MICROSOFT AWARDS NEARLY $1 MILLION IN SOFTWARE AND TECH SUPPORT TO TEMPLE UNIVERSITY'S E-COMMERCE PROGRAM
Microsoft has given nearly $1 million in software (estimated retail value) and technical assistance--to support the e-commerce and management information systems (MIS) programs in Temple University's Fox School of Business and Management.
Through the gift, Temple will receive copies of Microsoft's Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, Exchange 2000, Visual Studio 6.0 Enterprise Edition, and Officer 2000 Developer Edition; processor licenses for Microsoft's BizTalk Server 2000 Enterprise Edition, Commerce Server 2000, SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition, Host Integration Server 2000, Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2000, and Application Center 2000; training for 2 lab administrators; and $10,000 in cash.
"We get a lot of inquiries from various academic institutions about what an e-commerce curriculum should look like," said Janie Schwark, academic marketing manager for Microsoft. "They're not really sure what an ideal program is. Is it business-focused or information technology (IT)-focused?"
Schwark said she viewed Temple's e-business and MIS programs as a model for e-commerce and IT integration and one that offered a great opportunity to showcase new technologies.
"Temple has a combination of both the business and the IT focus, which, to me, is one of the keys to a successful e-commerce program," she added. "I felt by supporting this program, it would help Microsoft accomplish one of it's primary goals--supporting programs that provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to be productive in the new economy."
"The IT world is changing from a desktop-centric model to a server-centric model," said Dr. Munir Mandviwalla, chairman of the Fox School's Department of Management Information Systems and director of IT and Special Programs at the Irwin L. Gross eBusiness Institute.
Mandviwalla said the Microsoft software is already being used in the Fox School's computer labs, and will be used in a new e-business server lab that will go into operation this spring.
"In a traditional lab, the model is desktop computers, which are locked down tight," said Mandviwalla. "That doesn't work anymore, because the students need to learn how to set up and program servers, and create Web sites."
Mandviwalla said the new lab will twist the existing model completely on its head. At each station, the students will have a traditional desktop computer, but next to it they'll have a server over which they'll have total control.
"That's a pretty powerful idea, giving students control over their own server, and that's one of the reasons Microsoft is supporting our efforts," he added.
Temple's Fox School of Business and Management is in the forefront of preparing leaders for success in the e-marketplace, particularly through its Irwin L. Gross eBusiness Institute (eBI). In partnership with business and industry, eBI leverages The Fox School's research expertise, educational resources, global presence and entrepreneurial spirit to prepare business leaders and help them develop strategies and models for the digital economy.
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