Acer on a Mission to Outfit School Classrooms and Computer Labs

Acer Education Technology Initiative Gives K-12 Schools the Opportunity to Access the Latest Technology


SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - July 10, 2009) - School may be out for students, but district administrators and school IT professionals are still busy at work making plans for how to best leverage the education stimulus package funds.

To help schools access the latest technology, Acer, the number one vendor of netbooks worldwide and a market leader for notebook and overall PC technology, is offering an opportunity to test its products with a free trial for a chance to win a new computer lab outfitted with Acer and Intel technology, which includes up to 30 systems each of netbooks, desktops and LCDs. Three runner-up winners also will win Acer and Intel technology for an entire classroom of 30 netbooks.

To enter Acer's Education Technology Initiative, school district staff members and teachers must submit an application by August 31, 2009, at www.acer.com/us/k12.

How it works

The Acer Education Technology Initiative gives schools access to a free 30-day trial of the Acer Aspire One Netbook.

Weighing less than three pounds, the Acer Aspire One is an award-winning netbook noted for its lightweight and powerful technology. After the 30-day trial, applicants can choose to either return the product free of charge and shipping or purchase the netbook at a special price only available to applicants. In September, all applicants will be entered into a random drawing to determine winners for the computer lab and classroom technology prizes outfitted by Acer and Intel.

Additional program details include:

--  There is a limit of one application per person.
--  Program is open to school IT professionals, teachers, administrators
    and decision makers only -- both public and private schools are eligible to
    enter.
--  The application process takes a matter of seconds to enter -- the only
    information required is name, contact information and school/school
    district.
    

Complete terms and conditions for the Acer Education Technology Initiative are available online.

Value of classroom technology

Giving every student access to the latest mobile technology is a valuable and challenging goal. Research shows technology in the classroom improves everything from testing scores to attendance. In fact, according to research from Henry County, Virginia, student scores improved by 20 percent on state tests during the first year that new laptop technology was introduced.

Schools throughout the nation are leveraging resources and sharing tips to make one-to-one computing goals a reality. With the Acer Education Technology Initiative, schools have the chance at being one step closer to reaching these goals.

Navigating education technology stimulus funds

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), there is an unprecedented $115 billion set aside for education. Making the right decisions on how to create sustainable, long-term results for education technology will vary for different districts and schools, but there's no doubt technology will play an increasingly important role in the classroom.

To help understand ARRA and how education technology fits into the stimulus package, Acer has developed a resource guide. The complete resource guide is available for download as a PDF.

For more information about the Acer Education Technology Initiative or Acer's solutions for K-12 education, please visit: www.acer.us/education/index.htm.

Quote:

"Our students are our future, and providing them with the best resources is a responsibility we take very seriously. The hope is that Acer's Education Technology Initiative brings students an opportunity to interact with technology that would be otherwise unavailable to many."

-- Richard Black, Director of Marketing for Acer America Corporation

Company Info:

Since its founding in 1976, Acer has constantly pursued the goal of breaking the barriers between people and technology. Focused on marketing its brand-name IT products around the globe, Acer ranks as the world's No. 3 vendor for total PCs and No. 2 for notebooks, with the fastest growth among the top five players. A profitable and sustainable Channel Business Model is instrumental to Acer's continued growth, while the successful mergers of Gateway and Packard Bell complete the company's global footprint by strengthening its presence in the U.S. and enhancing its strong position in Europe. The Acer Group employs more than 6,000 people worldwide. 2008 revenues reached US$16.65 billion. See www.acer.com for more information.

Apply for the Acer Education Technology Initiative at: www.acer.com/us/k12

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Contact Information: Contact Info: CMD PR on behalf of Acer and Intel 503-274-7006 Acer PR contact: Alison Williams 408-533-7746