MEXICO CITY, Mexico, October 19, 2000 — Microsoft Mexico today announced the donation, through the Union de Empresarios para la Tecnolog
í
a en la Educaci
ó
n A.C. (UNETE), of 1.4 million dollars of software to benefit 500 public schools over the whole country.
UNETE is a non-profit organization that coordinates efforts to assist the improvement of education by the use of technology, providing computers, Internet facilities and educational television to public elementary and junior high schools.
Created in 1999, UNETE developed a method that involves businessmen, the community, federal and state governments, in addition to schools and parents, in order to provide
“Media Classrooms”
to these schools and to benefit thousands of children all over the country.
“Since it set up operations in Mexico 14 years ago, Microsoft had always shown a strong commitment to education and to providing technology to all sectors,”
said Felipe Sanchez-Romero, General Manager of Microsoft Mexico.
“UNETE has created one of the most important vehicles to reduce the digital divide in our country, therefore, we have decided to make our contribution so that thousands of children have the opportunity to be in touch with new ways of learning using the world’s most advanced and popular technology”
, he added.
“Thanks to the generous support of our donors, we have been able to equip 370 schools with Media Classrooms, which means that we have provided the benefits of computers, Internet and education television to 140 thousand children in the country”
, explained Claudio X. Gonzalez, Chairman of the UNETE Foundation.
Microsoft’s donation consists of providing UNETE with all the software necessary for 500 Media Classrooms. The computers will run in the Windows 2000 platform, using Office 2000, Encarta 2000. Schools will also be given other servers and development tools for this project.
Rafael Fernandez, Director of UNETE, stated that the target
“is to provide equal education opportunities in the country”
and considered that
“we are on the right track”
. Fernandez said that in spite of this, it is important to continue generating awareness of the need to support this effort and that it undertakes
“a crusade to incorporate new technology into basic education.”
The International Community Affairs Manager for Microsoft Corporation, Joanna Demirian, also attended the signing of the agreement, where she conveyed her enthusiasm for the impact this program will have on Mexican children and for the support that UNETE is bringing together from various players in the community.
“It is great to know that Microsoft’s contribution will give thousands of Mexican children the opportunity to come into contact with new technology and new ways of learning. This will provide an increasing number of opportunities for their personal development,”
she stated.
Microsoft is in the business of providing people with the resources they need to achieve their goals. The company’s international community affairs program is a natural extension of that philosophy, and it is producing amazing results worldwide.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software – any time, any place and on any device.
www.microsoft.com/mexico
About UNETE
Unete is a Mexican non-profit organization which was founded in September, 1999, by a group of businessmen interested in the country’s education. It coordinates the work required to take computers, Internet and educational television to public schools in the attempt to benefit a greater number of children.
www.uneteya.org.mx
For further information please contact:
Analycia Prez Mina
nete
Tel. (52) 5245 1405
[email protected]
Javier Gonzlez A.
Edelman Mxico
Tel. (52) 5566 2822 Ext.217
[email protected]
