Adepteq have been instrumental in facilitating a landmark agreement between Microsoft and Milton Keynes Council (MKC). As a respected Microsoft Gold Partner and trusted technology partner of Milton Keynes Council, Adepteq were involved every step of the way in achieveing this world exclusive agreement.
The main part of the agreement is an innovative development that will enable the council, through ConnectMK Limited (a company created by Milton Keynes council to establish 'Wi-Max' wireless broadband services in Milton Keynes), to refurbish well-specified ex-council PCs and laptops which will then be loaded with the latest Microsoft software.
The agreement will act as a global 'test bed'.
The PCs will be pre-loaded with a Citizens Skills Pack which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, One Note, the MS Live Suite, including a special e-mail account and MS Education, Internet safety and security software/ support as well as the newly launched Microsoft Digital Literacy curriculum.
It is estimated that up to 10,000 residents in Milton Keynes will be able to take advantage of the scheme.
To qualify, a person must be in receipt of a benefit such as income support, income based job seekers allowance, pension credit, child tax credit, working tax credit or housing/council tax benefit. To allow some flexibility, exceptions to this scheme entry requirement may also be granted to people on low incomes.
People will be able to rent the refurbished PCs for a nominal fee of £1.50 per week to assist in their digital inclusion, adult learning and small business programmes.
More than a thousand PCs will be distributed in the first year.
Distribution is through Connect MK, working in partnership with community centres and other organisations to assist in training, support and monitoring.
Steven Jewell, head of IT services at Milton Keynes and the lead organiser of Milton Keynes Digital Challenge bid team said: "The scheme was born out of our efforts to win the Government's Digital Challenge, and although we didn't win, what we found was that by creating a genuine publicprivate partnership with organisations like Microsoft, FREEDOM4 and Adepteq (the scheme's technology consultancy partners), the sheer momentum we had generated meant that no one from any side was willing to just give up and ignore the difficulties that local citizens had with digital exclusion.
"This is a living testament to the good that has come from the Digital Challenge competition and marks a major achievement."
MK Council has set the target of achieving a 90 per cent level of digital inclusion in Milton Keynes in the home by 2010/11.
Click for full press release Microsoft and MKC join forces
May 2008