University of Albany NanoCollege and Commerce Technologies Create Joint Information Technology Workforce Development Program

The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering ("CNSE") of the University at Albany and Commerce Technologies Inc. ("CTI") today announced the creation of a joint workforce development and recruitment program that will offer students unique educational and training opportunities at a leading global information technology ("IT") company headquartered at the UAlbany NanoCollege.

The CNSE-CTI program will serve to support the development and implementation of an advanced education, training and recruitment program for CTI's CommerceHub - the industry's leading provider of integration and fulfillment solutions for multi-channel e-Commerce merchants - which employs approximately 90 professionals at its offices at CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex, and has increased its workforce by 40 percent since coming to the complex in May of 2004.

Initially, four students will receive paid internships for a variety of research projects at CommerceHub that are designed to enhance software development, integration, prototyping and implementation for a variety of platforms, including drop-ship fulfillment, database and internal systems. The program will also provide education and workforce training that is critical to support the growing number of nanotechnology-enabled IT applications that integrate the design, deployment, utilization and management of emerging computing technologies to enable radio frequency identification devices ("RFID"), global positioning systems ("GPS"), biometrics and other emerging fields.

Dr. Alain E. Kaloyeros, Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of CNSE, said, "The UAlbany NanoCollege is delighted to enter into this partnership with Commerce Technologies to provide critical support and resources that will address both the strategic and business objectives of our partner tenant, CommerceHub, and the essential need for advanced education and training in information technology. The development of a highly educated, highly skilled IT workforce, as embodied by CommerceHub, has never been more important, particularly as nanotechnology enables a growing number of career opportunities in the innovation economy of the 21st century."

Stephen Hamlin, President and CEO of Commerce Technologies Inc., said, "We are pleased to partner with the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering on this innovative program that will provide pioneering educational and training opportunities for students in the fast-growing field of information technology. For CommerceHub, this unique workforce development and recruitment program will serve to ensure the presence of top-notch employees that are vital to supporting our future technology advances and business growth on a global basis."

The program will be launched in January, at the start of the spring 2009 semester, and will continue throughout the calendar year.