Department of Education & Science National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE) Notebook Computer Framework 2009 - 2012 (School Notebook) Pricing and Overview – March 2010 The Notebook Framework is an arrangement which simplifies the purchase of high quality Notebooks at very competitive rates. It is now available to all schools across Ireland. This is a legally compliant arrangement, which was developed under EU public procurement regulations. It was established by the Department of Finance.

In consultation with the Department of Education and Science, and specifically with the NCTE, a technical specification has been identified for a School Notebook. This competitively priced School Notebook is recommended by NCTE to meet the vast majority of schools needs. Five suppliers have been qualified to be on the School Notebook framework.

In comparison with Home or consumer Notebooks on offer in retail stores and other commercial outlets, the School Notebook offered through this framework is recommended for schools. Advantages of School Notebook versus Home/Consumer Notebook √ They are recommended for schools as they meet schools everyday needs √ Schools Notebooks have a Professional’ (ie ‘Pro’) Operating System installed (ie Win XP Pro or Windows 7 Professional) which is recommended for schools and compatible with educational software and networks ; Consumer laptops generally have a “Home” (ie Win XP Home or Windows 7 Home) edi- tion of the Operating System which is not recommended for schools and can have compatibility issues with educational software and networks √ School Notebooks are high quality and suitable for high usage and by multi-users; √ Support, after purchase, is next business day ‘onsite’ in your school to minimize downtime and is covered by a three year onsite warranty, so long delays in return are avoided; √"Home” edition Operating System consumer notebooks are not designed or recommended for school network environments and will cause difficulty. They will also be more expensive and difficult to sup- port for tech support companies. √ School Notebooks tend to have more connectivity options both for current and older equipment. School Standard Notebook – March 2010 (summary spec)

Supplier Dell HP Lenovo PC Peripherals Toshiba Product Image

Model Dell Vostro 1015 HP 4515s ThinkPad R500 ACER Extensa 5235 Satellite Pro L500-1RF OS Windows XP Pro Windows XP Pro Windows XP Pro Windows XP Pro Windows XP Pro Processor Intel Celeron AMD Intel Celeron Intel Celeron Intel Dual Core 900 RM-76 900 T1600 T5870 RAM 2GB 2GB 2GB 2GB 2GB Hard Drive 160GB 250GB 160GB 160GB 160GB Screen 15.6” 15.6” 15.4” 15.6" 15.6” Delivery Cost Free €12.50 Free €12.10 Free Price ( incl. VAT @21.5%) €482.79 €621.43 €634.38 €544.50 €607.49

Note 1: Prices are inclusive of Notebook, Carry Case, Optical Mouse and Phone cable, Warranty (3 years Next Business Day Onsite Countrywide including full parts and labour cover), and VAT (@ 21%).

Note 2: The Notebooks are capable of running Microsoft Vista and Windows 7, see the last page of this document for more detailed specifications.

Note 3: If the technical specification of the School Notebook does not meet your requirements, please refer to the following NCTE website link: http://www.ncte.ie/ICTAdviceSupport . How to Buy a Notebook: You email a Request for Quote (RFQ) to [email protected] (this email will reach all 5 suppliers). An RFQ email template is presented below. Suppliers will respond with prices. You then evaluate the responses and select a winner based on your award criteria.

Framework Rules: 1. You must treat all of the suppliers fairly and equally. You must specify your requirements in a non-discriminatory way and solicit a quote from all suppliers. NB: Vendor names or technologies (such as Pentium, AMD, , Dell, , HP, Lenovo, Toshiba etc) cannot be used in specifying what is required. Likewise the name or speed of the processor chip required eg Intel Dual Core @2.0GHz, or AMD Athlon @2.0Ghz cannot be specified as they don’t allow all vendors to respond. Emails to [email protected] will be forwarded to all approved vendors. 2. You must allow the suppliers sufficient time to respond to a Request for Quote (RFQ). You must allow suppliers a reasonable amount of time to submit a response. For a simple mini-competition (e.g. buying 10 School Notebooks with no variation in the spec or additional services), a minimum of 3 full working days is recommended. More complex mini-competitions (e.g. drawdown agreements) should be given at least 2 to 3 full working weeks. 3. You must be open and transparent with regard to how you will select the winning quote. When issuing an RFQ you should clearly state the criteria you will apply to select the winner. Purchases of School Notebooks are usually based on cost. Cost has been used in the RFQ email example. However, if you want more flexibility in choosing a supplier, the framework allows you to apply any or all of the following criteria:  Suitability for Intended  Cost  Special Requirements  References attesting to the quality of Use products and services  Delivery Conditions  Excess over minimum Specification  Environmental Considerations Note: Under EU procurement law the responsibility for observing these rules lies with you, the customer.

