News from Acorn Computers 

PR122/8.6.95 

Acorn SchoolServer - 
Maximising School Resources 

Acorn Computers, one of the world's leading suppliers of information 
technology to  schools, has announced Acorn SchoolServer, the latest 
addition to its Acorn Universal Networking (AUN) range.  A high performance 
network server, Acorn SchoolServer allows software, printers and CD ROMs to 
be shared between Acorn computers and, uniquely, between Acorn computers and 
other platforms such as PCs.  This provides schools with the highest 
possible access to resources for improved learning effectiveness. 

Acorn SchoolServer has been designed to offer comprehensive networking 
support for large numbers of Acorn RISC OS computers, which are widely 
recognised as the leading creativity-enhancing curriculum computers.  This 
provides a cost effective means for schools with a large installed base of 
Acorn computers to continue to increase their hardware resource without 
discarding their current investment. 

As the network server that 'talks to everybody', Acorn SchoolServer is also 
the first server capable of integrating the multiple platforms many 
secondary schools and tertiary sites now have installed for a range of 
education, training and administration purposes.  As a result, schools will 
be able to optimise the management of valuable information and hardware 
resources with an easy to use, cost effective solution. 

Acorn SchoolServer reinforces Acorn's support for the de facto educational 
operating system standard, RISC OS.  By placing Acorn systems at the heart 
of any network, Acorn SchoolServer allows Acorn's RISC computers to be added 
to other networks to perform tasks in which Acorn computers excel, such as 
curriculum use, pre-press and publishing and graphic design. 

Acorn SchoolServer is Acorn's high end solution for medium to large mixed 
network educational environments such as those found in secondary and 
tertiary education establishments.  Other products in the AUN portfolio, 
such as the Access range and Level 4 Fileserver release 3, will continue to 
play an important role in small to medium sized networks, for those users 
wishing to use multimedia over networks and to make maximum use of network 
resources such as CD ROM, printers and software applications. 

Acorn SchoolServer consists of an Acorn file-server based on PowerPC 
technology from IBM pre-installed with Microsoft(R) SchoolServer 
architecture,  based on Microsoft(R) Windows NT(TM) Server 3.5 network 
operating system.  The  third element of the solution, Acorn OmniClient(TM) 
is installed on the Acorn  RISC OS client computers.  This allows Acorn, 
Apple and PC users to store  and retrieve files on Acorn SchoolServer, 
enabling schools to integrate  their mixed IT environments on the same 
server for the first time. 

Founded in 1978, Acorn Computers Ltd designs, develops and markets 
appropriate technologies to identified markets and is one of the world's 
leading suppliers of information technology to education. The first supplier 
of low-cost 32-bit RISC based personal computers in 1987, Acorn remains one 
of the most cost-effective research and development organisations in the 
industry, renowned for technology innovation which has led to the formation 
of Advanced RISC Machines Ltd and Online Media. 

Acorn Computer Group plc is the holding company for Acorn Computers Limited, 
Acorn Australia, Acorn New Zealand, Acorn GmbH and Online Media.  Acorn 
Computer Group owns 43% of Advanced RISC Machines Ltd.  Online Media, a 
division of the Acorn Computer Group, was launched in 1994 with the 
objective to design interactive multimedia products. 

PowerPC(TM) is a trademark of IBM(R).  Windows NT(TM) is a trademark of 
Microsoft(R).  OmniClient(TM) is a trademark of ANT Limited. Acorn and the 
Acorn device,  Acorn in Education Centres (AEC), Acorn Universal Networking 
(AUN) and the  AUN device, Online Media and the OM device are trademarks or 
registered  trademarks of members of the Acorn Computer Group.  ARM,  the 
ARM device,  and  ARM powered are trademarks or registered trademarks of 
Advanced RISC  Machines Ltd.  All other trademarks accepted and 
acknowledged.