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Leading Local Companies, High Schools, and the University of Cincinnati Partnering to Expand Interest in IT, Keep Future Workforce in Town

CINCINNATI, Ohio, June 27, 2006 – School may be out for the summer, but the newly formed INTERalliance of Greater Cincinnati is working to immerse 40 of Cincinnati’s top high school students in information technology (IT). The INTERalliance IT Careers Camp will offer a unique behind-the-scenes view of future career opportunities and once-in-a-lifetime hands-on experiences.

The INTERalliance is a collaborative effort launched by Atos Origin, Procter & Gamble and the University of Cincinnati - College of Business and involves several other corporations and entities as charter participants, including Chiquita Brands International, Cintas Corporation, Fifth Third Bank, and Toyota. The organization is dedicated to creating an environment that gives local young IT talent a compelling reason to stay in southwest Ohio both for college and their careers.

Six of Cincinnati’s leading college-prep high schools were selected to participate in the IT Careers Camp pilot. Cincinnati Country Day School, Indian Hill, St. Ursula Academy, St. Xavier, Sycamore and Walnut Hills nominated some of their best students for scholarships to attend the camp during one of the two 1-week sessions running July 10 through 14 or July 31 through August 4.  After the pilot, subsequent year invitations will be expanded to include all high schools in the Greater Cincinnati Region.

During the camp sessions, students will get tangible technology experience at local businesses and organizations, including:

• Taking behind-the-scenes tours and experiential encounters, such as the DaVinci surgery robot at the U.C. Experimental IT Center for Surgical Innovation
• Using virtual reality to explore the impact of package design on consumer buying decisions at P&G’s Winton Hill Envision Center 
• Participating in simulations to solve real-world business problems with IT solutions at Cintas Corporation''s headquarters in Mason
• Practicing on real surgery simulators (the ultimate video game) at Ethicon Endo-Surgery
• Editing video footage using the latest computer technology at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music

“Too many of Cincinnati’s best and brightest are leaving for college and not returning,” said Doug Arthur, manager of Great Lakes Commercial Support Services for Atos Origin. “We want to show these kids that there is an exciting future for them in the Cincinnati Region and in IT. By connecting them with industry leaders and providing them with tangible technology experiences that inspire their imaginations, we believe that we can increase the talent pool and start developing the workforce of tomorrow.”

The students also will receive advanced web development training and participate in a team competition to design a Web site for a Cincinnati non-profit organization. The winning team’s design will be used by the charity. Microsoft Corporation is donating a personal copy of Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 for each of the students.

In addition to field trips and practical experience, students will be joined for lunch each day by a senior IT executive who will share information about the industry and offer perspectives about career opportunities throughout the Greater Cincinnati region.

Some of the scheduled executives include: Julie Elberfeld, vice president at Fifth Third Bank; Marta Foster, senior vice president of IT at Procter & Gamble; Jill Henry, senior director of applications at Cintas Corporation; Helen Marshall, assistant general manager of IS for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America; Filippo Passerini, chief information officer of Procter & Gamble; Joe Robinson, senior vice president of IT at Fifth Third Bank; Robert Scott, senior vice president of IT at Procter & Gamble; Gene Wells, vice president of Great Lakes region for Atos Origin, the Worldwide IT Partner for the Olympic Games; and Waheed Zaman, senior vice president and chief information officer of Chiquita Brands International.

INTERalliance also is piloting a 6-week paid IT internship for one talented high school student and plans are underway for 3-month international co-ops for selected University of Cincinnati IT majors at Atos Origin’s Development Center in Mumbai, India.

Several news stories over the last few years have reported that the exodus of young adults from the Greater Cincinnati Region may be among the highest in the United States. For instance, census data show that Hamilton County lost more Gen Xers than any urban county in the Midwest in the 1990s. Meanwhile, the undergraduate enrollment in computer science and IT programs at schools such as the University of Cincinnati is down nearly 65 percent from just a few years ago.

In addition to founding members Procter & Gamble, the University of Cincinnati, and Atos Origin, INTERalliance charter members include Chiquita, CincyTechUSA, Cintas, Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Fifth Third Bank, Microsoft, WCPO-TV, University Hospital, and Toyota. Membership is open to all Greater Cincinnati Region businesses, organizations, high schools and post-secondary education institutions.

About Atos Origin
Atos Origin is an international information technology services company. Its business is turning client vision into results through the application of consulting, systems integration and managed operations. The company''s annual revenues are $7 billion and it employs over 47,000 people in 40 countries. Atos Origin is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic Games and has a client base of international blue-chip companies across all sectors. Atos Origin is quoted on the Paris Eurolist Market and trades as Atos Origin, Atos Euronext Market Solutions, Atos Worldline and Atos Consulting. For more information, please visit the company''s web site at http://www.atosorigin.com

For more information about the INTERalliance of Greater Cincinnati, please contact:

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