RFQ Email Template: Please see below for an example of an email request. Emails to [email protected] are for Laptops only, i.e. not for PCs or other equipment. To: [email protected] Subject: Request For Quote (School Notebook) Dear Supplier, Please quote for [Quantity] School Notebooks as per the Notebook Framework. The closing date for quotes is 5pm on [Date]. Any contracts arising from this request for quote will be awarded on the basis of the following Award Criteria: Cost [percentage %], [insert other criteria headings here along with percentages % or delete if not applicable]. E.g. ‘Suitability for Use 20%, (Total % must be 100%). The anticipated award date is [Date]. . Regards [Main Contact Name, School Name, Roll No., School Address, Ph No.] School Standard Notebook – March 2010 (detailed spec)

Dell HP Lenovo PC Toshiba Peripherals Model Dell Vostro 1015 HP 4515s ThinkPad R500 Acer Extensa Satellite Pro 5235 L500-1RF Processor Intel Celeron 900 AMD RM-76 Intel Celeron 900 Intel Celeron Intel T5870 @2.2GHz @2.3GHz @2.2GHz T1600 @1.66GHz @2.00GHz RAM 2GB 2GB 2GB 2GB 2GB Hard Disk 160GB 250GB 160GB 160GB 160GB

Removable Storage DVD +/- RW DVD +/- RW DVD Rewriter DVD Rewriter DVD Rewriter DL

Network 10/100/1000 10/100/1000 Ethernet 10/100/1000 Ethernet 10/100/1000 10/100/1000 Ethernet (RJ45) (RJ45) Internal (RJ45) Ethernet (RJ45) Ethernet (RJ45) Internal 802.11g/b 802.11g/b wireless Internal 802.11g/b Internal 802.11g/b Internal 802.11g/b wireless wireless wireless wireless Screen 15.6” 15.6” 15.4” 15.6” 15.6”

Battery Life 215 162 212 224 168 MobileMark 2007 Windows Vista, Capable Capable Capable Capable Capable Windows 7 Status Green Rating Energystar 4.0, US Energystar, Energystar, Energystar EPEAT Gold EPEAT Gold EPEAT Gold EPEAT Silver

Cost €482.79 €621.43 €634.38 €544.50 €601.48 Delivery FREE €12.50 FREE €12.15 FREE

Items Offered as Standard: Notebook; Warranty (3 years Next Business Day Onsite Countrywide including full parts and labour cover); Standard Operating System is Microsoft Windows XP; Carry Case; Optical Mouse and Phone cable included; Prices are € and Include VAT (@ 21%). Associated Products: Associated Services: In addition to the Notebook Computers, the Framework also covers products The Framework also covers associated services related to Notebooks. Some examples of associated with them. Examples of Associated Products which may be these are given below. purchased under the Notebook Framework are listed below. Unpacking & Packaging Removal Service Speakers Whereby equipment bought through the Framework is delivered to the installation point External Hard Drive in the Customer’s premises, unpacked by the Vendor’s agent and all packaging relating to Additional Battery the delivered item(s) is taken from the Customer’s premises for disposal by the Vendor’s USB Memory Key agent. Installation, Unpacking & Packaging Removal Service Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of associated products that is Whereby equipment bought through the Frameworks is delivered to the installation point available under the Notebook Framework: essentially you can buy any item in the Customer’s premises, unpacked by the Vendor’s agent, installed for the Customer’s that is associated with the supply or ongoing operation of a Framework use by the Vendor’s qualified agent and all packaging relating to the delivered and Notebook. installed item(s) is taken from the Customer’s premises for disposal by the Vendor’s agent. If you wish to buy Associated Products through the Notebook Repair Services Framework, all you have to do is specify your requirement in Whereby faulty Notebooks and associated products, whether purchased through the your Request for Quote. Frameworks or not, are removed from the Customer’s premises by the Vendor’s agent and repaired. ------Disposal Services Whereby obsolete Notebooks and associated products, whether purchased through the For Support and Assistance: Frameworks or not, are removed from the Customer’s premises by the Vendor’s agent The NCTE can be contacted with any queries regarding the ICT and disposed of in a secure manner and in accordance with all relevant legislation. Tenders should not be sought for any removals which are provided free of charge further Framework agreements: to the WEEE Directive. Configuration Name: NCTE Device Configuration whereby the Vendor or Vendor’s agent will deliver a device bought through the framework with an agreed configuration pre-installed. Email: [email protected]

Website: http:// www.ncte.ie/ICTAdviceSupport/Purchasing The costs of these services will vary depending on the number of If you have any questions on how to buy School Notebooks using Notebooks involved, and some of the vendors require a minimum number the Notebook Framework contact the NCTE at [email protected]. of purchases for some of them. If you wish to avail of one or more of Further information and guidance on procurement matters, these services then all you have to do is specify your requirement in your specifically ICT procurement arrangements, i.e. PCs, Notebooks, Request for Quote. Mono and Colour Printers is available on the NCTE website at: http://www.ncte.ie/ICTAdviceSupport/Purchasing .