Royi - Haifa Research Labs, 2001

Some people just get it. And one of those people is Royi. As a third year student in the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Royi spent a summer working with cutting edge technology, innovative teams, and a dynamic work environment. Before he leaves Technion, and even while still plugging away, Royi has his Extreme Blue™ internship experience to look back on, and to draw references from.

Cool Projects
Royi spent his Extreme Blue summer at IBM Haifa research labs in Israel as part of a four-student group that developed a proof-of-concept for active services in a wireless environment. They used a technology called "Amit," which is a technology developed by Haifa research labs. It is aimed at improving business productivity. The project showed how "Amit" improves the productivity of a taxi station, one of many examples in which it is applicable. With many internships, the projects you get to work on are temporary -- put together expressly for the internship and then scrapped when the students head back to classes. Not so with the Extreme Blue program! Not only did Royi get to work with cutting edge technology during his Extreme Blue summer, but his foray into active technologies has led into a permanent position at IBM. And "Amit" technology was far from temporary: "Amit" was announced as a research accomplishment by IBM.

Innovative People
The technology was great, the project was challenging, but what about the people? "I think very highly of my Extreme Blue peers. They are all brilliant students and nice people, too. I keep in contact with all of them." So see, teamwork, cooperation, and mutual respect really DO exist outside the Brady Bunch. When Royi's ultimate internship experience ended, he still couldn't shake his tour guide. That's right, one of his ExB mentors is the manager of his current group and the other is a member of the group, so he certainly keeps in touch with them -- even physically, as they rub elbow while jostling for position at the watercooler.

A Networking and Learning Experience
"Where do I go from here?" is a popular lament heard by post-students who are pounding the pavement for a good career path after (or in Royi's case, DURING) college. However, if you've got a thick chunk of contacts in your sweaty little hands after a summer of networking, you're all set. The Extreme Blue program opens up networking doors that otherwise might remain closed. "We were taken abroad, met students from many countries and presented our project," says Royi. "We had weekly seminars, delivered by researchers from IBM England, Germany, Israel and Switzerland. Some of the lectures were indeed eye-openers to things that I didn't see in university."

And why did Royi choose to stick with IBM? "I chose it because I like the work and people here." Rock on, Royi.

Written by Kelly Samardak, Internet Technology Marketing