To celebrate its first birthday, Xemplar Education Ltd issued a press release complete with an edible logo
This photograph of the Xemplar 'gingerbread man' was used in the news pages of RISC User 10:6.
The press release accompanying the gingerbread man read as follows:
PR18 - 07/04/97
Acorn and Apple Joint Venture Celebrates Xemplary First Year Performance
Over 50% of students in the UK use Xemplar Education computers every day
Xemplar Education, the joint venture company formed by Acorn Computer Group plc and Apple Computer UK, celebrates its first birthday this week. Launched in April 1996 as a start-up venture, Xemplar's objective has been to develop information technology solutions for the UK schools market. Within just 12 months the company has introduced numerous new initiatives, products and services specifically designed for the schools market.
Xemplar now leads the way with cutting-edge schools technologies, including the recent introduction of the Apple eMate 300 portable computer and trials of the much vaunted network computer - a technology that encourages the sharing of resources, ideas and curriculum materials between the classroom and wider world. Xemplar is also the official supplier of the Tesco Computers for Schools '97 initiative.
Xemplar has been working closely with schools, teachers, educationalists, developers and advisory bodies to guide their commissioning of solutions, educational tools and software. "A year ago we set out to improve learning standards in UK schools through the development of educationally appropriate IT solutions," explains Brendan O'Sullivan, Managing Director of Xemplar. "Since then Xemplar has proven its dedication to schools, showing itself to be the only company solely committed to meeting teaching and learning needs. A crucial aspect of this has been to introduce innovative technologies that enable schools to build on their existing investments.
Highlights of Xemplar's first year include winning BETT awards for its Junior Toolbox for RISC OS and Pocket Book palmtop computer and the opening in January '97 of Xemplar Curriculum Centres which provide IT information and support for teachers. Xemplar also introduced what it considers to be the crucial aspect of school IT development, Xemplar Learning Environments, blending technology and solutions to meet curriculum requirements.
Commenting on Xemplar's first year, Apple's European Director for Education, Nigel Turner, said: "As the number one IT supplier to education, Apple's major investment in Xemplar demonstrated our strong commitment to the UK education marketplace at a time when the need for IT in education has never been greater. Our leading technology, together with Xemplar's new approaches to providing solutions for schools, have contributed to a very successful first year. We are delighted by the acceptance of our strategy by educationalists - A year on, Xemplar is perfectly positioned to provide the advice, support and solutions that teachers need to prepare today's children for the information age."
Brendan O'Sullivan said: "We will continue to provide solutions that are learner-ready, appropriate to the task and simple to use. Our solutions have proved to be exactly what teachers need and are already being copied by our competitors, which Xemplar considers the highest form of flattery."
Other Xemplar initiatives have included special finance schemes, from leasing to personal purchasing for teachers, "price promise", where schools are guaranteed the best solutions at the best prices, and free hotline support, premium care on-site and extended warranty options.
Xemplar's End of Year Performance Report
February 96
- The Acorn Group and Apple Computer announce a joint venture to transform IT in UK education.
April 96
- Xemplar Education Ltd is launched and opens its doors for business.
May 96
- Xemplar launches a special initiative for teachers, enabling them to buy computer equipment at education prices.
- Xemplar launches the Pocket Lab, a science lab in the palm of the hand.
June 96
- Xemplar Education hosts a Learning Acceleration project in London Docklands. 450 Pocket Books are used by schoolchildren to improve their literacy and communications skills.
- Xemplar introduces high-performance Pentium administration systems to its range.
July 96
- Xemplar launches special offer computers for teachers - designed to give them more hands-on experience of IT outside of the classroom.
September 96
- Xemplar announces a new approach to school IT provision with a full range of complete solutions which assist teachers in integrating IT into classroom activities.
- Xemplar teams up with top publishing houses, such as Oxford University Press, YITM and Dorling Kindersley, to create multimedia nursery and primary classrooms resource packs.
- Xemplar announces support for Education Online - a new online curriculum resource initiative providing access to free classroom resources via the Internet.
October 96
- Xemplar launches Curriculum Toolboxes - designed specifically to provide subject teachers with the resource materials necessary to support the use of IT in their particular subject.
- Xemplar hosts a series of seminars across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to tell primary and secondary schools managers and subject specialists how Xemplar solutions help schools manage the delivery of IT across the curriculum.
- Xemplar introduces the Junior Toolbox for RISC OS, a fully integrated, easy-to-use solution, and Primary Mac Starter Packs, and introduction to educational IT on the Apple Macintosh.
November 96
- Xemplar releases the Casio QV-10A, the most feature-rich and portable digital camera for Acorn schools. The Casio has a colour LCD screen which acts as a viewfinder, as well as a display to enable students to see, instantly, the pictures taken.
December 96
- Xemplar announces two special initiatives which further demonstrate its ongoing commitment to Welsh education and culture: a Welsh language RISC OS allowing Welsh users to communicate in their native language; and 'Step-up', and exclusive offer allowing the purchase of higher specification, multimedia systems for the same price as a standard machine.
- Xemplar opens its Xemplar Curriculum Centres, a UK-wide customer information and support network designed to provide advice and expertise to teachers as well as highly experienced IT co-ordinators.
January 97
- Xemplar enjoys a very successful first BETT '97. In addition to demonstrating new technology, including the Apple eMate 300 and long-awaited network computer, the company outlines the future of school IT development in the form of Xemplar Learning Environments.
- At BETT, Xemplar becomes a double winner in the 1997 Educational Computing and Technology Awards. Awards were received for Xemplar's Junior Toolbox for RISC OS and the Pocket Book palmtop computer.
March 97
- Xemplar attends the Education Show and introduces the Junior Toolbox for Mac OS, sister product of the award-winning Junior Toolbox for RISC OS.
- Xemplar offers schools the opportunity to try out the eMate 300 portable computer.
- Xemplar announces a similar initiative for the network computer, inviting schools to participate in a trial programme of this low-cost, low-maintenance, easy-to-use technology in the classroom.
- Xemplar boosts Tesco Computers for Schools '97 initiative by offering free IT curriculum advice and computers across all three platforms - Apple Mac, Acorn and PC.
