IBM has won the contract to build and supply the NSW Department of Education and Training's wireless network for 463 state schools.
The wireless contract follows DET's decision last month to award the contract to former IBM computer maker Lenovo to supply over 200,000 laptops to the state's senior students.
Key providers under the mostly Federal Government-funded $380 million initiative are Microsoft, Lenovo, Adobe and now IBM, which will build the network using Aruba equipment. Other bidders for the network roll-out were NEC, Lenovo and ASI Solutions.
IBM will oversee around 100 contractors for the two-stage implementation, which is expected to be complete by February 2010, according to NSW Minister for Education, Verity Firth.
"The 293 government schools that received funding for laptops in round one of the Rudd Government's National Secondary School Computer Fund Program will be the first to receive the wireless network," Firth said in a statement. "By the end of July 2009, these schools will have wireless networks to support the roll-out of laptops to Year 9 students. The remaining 170 schools will receive their wireless network over the remainder of Term 3."
The Lenovo laptops, currently being made, are due for delivery sometime between July and October this year, according to Firth. The laptops will be equipped with a Microsoft XP operating system, Microsoft Office and a range of Adobe's creative software.
DET chief information officer Stephen Wilson told ZDNet.com.au the department would hire an additional 471 staff to provide support to students when the laptops arrive.
How great is it that the NSW government is realising the need for making technology available.
It' really is a pity that governments like NSW can't lead the way into the adoption of open-source software like Linux and Open Office to run these laptops. It would save a packet, not only now but in the future if we weaned ourselves off the Microsoft drug and its costly cycle of dependencies.
My only other comment is that when the NBN is here in full force we can give students $100 thin client laptops, would have saved a packet if they had the NBN before this!