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Students Benefit From Leading Technology Integration and Financial Incentives From San Antonio Federal Credit Union SAN ANTONIO and IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Officials at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) have announced a strategic alliance with Gateway Inc., the nation's third-largest PC vendor, to be the University-wide provider of notebook and tablet computing products for students, faculty and staff. UTSA has more than 26,000 students and 3,500 faculty and staff, making the University's alliance with Gateway one of the largest initiatives of its kind in the country. The four-year agreement offers the UTSA community, specific pricing on select Gateway notebooks, tablet PCs and peripherals. In an effort to promote technology adoption, Gateway has worked with the San Antonio Federal Credit Union (SACU) to establish several unique finance packages for students offering low monthly payments and incentives that could waive interest charges. "This is an exciting program for UTSA, one that we believe will have a significant impact on the success of our students," said Rosalie Ambrosino, UTSA vice president for student affairs. "It is important that we offer our students enhanced educational opportunities and access to technology to prepare them for the work places of tomorrow." Three of Gateway's latest notebooks will be available for immediate purchase by prospective and current UTSA students, as well as faculty and staff, including the company's notebook convertible model. Gateway's notebooks are developed with industry-leading technology and designed to perform beyond a typical student's academic career. "UTSA is implementing an important technology initiative that will greatly benefit their students' learning experience, and Gateway is proud to participate in such a powerful program making technology easily accessible," said Jim Kaufold, vice president of education sales at Gateway. UTSA's Teaching and Learning Initiative is working to expand the use of technology in classrooms and research labs, according to Ambrosino. "In spring 2005, more than 1,200 course sections were created on WebCT with nine of those delivered entirely over the Internet," said Ambrosino. "This year a major focus of the Initiative will be collaborating with faculty to develop additional ways that technology can be used to enhance learning, both in and beyond the classroom." WebCT is the UTSA course management system, which has a complete set of tools for preparation, delivery and management of online courses, and enhancements to face-to-face courses. Popular with both faculty and students, WebCT had more than 22,000 student users in spring 2005. The opportunity to help enhance students' learning experience brought several outside organizations to the table for the technology initiative program. One such partner is TRC Computer Services, an authorized service provider (ASP) and network service provider (NSP) that works closely with Gateway to provide service and support for Gateway's products. TRC will work with UTSA's Help Desk to install all pertinent class software on students' systems and make any repairs or updates as needed. SACU is another partner instrumental to the program's success by offering special interest rates for notebook purchases and is adding extra incentive for students to finish school-waiving either 50 percent or all of the accrual upon a student's graduation. "SACU is pleased to be part of this initiative to expand the learning opportunities for students at UTSA. SACU is a major provider of education loans and has a strong commitment to assisting the growth and development of future leaders in our community," said SACU president and CEO Jeff Farver. "This initiative is a tribute to the power of community organizations working together to create a better future for our greatest resource -- our youth." This multifaceted program is helping the UTSA community keep pace with the technology boom. Last year, the University launched Air Rowdy, a wireless computer network that enables students, faculty and staff at the 1604 and Downtown campuses to access UTSA online applications, library resources and the Internet. Air Rowdy makes the Internet and many classroom-learning applications available in many areas at UTSA, allowing the University community to learn virtually anywhere. "UTSA is actively using technology to elevate the quality of academic programs at the University," Ambrosino said. "One example is the streaming video feature professors are using through WebCT. Professors using the enhanced WebCT feature have already reported improved performance among students." For more information on Gateway products, customers can visit http://www.gateway.com/ or call 1-800-GATEWAY. Solution providers and value added resellers (VARs) interested in partnering with Gateway through the ProNet Partner Program can find more information at http://www.gateway.com/pronet. From value-priced servers to ultra-reliable desktops to comprehensive services, Gateway has served organizations for 20 years. Gateway uses its multi-channel approach to make the purchase, use and support of technology simple. Gateway customers include many of the world's leading organizations, such as the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency, the University of Arizona, Harvard University, the State of California and others. For more information on Gateway Professional solutions, visit http://www.gateway.com/business. About The University of Texas at San Antonio The University of Texas at San Antonio is a premier institution of higher education in Texas and one of the fastest-growing universities in the state. Serving more than 26,000 students enrolled in 55 bachelor's, 41 master's and 13 doctoral programs, UTSA, founded in 1969, is the second-largest institution in The University of Texas System. An institution of access and excellence, UTSA is committed to research and discovery, teaching and learning, and public service. For more information, go to http://www.utsa.edu/. About Gateway Since its founding in 1985, Irvine, Calif.-based Gateway (NYSE:GTW) has been a technology pioneer, offering award-winning PCs and related products to consumers, businesses, government agencies and schools. After acquiring eMachines in early 2004, Gateway is now the third largest PC company in the U.S. and among the top ten worldwide. The company's value-based eMachines brand is sold exclusively by leading retailers worldwide, while the premium Gateway line is available at major retailers, over the web and phone, and through its direct sales force. See http://www.gateway.com/ for more information. DATASOURCE: Gateway, Inc. CONTACT: Bryan Sherlock of Gateway, Inc., +1-949-471-7756, ; or David Gabler of UTSA, +1-210-458-4550, Web site: http://www.gateway.com/business Web site: http://www.gateway.com/ http://www.utsa.edu/

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