VIGLEN clinches Northern Ireland Contract for Microsoft® and curriculum software

Learning Technology plc, the parent company of Viglen Limited, has announced the signing of two contracts worth up to £7.2 million over 5 years.

The overall contract marks an agreement with the Western Education Library Board for Viglen to provide both Microsoft operating software and curriculum software for all schools in Northern Ireland.

As a Microsoft Education Large Account Reseller, Viglen is to provide Microsoft licensing agreements to all schools in Northern Ireland (Lots 1, 2 and 3) in a contract worth up to £3.8 million. This is the largest Microsoft School Agreement in Europe and will involve Viglen covering 1,230 schools - a minimum of 40,000 desktops.

The Microsoft School Agreement is a simple, flexible, cost-effective programme that helps schools stay current and fully licensed with Microsoft software.

Viglen also announced the awarding of a £3.4 million curriculum software contract that has been designed to provide all primary schools in Northern Ireland with an all-in-one package of the very best and most popular curriculum titles.

Viglen has used its expertise in the UK education market to work in partnership with the Classroom 2000 Board to define a curriculum solution which will work in harmony with the hardware, software and training provided as part of its Managed Service contract.

Commenting today, Bordan Tkachuk, Chief Executive of Learning Technology said: "In announcing the signing of these two separate contracts, we believe that this unique agreement builds on the commitment Viglen has made to its customers in terms of providing the most appropriate and cost-effective solutions for their software requirements. With a dedicated schools software licensing team, Viglen can ensure success in the provision of Microsoft solutions to ali schools. Furthermore, the fact that we have been working with a consortium of the UK's best curriculum content suppliers means that Viglen is also able to provide an integrated curriculum software solution which will help embed ICT into the Northern Ireland Curnculum."

Viglen is now the fastest growing ICT solutions provider to schools in the UK. It is one of only two IT companies to be certified by the Government to supply portable peer-to-peer networks for NGfL Managed Services and is one of only two companies to be certified across four network topologies.

Jimmy Stewart, Classroom 2000 Project Director said: "The Microsoft and independent curriculum software contract with Viglen offers a way of meeting the varying ICT needs of every school, teacher and student and provides a solution to assist with the complexities and costs of acquiring upgrades and managing software. Microsoft's Educational Licensing programmes have been specially designed to suit the precise requirements of staff and students and we are delighted that we now have a solution where this has been tied with all of the independent software curriculum computer companies under one supply contract."

David Burrows, Head of Education at Microsoft UK added: "School Agreement is the ideal way for schools to secure the value of Microsoft software in support of educational goals. We are delighted to have successfully concluded this important country-wide contract with all Northern Ireland schools in association with Viglen."

This win follows the announcement made on 30th October that Learning Technology has signed a contract worth over £16.0 million as a Becta accredited National Grid for Learning (NGfL) Managed Service provider for primary schools in Northern Ireland in the Classroom 2000 LOT1 win.

Learning Technology has also announced that it has been selected as `Preferred Bidder' for the LOT2 win.

November 2nd, 2001