Acorn Strengthens Links with IT Centres 

Acorn Computers is launching an initiative aimed at 
strengthening its working partnerships with Educational IT 
Support Centres throughout the UK and thereby enhancing the 
support available to schools in their use of Information 
Technology. 

Acorn in Education Centres all around the country are 
providing a collaborative network to offer the best level of 
IT support to schools.  The Centres will act in close 
collaboration with Acorn's network of Education dealers, 
with Acorn, the Centres and Education dealers mutually 
assisting one another. The role of the Centres is to provide 
the educational aspects of IT support while dealers will 
continue to offer sales, installation and technical support 
to schools. 

As education and technology develop, Acorn will continue to 
need to channel information to schools. Schools on the other 
hand will continue to need support to help them to use their 
computers to good educational ends. 

The Acorn in Education Centres, which now exist within many 
of the best Educational IT Support Centres in the country, 
will assure schools of a significant base level of support 
while helping them to access the wide range of advanced 
services offered independently by the Centres. 

Each Centre can be visited by teachers, where they will find 
a representative sample of Acorn's computers - including 
desktop machines, portables, network solutions, multimedia 
equipment and peripherals.  A reference library of core 
curriculum software will also be available so that teachers 
will be able to inspect the various offerings and get advice 
on how best to implement their use in the classroom 
environment. The Centres will also offer access to local 
educational training centres equipped with Acorn's range of 
computers and help schools to fund appropriate curriculum 
materials. 

As Acorn launches new equipment, demonstration systems will 
be made available to the Acorn in Education Centres so that 
teachers can always be apprised of the latest offerings 
available with information as to how they are best used in 
the classroom. 

Strong links are developing between these Centres and other 
groups in the Acorn community such as software houses and 
publishers.  Centres will also be able to register to carry 
out Acorn training courses and will be able to join with 
Acorn in mounting training conferences for teachers, and in 
exhibiting their services to teachers at national events 
such as the BETT and Education shows.   

Acorn's Managing Director Sam Wauchope said that the Acorn 
in Education Centre initiative showed Acorn was fully 
committed to serving the needs of Education in the UK.  "I 
believe strongly that computer technology has an important 
role in enabling teaching and learning" he said. 

"However, we are aware that merely providing the computer 
hardware is not sufficient.  It is for this reason that we 
have defined, as part of our mission, that we will work in 
partnership with others whose expertise is vital in creating 
the complete environment for effective use of IT in schools. 

"The AEC initiative is intended to strengthen and formalise 
our links with Educational IT Support Centres and we intend 
that the basis of the initiative will be a permanent part of 
our business. " 

ENDS 

Issued by: 
Brian Salter 
Corporate Affairs Manager 
Acorn Computers 

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