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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, TN (June 12, 2003) – Despite sharing in the same budget challenges that many colleges are facing, Milligan College announced today a partnership with local company Saratoga Technologies that will put $100,000 worth of new computers on the college campus this summer alone.
The partnership and plan will provide a major technology upgrade on Milligan’s campus, improving “backbone” infrastructure, personal computers, and servers. Saratoga will deliver 100 Pentium 4 units to the campus this summer to replace aging computers in the college’s computer labs and several campus offices. Saratoga will also install two new servers at Milligan this fall.
Many colleges today are facing an ever-tightening budget and find themselves cutting their technology expenditures.
“This is part of a proactive plan the college is implementing to consistently cycle new computers and servers into the college’s network and stabilize information technology expenses,” said Milligan President Donald R. Jeanes. “It is precisely because of the tight budgets the college is facing that we have sought out a more proactive strategy. This measure will help to ensure that our ability to serve students with advances in technology is not subject to budget constraints.”
The college’s overall technology initiative is funded largely through Milligan’s J. Henry Kegley Endowment Fund for Technology. Established in 1995, this fund helped Milligan establish the college’s initial computer network system, making Milligan one of the first colleges in the nation to utilize fiber optic cabling to connect all offices and dormitories.
According to Mike Smith, director of information technology at Milligan, the plan calls for Milligan to replace PCs every four years and the servers every five years. By replacing newer PCs and then handing those PCs down to replace older equipment, Smith said the college hopes to increase the desktop power for more users. The college will upgrade 206 different computer stations on campus each year.
Milligan’s plan also calls for an infrastructure upgrade that will include making wireless connectivity to the network possible in several campus locations.
When the college decided to implement its replacement cycle plan earlier this year, they did some comparison shopping nationwide but decided on local company Saratoga Technologies, explained Smith.
“Our decision came down to price, performance and service, and Saratoga won on all accounts,” said Smith. “We are continuing a 10-year relationship with Saratoga — previously ComputerWorks. They have always provided exemplary service.”
Saratoga Technologies, headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, with offices in Johnson City and Knoxville, is a leading supplier of technology solutions in the East Tennessee region. It is uniquely positioned to provide complete Information Technology (IT) solutions to small, medium or large clients.
“The type of partnership level consultation Saratoga provides is a value-added dimension because of the decades of experience their staff brings to the table,” said Jeanes. “Saratoga is able to bring the experience they have working with large international business clients to bear in a case like this, and the college will realize savings and new capabilities because of it.”
Jeanes stated that Saratoga was able to help the college envision a plan that might otherwise have seemed impossible.
“We are excited about partnering with Milligan College on this new venture,” agreed Saratoga president and CFO, David Temple. “Not only are we able to provide them world-class networking and service capabilities and technical expertise, but we believe in Milligan and see the college as a tremendous asset to this region.”
Temple stated that the approach the college is taking is one that they encourage all of their clients to pursue because it positions them for future success and staying ahead of the technology curve.
“We are particularly interested in the role technology plays in the college’s academic programs,” said Temple.
He explained, for example, that the college’s new MBA program provides a laptop computer to each student and incorporates an online distributive learning component in the program’s 18-month curriculum.
“This is a creative and service-oriented use of technology because it allows working students to be on campus only one Friday evening and Saturday each month, minimizing the amount of time they are away from family and work,” he said.
Milligan currently provides each student with network access, e-mail and groupware applications, and online access to extensive campus services such as instructional resources and the library catalog system. Each residence hall room and apartment features a high-speed data connection to the campus network and Internet.
“Technology changes so rapidly that it is challenging to keep up, but that is a commitment we have to our students and we have made it part of the college’s long range strategic funding initiatives. This replacement cycle program is the best route for us to ensure that Milligan continues to serve our students with up-to-the-minute technology which will prepare them for their future roles in society,” said Jeanes.