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Technology Implementation >> The Power of TWO
5/27/2005
Behind the scenes, the school was so pleased with CDW-G that officials already have contacted the integrator about using more of the grant money to launch a laptop refresh program as well. Moore expects that CDW-G will approach this next implementation the same way it tackled the first—by asking a ton of questions and actually listening to the answers. “We can’t wait to partner with them again,” he says, “We want to develop a broad relationship that lasts for years to come.”Living with Laptops
A laptop refresh program already is in place at San Juan College (NM), where it has been part of a much broader technology initiative with hardware vendor partner Gateway (www.gateway.com). When San Juan expanded to multiple campuses, the school required a solution to refresh outmoded technology without adding buildings and increasing wiring and cabling costs. Because of previous problems with multiple vendors, school officials wanted to standardize on one provider. San Juan officials also wanted to reduce total cost of ownership.The school had had positive experiences in the past with Gateway, so officials invited the vendor to offer a technology solution. Following formal presentations and detailed conversations about the college’s objectives, the partnership launched in early 2002.
While this collaboration has yielded everything from servers to wireless access points, the predominant phase has focused on PCs and laptops, and it kicked off that first summer when San Juan officials purchased a new Gateway laptop for every faculty member. Since then, with discounted education pricing from the vendor, the school has updated 25 percent of its computers every year (the most recent batch consisted of Gateway 450Es and M275s). San Juan administrators have extended this environment to students, with laptop carts that convert any classroom into a computer lab. According to Shah Ardalan, VP for Technology Services, the solution works because it fosters flexibility and keeps students interested.
“Our enrollment has grown 10 percent a year every year for the last five [years],” says Ardalan. “In order for us to stay a leader, we need a technology supplier who is a team player, and Gateway truly is.”
In other areas of the college, Gateway representatives have worked with San Juan officials to deliver additional technology solutions. In some of the school’s administrative and high-end computer labs, for instance, San Juan is using Gateway r-Series PCs. For campus information and internal network messaging,several 42-inch and 46-inch Gateway plasma displays have been placed in the student lounge, the data center, and in meeting rooms. Finally, to keep campuses connected, San Juan implemented more than 30 Gateway 955, 975, and 995 rackmount servers. Ardalan says that combined with the Gateway 840 SAIA storage enclosure, this hardware enables the college to continue to expand while saving space, time, and money.
Today, due in large part to these hardware initiatives and partnerships, Ardalan says that San Juan has created a stable, expandable, and reliable technology infrastructure.
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