Maryland Announces New Apple and Dell
Discounted Computer Purchasing Program

The University of Maryland is proud to announce ACT—Academic Computers for Terps. Through the new ACT program, registered students, faculty, and staff can purchase pre-configured Apple and Dell computers at prices below standard discounts, as well as receive substantial added benefits in technical support and warranty protection.

"The ACT program will be a boon for the university community and, in particular, for students," said Dr. Jeffrey Huskamp, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, University of Maryland. "The ability to purchase state-of-the-art, campus-ready personal computers at an attractive price with campus service and support will enable more extensive adoption of computers into the learning process."

Huskamp continued: "Through their participation in ACT, Apple and Dell become critical in the university's Office of Information Technology (OIT) strategy for enhancing access to information technology resources on campus. Members of Maryland's community who purchase laptops through ACT will take advantage of one of the largest wireless university networks in the country and will enjoy the benefits of mobile computing on campus."

With the new ACT program, registered students, faculty, and staff can purchase pre-configured Apple and Dell computers at discounted prices with the following features:

• Computers arrive ready for use on the university networks (both wired and wireless) with university software programs pre-installed, including antivirus software (pre-configured to automatically update for continual intrusion identification), virtual private network software for encrypted, secure connectivity, and a variety of other utilities and applications.
  
• Computers come with a full four years of vendor phone support and warranty protection. In addition, software consulting and hardware warranty repair by vendor-certified technicians are provided for machines purchased through ACT at the OIT Help Desks.
  
• Loaner computers are available if repairs require the ACT computer to remain at the repair shop overnight.
  
• Need-based assistance is available for student computer purchases.

"Four configurations including laptops and desktops from each vendor have been chosen as recommended computers," said Pamela Burton, OIT Director of User Support and ACT coordinator. "They are all high-end, state-of-the-art offerings that should meet computing needs today and for years to come. From Apple, university constituents can choose from two MacBook models, MacBook Pro, or iMac. From Dell, ACT participants can pick from two Latitude laptops and two models from the Optiplex family of desktop computers," Burton said.

"As the leader in education technology for over a quarter century, Apple is excited to work with the University of Maryland to meet the needs of today's students and faculty," said John Couch, Apple's Vice President of Education. "The innovative new Intel-based Macs feature a built-in iSight camera for video conferencing right out of the box, the iLife '06 suite of digital lifestyle applications and the world's most advanced operating system, Mac OS X."

"Students want access to leading-edge technologies from their dorm rooms to the classroom and everywhere they log on in between," said John Mullen, Vice President of Dell's higher education and healthcare businesses. "Dell is proud to partner with the University of Maryland to help students prepare for their careers using tools they'll use daily in the workplace."

ACT computers can be purchased directly from the vendors through the program's dedicated Web site at http://www.act.umd.edu. A verified University Directory ID and password will be required to gain access to the vendors' ordering page.

Questions? Contact the OIT Help Desk at 301.405.1400 (Students) or 301.405.1500 (Faculty/Staff) or email your questions to askact@umd.edu.