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1996-02-28
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9KB
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167 lines
13/02/96
Acorn Group and Apple Computer Dedicate Joint Venture to Transform IT in UK
Education
- New Company formed to drive IT solutions and policy in UK Education market
Cambridge, UK - 13th February 1996 - Acorn Group and Apple Computer UK today
announce a new joint venture company aimed at developing information
technology solutions for the UK education market and dedicated to
transforming the UK’s approach to IT in education. The agreement will result
in the setting up of a new company which will aim to provide the widest
choice of educational IT solutions for UK schools. Operational from early
April, the new company’s name and exact structure will be announced prior to
commencing operations.
The UK joint venture is part of a broader alliance between Olivetti
Telemedia and Apple Computer, with the mission to stimulate, develop and
provide comprehensive IT solutions for the current and future requirements
of the European education system. The alliance intends to support the
education recommendations of a report presented by the G7 working group
chaired by Olivetti’s Carlo De Benedetti and supported by Apple Europe’s
President Marco Landi.
The report states: “Governments must give priority to education and training
as strategic vehicles to create opportunities for all citizens and to create
a critical demand level for all applications”. The alliance between Olivetti
Telemedia and Apple Computer expects to adopt Mac OS as the underlying
technology architecture for these solutions - and as part of the agreement
Olivetti has licensed Mac OS technology from Apple Computer Inc.
New Company based in Cambridge UK
---------------------------------
The new company will begin trading in early April and will be headed by
Brendan O’Sullivan a 10 year Apple Computer veteran. Previously Brendan
O’Sullivan was Managing Director of Apple Computer Ireland. The new company
will be jointly owned by Acorn Group and Apple Computer UK. Acorn’s Managing
Director, David Lee, will be the Chairman of the board.
Brendan O’Sullivan said, "Acorn and Apple share a similar vision and
commitment to the education market. Acorn and Apple’s heritage in education
means that our education customers, software developers, and reseller
partners can expect increased investment in sales, marketing and solutions
from the new joint venture company. The political consensus that is
beginning to form around the need for integrating technology in learning
means that the new company is ideally placed to advise, influence and
deliver on government initiatives in UK education."
New Company Commits to PowerPC Platform & RISC OS products
----------------------------------------------------------
The new company will sell Acorn's award winning Risc PC, A7000, Pocket Book,
Network Computers, school administration and SchoolServer products - under
the Acorn brand. In addition, it will sell Apple's award winning Power
Macintosh, Performa, PowerBook notebooks, Workgroup Servers, Imaging and
Newton products - under the Apple brand. A priority of the new venture is to
bring out products and technologies which increase the inter-operability of
RISC OS and Apple technology.
Over time the new company expects to adopt the PowerPC platform, the agreed
hardware standard between IBM, Apple Computer and Motorola, to develop next
generation personal computers - based on the powerful PowerPC microprocessor
architecture. (Acorn has previously announced its intention to develop
products which support the PowerPC platform standard). From early April,
products from Acorn and Apple will be available from the joint venture
company. Acorn Education’s customers will be able to purchase Acorn RISC OS
and other education solutions through the normal channels until the new
venture is operational. Similarly Apple Computer UK will continue to support
its education customers until the new company is up and running.
David Lee, Managing Director, Acorn Group, said: "This joint venture
creates a major new force which will take educational IT in the UK into a
new generation of development. The new company will provide a planned
migration path, enabling users to make a smooth and logical transition from
current to future technologies. Consequently, schools may continue to
purchase Acorn or Apple systems as best suits them, and will be able to
incorporate new generation systems alongside their existing IT provision,
confident in the knowledge that they are making a sound investment in the
future of educational IT."
Nigel Turner, Director New Media and Education, Apple Computer Europe,
comments, "Apple and Acorn customers in education have a bright future of
powerful, tailored curriculum solutions ahead of them. This agreement with
Acorn is part of Apple's strategy to reinvent the way it does business and
focus on growing markets that can deliver customers secure future technology
investments. This is an aggressive move by the partners to ensure that
educationalists and government exploit the huge potential of technology in
learning".
New Company Appoints Agencies and Sells Direct
----------------------------------------------
The new company will appoint agencies to sell its products and will supply
direct to schools. Acorn Education's existing agencies and Apple Computer UK
resellers, specialising in the schools market, will be invited to apply to
become agencies for the new company. Initial examination suggests that the
strengths of each company’s sales channels are very complementary. Because
of Stock Exchange regulations agencies and resellers were informed of the
agreement shortly after Acorn released the news to the London Stock Exchange
earlier this morning.
New Opportunities for UK Software Developers
--------------------------------------------
Apple’s strength in education worldwide provides Acorn's UK software
developers with a expanded market for their education software products.
Acorn developers will also be encouraged to port their RISC OS software
products to Mac OS to provide a wide cross-platform software base. The new
company will help them develop their products to the Mac OS platform and the
emerging technologies connecting to the information superhighway. Apple's
dominant position in USA K-12 (kindergarten to 12 grade) market provides UK
software developers with a huge potential market for innovative education
software.
New Venture Caps Joint History of Collaboration between Apple and Acorn
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Apple Computer and Acorn Group have successfully collaborated on new
technology ventures in the past. In November 1990 the advanced research and
development team of Acorn Computers Ltd was spun out to form the independent
company, Advanced RISC Machines Limited (ARM), to design, license and market
fast, inexpensive and efficient RISC processors and other enabling
technology. Acorn Group and Apple Computer Inc each maintain a 43%
shareholding in ARM. Acorn uses ARM chips in a wide range of products
including desktops and set-top boxes. Apple utilises ARM processors in its
Newton family of personal digital assistants (PDAs).
Acorn Group (58% owned by Olivetti Telemedia) is one of the leading groups
of high technology innovators and suppliers and comprises four divisions:
Acorn Education, Acorn Risc Technologies, Acorn Network Computing, and Acorn
Online Media. The Group also owns a 43% shareholding of Advanced RISC
Machines Ltd (ARM).
Acorn Education supplies leading information technology solutions
including hardware, software, services and peripherals. The division's
business and assets will be transferred to the joint venture.
Acorn Risc Technologies designs and develops advanced technology products
based on the ARM microprocessor. The division will support existing RISC OS
products for the educational joint venture and develop products to support
the strategy for the migration to future technologies.
Acorn Online Media focuses on the sales and marketing of products, services
and licenses which exploit emerging world standards in interactive
multimedia, from Internet to broadband digital iTV.
Acorn Network Computing was established in February 1996 to develop designs
for a range of network computing products.
Apple Computer, Inc., a recognised pioneer and innovator in the
information industry, creates powerful solutions based on easy-to-use
personal computers, servers, peripherals, software, online services and
personal digital assistants. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Apple
(NASDAQ: AAPL) develops, manufactures, licenses and markets products,
technologies and services for the business, education, consumer, scientific
& engineering and government markets in over 140 countries.
Apple's home page on the World Wide Web: http://www.apple.com/
Acorn's home page on the World Wide Web: http://www.acorn.co.uk/
Apple Computer, Inc Apple, the Apple logo, and Macintosh are registered
trade marks of Apple Computer, Inc. QuickDraw and Mac OS are trademarks of
Apple Computer, Inc. PowerPC is a trademark of International Business
Machines and used under license therefrom. All other brand names mentioned
are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders, and are
hereby acknowledged. Acorn and the Acorn device, Om and the Om device, Acorn
Risc Technologies and the ART device, are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Acorn Group plc.