News Release

Lenovo to supply CCI program under new contract

CHAPEL HILL -- Lenovo will supply desktop and laptop computers to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill community through the Carolina Computing Initiative (CCI) under a new four-year contract.

Launched in fall 2000, the CCI ensures that the 37,000-plus-member campus community has access to high-quality and affordable laptop and desktop computers and exceptional hardware, software and support packages for educational uses.

Dr. Daniel A. Reed, vice chancellor for information technology and chief information officer, said Lenovo’s bid represented the best overall value to the university. “Lenovo’s proposal not only fulfills our current needs, but also creates a partnership with UNC-Chapel Hill that will foster tomorrow’s innovations and their integration into the teaching and learning environment,” he said.

The state-approved contract applies to computers purchased by university faculty and staff through the CCI until 2010. The contract includes provisions for three additional two-year options to renew. A separate contract for student computer purchases is effective until May 1, 2008. Lenovo will offer the same pricing, technology upgrades and enhanced support options for students as in the contract for faculty and staff purchases.

“By helping place innovative PC technologies in the hands of students and staff, Lenovo is supporting more advanced and valuable learning experiences at the university,” said Bill Owens, Lenovo vice president, service and support. “Through this new contract, we are continuing our nine-year history of successful computing experiences at the university.”   

A nine-member CCI Vendor Proposal Review Committee reviewed proposals and unanimously recommended Lenovo based on an analysis of price, performance, functionality and services. Lenovo will offer two desktop and two laptop models.

The agreement also provides:

• An addition to the existing student contract with an $89 “Technology Upgrade” bundle for juniors and seniors with older laptops, including a new six-cell battery and 512-megabyte memory upgrade. An alternative technology program that creates a two-year refresh model will also be considered.
  
• Funding for laptop computers for students serving as peer mentors in the Carolina Covenant, which provides a debt-free education to qualified low-income students.
• Establishment of an education innovation center on campus to support activities such as workshops for faculty interested in integrating technology into their classrooms and beyond.

The faculty-staff contract is estimated to be valued at about $4 million annually based on previous contract history. The CCI launched with an initial contract awarded in 1998 to IBM.In May 2005, following the Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the IBM Personal Computing Division, Lenovo took over responsibility for supplying computers under the initial 1998 agreement. Lenovo was selected for the new contract as part of the state process through which bids for services or items are sought.

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Links:  Carolina Computing Initiative, http://cci.unc.edu/index.html; Lenovo, www.lenovo.com/us/en.

Information Technology Services contact: Beth Millbank, (919) 445-9339 or beth_millbank@unc.edu
News Services contact:  Mike McFarland, (919) 962-8593, mike_mcfarland@unc.edu
Lenovo contact: Kristy Fair, (919) 257-6329, krisfair@us.lenovo.com