Arizona State University names IBM sole notebook provider - Product news: higher-education and technology products, projects and services - Brief Article

Matrix: The Magazine for Leaders in Education, June, 2001

It looks like college life suits IBM. The company is certainly "making the grade" at Arizona State University, where it signed a $700,000 deal to provide ThinkPad[R] notebook computers for incoming students of the College of Business. With this contract, IBM displaces Dell and Compaq to become the exclusive provider of mobile wireless systems for the MBA program. Quality, speed, and ultraportability, combined with the ability to provide service for international students were key differentiators.

"Competitively speaking, the deal's significance lies in IBM's ongoing aggressive campaign to expand market share and develop affiliations with elite education programs across the country," says Susan Hoffman-Mirialakis, communications manager for IBM. "In the past 12 months, IBM has reclaimed three of the top 20 (according to U.S. News and World Report) business schools from Dell and Compaq and is currently working on adding to that list. Students entering the College of Business will purchase a notebook computer as part of their curriculum requirements. The IBM ThinkPad T21 and X20 notebooks will be specially configured by IBM for ASU's wireless technology infrastructure. The school's notebook requirement will leverage a common wireless operating environment, offering mobility and interoperability for faculty, staff, and students. The wireless ThinkPad's will allow ASU users to focus on casework, testing, class assignments, and problem analysis via email and the Internet, rather than on the technical details of file and software exchange.

"Following the success of last year's pilot program, we are excited to be starting the fall semester with IBM as our partner for mobile and wireless e-infrastructure, providing full time MBA students with the technology and collaborative learning tools they need for a richer learning environment," says Dennis Hoffman, Associate Dean, ASU College of Business. "IBM met the specific needs of our program, in terms of cost, quality and service, and they share in our belief of providing the best education available to students."

When selecting a vendor, ASU required certain specifications to meet the needs of its students and faculty. Among those were ultra portability, speed, and cost. The ThinkPad T21 and X20 notebook computers beat out all competitors by providing extreme mobility, ultra sleek design with both Celeron and Pentium chip options for speed and price flexibility. IBM also provides global support to students fulfilling curriculum requirement via international internships.

Students entering the program this fall will be able to research the ThinkPad notebook and options available to them via a secure Web site maintained and provided by IBM. When ready to place their order, students will call IBM Direct, using a toll free telephone number, and providing a unique ASU MBA program key code. Notebooks, as well as a CD ROM containing the Program's Common Operating Environment software, will then be shipped to students directly.

"This is a key technology relationship for all of us," says Thomas Dekle, director of marketing/merchandising, PCD Direct. "IBM has a strong commitment to education and we believe that in working with ASU, we will be able to facilitate an anytime, anywhere learning atmosphere while providing the best in mobile computing technology, service, and support. Our ability to provide one-stop shopping for cost-effective solutions was instrumental in establishing this partnership. Working together with ASU, we anticipate giving students the quality that they expect from IBM and ASU's world-class MBA program."

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