater Treatment Plan Design Advisor (WASDA).
The Online Resources for Learning in English or MyLine is a self-access learning resource to enhance English language communication skills amongst students at the tertiary level. The system will help to develop independent and lifelong learning skills through the provision of self-access learning opportunities that encourage students to be responsible for their self-development in the pursuit of excellence. MyLine offers a variety of activities and learning resources to improve language proficiency for academic and professional purposes. The activities and resources cover academic reading, writing, speaking and listening, study skills, grammar, forum, information related to various fields of study and profession. MyLine have been widely used as English learning resources by Malaysian universities and now it’s time for UTM to expand its potential to global market.
The Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) developed and used by the UTM Laboratory Management Unit has the capabilities to provide a systematic and integrated lab management system. Five modules contained in the LIMS are the Lab Reservation Management; Lab Equipment Management, Maintenance and Reservation; Lab Administration System; Lab Personnel Management and the System/user Administration. At UTM, LIMS have been used as an important tool in managing its 300 laboratory facilities. LIMS online platform allow UTM to systematically manage and market its lab facilities to be utilized and optimized by researchers and attract other potential users outside the university to use the available laboratory facilities.
The Human Resource Management Information System (SMUHR) is an online hub solution for human resource management at the university. The development of this integrated information system has shifted the human capital intensive work culture to a more optimal human capital feature via the automation of work. The system includes the process of the recruitment of new staff to the termination process where all the staff personal records and details are kept in the database and can be managed and accessed by the HR department easily at a finger tips. Amongst the main modules developed for different functionalities are the Security Report; Staff Searching; eNotebook Records; New staff Advertisement and Application; Academic Promotion; Research University Information and Reporting; Staff Assets Declaration; Performance Evaluation for Academic Staff – eLPPT; Performance Evaluation for Non-academic Staff; HR Bulletins and Circular; Overseas Travel – eBoarding; Training Information System – UTMSmile; and Competency Index for Support Staff-CIS. SMUHR will provide
The Wastewater Treatment Plant Design Advisor or WASDA was developed to support and aid users for planning, designing and managing of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) system. WASDA provides conceptual and process design recommendations for preliminary, primary, secondary, sludge and advanced wastewater treatments. WASDA includes municipal and industrial treatment systems, which consists of multiple modules such as equalization tank, neutralization tank, conventional activated sludge, extended aeration, sequencing batch reactor, oxidation ditch, rotating biological contactor, activated carbon adsorption, anaerobic digestion, dissolved air flotation, waste stabilization pond, membrane bioreactor and constructed wetlands. With its graphical user interfaces (GUI) and PC-Windows features, WASDA is a user-friendly, simple and reliable tool for design engineers, decision makers and students to plan, design and manage WWTP system more effectively and efficiently. The latest version of WASDA (4.1) is significant software to be marketed to researchers, process / design engineers, policy makers, university professors and students, training centers, consultancy companies, and regulators. WASDA 4.1 can assist regulators or policy makers to evaluate a wastewater treatment plant design, given by contractors, design engineers or package suppliers. WASDA 4.1 has incorporated valuable knowledge and expertise in the domain of wastewater treatment plant in Malaysia. WASDA 4.1 can assist the wastewater treatment plant engineers and designers to understand the mechanisms of treatment process. WASDA 4.1 can also be utilized as an educational tool and teaching aid for the inexperienced designer in getting familiar with rules and regulations of wastewater treatment plant.
The commercialisation effort with Nexus Protocol is championed by the Innovation and Commercialisation Centre (ICC) as the key unit responsible in marketing UTM research outputs, providing a platform for education and training of UTM researchers in research commercialisation, and providing consultation to UTM researchers who wishes to enhance their research outputs to be market-ready.
Prof. Zaini noted that the IT solutions have the potential to be marketed globally. However, commercialisation of the products at a global market will be a challenge for the university if UTM markets the products as an individual entity. Nexus Protocol is appointed as the university’s representation abroad, which would advise and facilitate the university in enhancing the competitiveness of the products at a global level.
Two more Collaboration Agreement with Nexus Protocol are anticipated in the future to launch more of UTM products and recent technologies. The technologies are Thalassemia Disease Mortality Prediction and Flood Mitigation System. The two new IT Products are expected to be launched in 2013.