ADVISORY/Drexel, Toshiba Kick-off 'PCs for All' Program; Offers Employees Effectively 'Free' PCs

Business Wire, Oct 31, 2000

Assignment/News Editors

ADVISORY...for Wed. (Nov. 1)

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

Through a partnership with Toshiba, DCANet and AJDrexelbank.com,

eligible Drexel employees can purchase a home PC and unlimited

Internet access at reduced costs

What:           Constantine Papadakis, President of Drexel University,
                and Mike Wagner, Vice President of the Irvine,
                Calif.-based Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc.
                (TAIS) will kick off "Drexel PCs for All," higher
                education's first employee personal computer (PC)
                purchase program Wednesday at Drexel's Korman
                Computing Center. Representatives from regional
                Internet service provider DCANet and AJDrexelbank.com
                will also be on hand for a Q&A session.

Where:          Korman Computing Center Lobby
                (Drexel Quad, between 32nd & 33rd streets and Market &
                Chestnut streets)

When:           Wednesday, November 1, 2000, from 11:00 a.m. through
                12:00 noon

Details:        Employees will get unlimited Internet access and a
                personal computer for monthly payments that are less
                than the typical cost of monthly Internet access
                alone. The "Drexel PCs for All" program: Full-time
                Drexel faculty, administrative and administrative
                secretaries, professional, research and support staff
                hired on or before June 30, 2000, can participate;
                Choice of one of three desktop units with monitors and
                one laptop computer; Three years of pre-paid unlimited
                Internet access through regional ISP DCA Net;
                Pre-configured computers with operating system and
                applications selected by Drexel; As-needed financing
                through the newly established AJDrexelbank.com
                (operated by TheBancorp.com), first online banking
                service for a U.S. university.

Visuals:        Four computer models on display...Papadakis and Wagner
                with employees as they browse the different models
                available...Employees talking with Toshiba and Drexel
                representatives about computer specifications...A Q&A
                session for employees with Toshiba and Drexel
                representatives.

Background:     Delta and American Airlines, Ford Motor Company and
                Samsonite have launched similar employee PC purchase
                programs as part of a growing trend in the corporate
                world.