Future workers and new technology are two reasons big companies like getting involved with ASU.
The University has reached out more often to corporate America since President Michael Crow came on board in 2002, said Bulent Bicer, ASU's corporate relations officer.
"We try to understand the needs of the business, talk the same language," Bicer said.
More relationships with big business could potentially lead to more job opportunities for ASU graduates and additional research dollars for the University, he said.
More research would also boost demand for student assistants to work with faculty, he added.
These relationships could also help reduce the impact of ASU's party-school image, said Carrie Cano, a marketing freshman.
"[ASU] has a bad stigma sometimes," Cano said. "I think [these relationships] make ASU look more prestigious."
Companies benefit from access to a talented pool of prospective employees and to faculty with a wealth of research that could be harnessed to develop new technologies, Bicer said.
Already, working with companies more has helped boost the University's research spending.
In 2005, the amount of research spending sponsored by the private sector was $8 million, but this year it was about $30 million. In 2006, ASU reported a record $200 million in research expenditures.
ASU's friendlier attitude toward companies than in the past is a big selling point for them to partner with the University, Bicer said.
"We proactively open up to the company and find a solution for their needs," he said.
In one case, ASU collaborated with Intel and Motorola to create classes where students could learn how to work with particular computer systems.
"Those graduates were very easily hired by those companies," Bicer said.
Online auction giant eBay decided to open an operations center in Scottsdale for its PayPal division in part because of ASU's presence, said PayPal spokeswoman Jamie Patricio.
Positions in product development and engineering would require the skills of ASU graduates, she said.
The office, which opened last month, plans to hire more than 400 people by 2009, Patricio said.
The company has been working with ASU to recruit graduates for some of these openings, she said.
For the same reason, Google opened up an office on ASU's Tempe campus earlier this year, said Google spokeswoman Sunny Gettinger.
"You all have very bright students who are really committed to doing serious computer-science work," Gettinger said. "Being on the ASU campus allows us to stay close to that."
Michael Olsen, an aerospace engineering freshman, said the relationship with ASU could give students access to future Google technology.
ASU has already switched over its e-mail network to a Gmail-based system.
"I think it's great they are providing that sort of way for students to get a handle on the future," said Olsen, who applied for a job at Google last week. "I'm sure they have a bunch of stuff underground."
Businesses can get involved in ASU research by signing a contract for a particular project or taking part in a group of companies conducting research on a common area, such as wireless technology, Bicer said.
ASU's efforts to raise its reputation and capacity as a research university could also attract more businesses, he said.
Companies, for example, might want access to prestigious faculty ASU would hire in the future and the knowledge they bring, he said.
Qwest Communications has partnered with ASU by providing telecommunications services for the Downtown Phoenix campus.
The company also plans to occupy space at the SkySong research center in Scottsdale, said spokesman Jeff Mirasola.
Mirasola said the company plans to cooperate with ASU and other companies on research projects, but declined to reveal details of these efforts.
Through these projects, ASU could help provide Qwest with research to develop new products and services, he said.
ASU is also an attractive business partner because of Crow's vision for a New American University, he added.
"It's what we're about," Mirasola said. "It's innovation and technological advances."
Reach the reporter at: Grayson.Steinberg@asu.edu.
