Microsoft PressPass – MICROSOFT ANNOUNCES SPECIAL WINDOWS 95 PRICE FOR EDUCATION — $19.95 – TO CONTINUE WINDOWS MOMENTUM IN K-12 SCHOOLS
Offer Ends 10/31/96
REDMOND, Wash., April 29, 1996 — With market research predicting that the Microsoft® Windows®
operating system will be the leading operating system in schools by the end of this school year, Microsoft Corporation today announced an exceptional offer for educators designed to continue fueling this shift – – Windows 95 for $19.95. Beginning May 1 through Oct. 31, 1996, any K-12 school and higher education institution in the U.S. can take advantage of this special price.
The special offer is accompanied by a $1 million donation of Windows 95 software and instructional materials to teacher training programs nationwide. Educators have identified training as the key to effectively integrating technology into schools.
“This special pricing and training donation will help ensure that more students and teachers have access to powerful, leading edge software tools and the knowledge to use them to enhance education,”
said Jonathan Lazarus, vice president, strategic relations.
Acknowledging the growing importance of the Windows platform in education, leading educational software developers including Jostens Learning Corporation and IBM K-12 Education have announced a commitment to develop products for Windows 95. They join the more than 100 other top educational software companies that have developed more than 1,100 Windows-based education applications for K-12.
Special Price for Education
For the next six months, qualified educational institutions can buy the Windows 95 upgrade or the full version of Windows
95 for new users at the special price of $19.95, plus shipping and handling. The minimum order is five copies.
To provide the lowest possible price to educators, technical support is not included, but is available as an optional purchase. Educators can use Microsoft’s free electronic support services or purchase technical phone support with an 800 number set up for educators. To facilitate technical training, each K-12 institution that orders Windows 95 through this program will receive a free copy of
“In & Out of the Classroom With Windows 95,”
a practical resource that offers teachers guided, self-paced lessons and hands-on activities demonstrating the features and capabilities that make a Windows 95-based PC easier and friendlier to use.
For more information, educational institutions can call 1-800-633-2114 or visit the Microsoft web sites at http://www.microsoft.com/k-12/win95 or http://www.microsoft.com/education/schools/default.htm . Product is available directly from Microsoft and there is a minimum order of five copies per qualified institution.
The Shift to Windows-based PCs in Schools
Adoption of Windows 95 and Windows NT®
Server operating systems in schools builds on the momentum of the Windows platform in K-12 education. In a recently published report, CCA Consulting Inc., Wellesley, Mass., documents the shift to Windows-based PCs in schools. According to the report, by the end of the school year, Intel-based PCs are projected to be 51% of the installed base, and Windows will be running on nearly three out of every four of them. Recent purchases underscore this trend. Windows-based PCs are projected to be 72% of new purchases in K-12 by the end of the 1995-96 school year.
“We didn’t want to be locked into a corner for the future,”
said Anne W. Carver, co-director of educational technology, Beaufort County School District, South Carolina.
“Adopting Windows 95 has positioned us and our students to make the best use of technology in the learning process for the future.”
Beaufort County has installed more than 600 PCs running Windows throughout its 19 schools, a trend that is being replicated in thousands of schools across the country.
Using Windows at school is not only preferred by school technology decision makers, but also by parents of school-age children. A January 1996 survey by PC Watch a service of TechScan, Inc., King of Prussia, PA , reported that parents prefer their children use a Windows-based PC in schools by 3 to 1.
Education Organizations Receive $1 Million in Software and Training Materials
To help facilitate this shift, copies of Windows 95 and the
“In & Out of the Classroom With Windows 95”
training guide will be donated to teacher training programs through the state departments of education and community-based special needs technology assistance centers affiliated with the Alliance for Technology Access, San Rafael, Calif.
Through the donation to state department of education technology training programs, nearly 150,000 teachers a year will learn to use the latest technology in the classroom. Working with the Alliance for Technology Access, Microsoft will provide Windows 95 to 45 community-based technology resource centers nationwide that will use the software’s accessibility features for technology training of special education teachers and individuals with disabilities. The community technology centers have training contracts with over 1,400 schools districts and train more than 35,000 educators.
“Technology can bring the world to the classroom,”
Illinois State Superintendent of Education Joseph Spagnolo said.
“Training teachers to use technology to help students experience unlimited educational opportunities will foster academic excellence. Businesses like Microsoft are helping to support this empowerment process in many ways.”
Developers Choose Windows
SIMBA Information, Inc. reports that 95% of the leading education software publishers are currently developing software applications for Windows 95.
“These publishers are sending a message that they whole-heartedly endorse Windows 95 in education – which is astonishing considering that Windows 95 was only released seven months ago,”
said Brian Kelly, editor of SIMBA’s Electronic Education Report, announcing the survey results. More than 80 education applications designed for Windows 95 already are available today.
Microsoft is pleased to announce that Jostens Learning Corporation, the nation’s largest K-12 educational software company, will take advantage of the capabilities of its Windows 95 and Windows NT desktop and network operating systems to provide its current and future curriculum and curriculum management products to schools.
“Developing curriculum to provide a quality learning environment for all students is our top priority,”
said Michael Brannick, vice president of strategy and planning for Jostens Learning, whose products are used by nearly 7 million students in over 12,000 schools nationwide.
“We’re bringing together our expertise in curriculum development with Microsoft’s experience in building leading edge operating systems. Windows 95 and Windows NT are important enabling technologies to providing effective curriculum products that meet the needs of educators and students.”
IBM K-12 Education recently announced a number of new products that will work in the Windows 95 environment, including SchoolVista 2.0 – – a new instructional management program that is the first product of its kind in the market place.
“We’re committed to working hand-in-hand with schools to pioneer and support the evolution and implementation of classroom technology,”
said Jim Schnitz, director of product strategy for IBM K-12 Education.
“As schools expand the platforms in which they operate, we’re actively moving with them to provide simple to use technology that improves the teaching and learning experience.”
“Educators have told us that they need outstanding management, productivity, and interactive media software to effectively use technology in every facet of education,”
said Jonathan Lazarus, vice president, strategic relations for Microsoft.
“Microsoft is thrilled that leading educational software developers, such as Jostens and IBM, are responding to this demand for a wide variety of outstanding Windows-based educational software and instructional management systems.”
For more information on Windows-based educational applications, educators can call toll-free 1-800-555-4K12 or visit Microsoft’s award-winning education web site,
“Focus on K-12,”
http://www.microsoft.com/K-12/.
The Windows 95 special purchase offer and donation program are part of Microsoft’s continuing efforts to help create a global
“Connected Learning Community”
in which all students and educators have access to technology and the tools and skills to use information effectively today and for a lifetime. Microsoft is committed to providing educators and students with the high-quality software and services needed to help them make the best use of technology.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
