Schools scout for tech vendor

The district needs more new computers. So now it is checking out companies to take a $60-million contract.

By SARAH SCHWEITZER

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 5, 2000

TAMPA -- It is a contract that pays a princely sum even by the standards of today's technology magnates, and the competition to land it has five computer companies in a kind of wooing match.

To date, none has been anointed the chosen one.

But by summer's end, district officials say, they hope to award the estimated $60-million contract to one computer manufacturer. That manufacturer will supply the district with nearly all its new computers, service its technology equipment and help train users for the next five years.

"We are looking for a partner, not a vendor," said Dave Smith, who oversees technology purchasing for the district.

With one computer supplier, district officials say, repairs will be simpler, information sharing between schools and the district office will improve and the price per computer will drop. The district now pays about $1,200 per computer.

The district expects to buy at least 3,300 computers from the chosen vendor through the year 2002 and more after that. The computers will be allocated to new and renovated schools.

The current stock of 27,000 computers, of which 10 percent are obsolete, isn't enough to go around and makes for stark contrasts in resources among schools.

At Bing Elementary School, for example, the ratio of students to computers is 50-to-1 and at Schwartzkopf Elementary, the ratio is 73-to-1. But at Lockhart and Westchase elementary schools, the ratio is 5-to-1.

In addition to supplying computers to schools, the chosen computer manufacturer could enjoy an additional lucrative opportunity.

District officials are dangling the possibility of including a employee-student buy option -- one that would allow students and teachers to purchase computers from the chosen company at a reduced price.

There are 150,402 kindergarten through high school students and 10,635 teachers in the school district by the most recent count.

"We are just the tip of the iceberg," said Assistant Superintendent Jim Hamilton. "This is an awfully big market."

The competitors, which include Dell Computer, Apple Computer, Compaq Computer, IBM and Gateway, in turn, have made for aggressive suitors.

They played host to the district officials, putting on elaborate presentations that stretched into full-day and sometimes multiday visits. In many cases, school district officials met with key company officials.

Sometimes with the CEOs.

At Apple Computer, district officials began the visit in October seated around a U-shaped table in a conference room with a spread of bagels and juices awaiting them.

The presentation began. Then another cart of food arrived, this one with bagels and Odwalla apple juice, a favorite of the company CEO.

Moments later, Steve Jobs appeared. For 45 minutes, he talked to Hillsborough County officials and at the end of the day, returned for a brief encore performance.

"I found him to be a very interesting person," Superintendent Earl Lennard said.

But it is not just the computer companies going to great lengths to get the deal secured.

The school district has spent about $10,000 flying five officials -- Lennard, School Board member Candy Olson, Lawrence Nanns, supervisor of technology planning and development, Earl Whitlock, director of educational media and technology, and Michael Bookman, assistant superintendent for business and research -- to four company headquarters.

District officials said the trips were necessary because the companies could not make full presentations outside their headquarters.

"Some of the information is not portable," Lennard said.

Moreover, they say, it was the responsible way to approach such a massive purchase.

"We were doing our due diligence," said Smith, who helps oversee technology purchases and has made some trips himself in pursuit of the ideal company. "We want to make sure we are getting the most value for the dollars of Hillsborough County's taxpayers."

To date, the search has yielded no favorites, district officials say.

"We are not in any hurry," Lennard said. "We are moving at a rapid pace, but one that certainly will cover all the bases."

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