IP: UNC-CHAPEL HILL SAYS, "BUY BIG BLUE" -- draw your own

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is recommending to its
students that they purchase their computers from IBM, once the school's
mandatory-laptop policy goes into effect in 2000.  The school also expects
to buy some $16-million worth of computers from IBM over the next four
years.  The deal will enable the school to offer students very competitive
prices on laptops conforming to certain technical standards (which have not
yet been determined because of the rapid changes in technology).  Meanwhile,
IBM has promised the university $2.5 million in grants for computer
equipment and research, but the school's Vice Chancellor for information
technology said the grants did not influence their decision to go with Big
Blue.  Sean Rush, general manager of IBM's North American higher-education
division, said the grants were a continuation of the company's
"long-standing research relationship with UNC," and that university
officials were forbidden by law to consider such grants when selecting
vendors.  IBM's prices were as much as $1,400 below bids from other vendors.
(Chronicle of Higher Education 24 Jul 98)