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PROJECT OF THE MONTH
February's Featured Project: Apple and the Maine Learning Technology Initiative
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Project Goal
- To be the first state to provide an iBook computer for every seventh and eighth grade public school pupil and teacher in the state of Maine by the beginning of the 2003-04 school year.
- To do something dramatically different with Maine's surprise $70 million budget surplus and set a standard for technology reform.

Key Players
- Angus King, Maine governor
- Seymour Papert, pioneer of artificial intelligence, co-founder of MIT Media Lab and inventor of LOGO computer language
- Steve Jobs, Apple Computers CEO
- Bill & Melinda Gates

Project Beginnings
- Maine Governor Angus King consulted Seymour Papert about the state's 5:1 computer ratio. Papert, a leading expert on how children learn and a technology wiz, told King that 2:1 would not be enough for a transformation.
- King and Papert decided no less than one computer for each student would make the needed impact.
- When the state appropriations committee voted 10-to-1 against Governor King's proposal, Apple Computer brought 17 loaner iBooks to the capitol to set up a sample classroom. The technology coordinator created an interactive Battle of Gettysburg website for demonstrations and the team took this set on the road with Governor King to middle schools statewide. Advocacy for the program grew.

Project Challenges and Solutions
Financing
- As an early supporter of the program, Apple's stake in the business still rested largely on state and private financing. After much debate, the state voted to establish the Maine Learning Technology Endowment in April of 2000.
- The endowment was financed with $30 million in surplus funds - $20 million short of the Governor's goal, but enough to get the program started.
- For the launch date of Fall 2002, $25 million of funding came from the Legislature and the rest from private donations, to which the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation generously contributed.

Winning the bid
- Other companies that responded to Maine's request included IBM, Verizon, Dell and Sprint Business, all of whom failed to either submit a bid or meet state requirements.
- Apple won the $37.2 million contract on December 4th of 2001, after compiling a package that included providing laptops, wireless networking, software, training and tech support to 15,000 students and 3,000 teachers at an annual cost of approximately $300 per user over a four-year period.
- Apple was selected over fellow finalists NetSchools and MindSurf, an affiliate of Sylvan Learning Centers.

Putting it into a package
- This was the largest single purchase of laptops for education, and it would receive attention. Apple wanted to be sure its computers' power, versatility and easy use came through. 
- Apple equipped the students' laptops with AppleWorks, internet browsers, iMovie, FirstClass curriculum software, Adobe Acrobat Reader, iTunes, QuickTime, iTools, Palm Desktop, Microsoft Outlook Express, and antivirus protection software.

Linking it all together
- Apple's networking infrastructure included a wireless network in each seventh and eighth grade public school, with wireless access points and a switch, a connection to central servers providing up to 250 megabytes of data storage, data protection and file backup services, and access to FirstClass curriculum software.
- Content filtering was offered as part of the Maine School and Library Network's internet service, and the standard hardware warranty would be backed by a four-year AppleCare Protection Plan.
- Apple also agreed to never keep a student without a device for more than one school day.

Project Conclusions
- Governor King estimated it would cost between $15 and $20 million a year - about one percent of the education budget - to keep computers in all middle and high school grades.
- Now 27.5 million dollars into this investment, the state continuously weighs positive program feedback against its expense.
- Because of Maine's initiative, Michigan has invested $7 million dollars as of May 2005 towards providing computers for 20,000 students.
- Connecticut is also considering providing laptops for all 9th and 10th graders.

* Fun Apple Fact *
The Apple I-pod has found an educational niche at the college level. iTunes U at the University of Michigan has many students uploading faculty lectures for review via iTunes. The Apple website calls out to any other students or schools who may be interested in making theirs an iTunes U campus.

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Interested in ProjectWorld? You'll also enjoy...
- The 11th annual PDMA/IIR Co-Sponsored Event, Strategic & Operational Portfolio Management. February 27-March 1, 2006 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. http://www.iirusa.com/portfolio
- The 7th annual IT Portfolio Management Event. April 3-5, 2006 in San Francisco, CA. http://www.iirusa.com/ppm
- Project Risk Symposium 2006. May 22-25, 2006 in Houston, TX. http://www.iirusa.com/projectrisk