Schools Go Snap Happy

Acorn And Kodak Boost Market For Educational Multimedia

6 January, 1995

Acorn Computers, the leading supplier of computers to schools, is making it cheaper and easier for schools to produce professional multimedia applications and classroom resources with Kodak's Photo CD by offering a unique low cost digital photography and image processing service to education users. Acorn is teaming up with Kodak and the Cambridge Digital Imaging Centre to provide the service, offering professional quality film processing, printing, Photo CD creation, technical information and support to schools at high street prices.

Stewart Palmer, Multimedia Manager at Acorn, comments:

"Education is really driving the interactive multimedia market. There is an increasingly high take up of CD ROM drives in schools, but this is only a small part of the full multimedia story; what is really exciting is seeing students producing first class multimedia applications themselves on Acorn computers, combining text, sound, and, of course, photos and images with Kodak Photo CD. By bringing the cost of Photo CD production within the reach of most schools, the new service Acorn is running with Kodak and the Digital Imaging Centre will enable even more children to reap the educational benefits of true multimedia resources."
Mark Durrant, Marketing Manager, Digital and Applied Imaging at Kodak Ltd, said:
"Technology is becoming an increasingly important part of the educational curriculum and this offer will allow schools throughout the UK to take advantage of the benefits of Photo CD at a reduced price."
Acorn's nationwide network of Acorn in Education Centres (AECs) will also play an active role in the promotion by organising Photo CD workshops for local schools and providing technical support and advice. In addition, AECs are acting as focal points for schools wishing to use Digital Imaging Centre's services.

The normal high street turnaround for processing and developing film and creating Photo CD is approximately 14 working days. The service offered by this promotion will have a turnaround time of just five days. A selection of prices follow:

Developing and printing (1 day turnaround)

Printing of film 24 exposures: £4.99
Printing of film 36 exposures: £5.99

Photo CD creation (4 day turnaround)

Single scan: 83p - 94p
Roll of film 24/36 (per scan): 61p
Master CD and index sheet: £6.90

For further information, schools can contact their local AEC or call the Cambridge Digital Imaging Centre directly on tel: 01223 61651, fax: 01223 324557.

* Photo CDs are similar to audio CDs except they hold photos rather than music. The photos can be accessed when the Photo CD is inserted into a CD ROM drive connected to a computer. Pictures taken with an ordinary 35mm camera can then be displayed on the computer screen and included in documents. Special photographic film is not needed - all that happens is instead of the images being printed onto paper when they are processed, they are transferred onto the disc using a special machine.

Founded in 1978, with 1993 revenues of £54.3m, Acorn Computers is the premier supplier of IT solutions to UK education and has been the first supplier of 32-bit RISC based personal computers since 1987. Acorn works closely with a strong community of industry partners, users and software developers to provide innovative technology solutions for the education, consumer, publishing and international markets.

Acorn Computer Group plc is the holding company for Acorn Computers Limited, Acorn Australia, Acorn New Zealand, Acorn GmbH and Online Media. Acorn Computer Group owns 43% of Advanced RISC Machines Ltd. Online Media, a division of the Acorn Computer Group, was launched in 1994 with the mission to design world class, interactive multimedia products.


© 1995 Acorn Computer Group plc.
Design: © 1995 Cave Rock Software Ltd.