Essex student in line for Young IT Professional of the Year Award

An Essex PhD student is in the running for a top national award for his work on a project which uses futuristic technology to transform the way BT deploys engineers.

A PhD student from the University of Essex is in the running for a top national award for his work on a project which uses futuristic technology to transform the way BT deploys engineers.

Andrew Starkey has been short-listed as the Young IT Professional of the Year. He is up against nine others in the UK IT Industry Awards and the winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on 15 November.

Andrew studied for both his BSc and MSc at our School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering and is due to complete his PhD in artificial intelligence in the next few months.

He was part of a team from Essex who used artificial intelligence (AI) and mixed reality systems to develop the iPatch, which enables BT to plan the movement of staff to make sure the right engineer is in the right place at the right time.

As a result, the company has increased productivity and customer satisfaction, while reducing both costs and their carbon footprint.  The iPatch project has twice won awards in the Global Telecoms Business Awards.

Andrew has also previously won individual awards from the Institution of Engineering and Technology. He said:

"This latest award recognises those who have demonstrated outstanding commitment achievement and professionalism and who stand out as high performers in the application and management of IT. It is an honour to be listed among the top 10 young IT professionals in the country."