IBM and New Jersey Dental School Provide Students With a New Technological Approach for Learning

IBM and New Jersey Dental School Provide Students With a New Technological Approach for Learning

Eliminating 400 Pounds of Textbooks, Creating Wireless Access to Information

NEWARK, NJ -- (INTERNET WIRE) -- 02/26/2003 -- IBM announced today that the company will be the primary vendor for New Jersey Dental School's new e-Curriculum Program, using new wireless and DVD storage technologies to provide seamless access to information by dental students no matter where they are.

New Jersey Dental School, a division of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), is incorporating technology and teaching in ways that show novel new applications of secure wireless access and DVD storage, using IBM ThinkPad notebook technologies.

"Dental students and dentists need state-of-the-art access to rapidly changing medical information, and these technologies provide that," said Dr. Fotinos Panagakos, associate dean for academic affairs at UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School.

Under the new curriculum, each freshman student will be outfitted with an IBM ThinkPad equipped with wireless capabilities, enabling them to move from lecture hall to conference room to patient clinic without losing access to their information or data. Unlike traditional textbooks, which have a limited shelf life, each student's curriculum and course material on the ThinkPad can be updated every six months at no additional cost.

The e-Curriculum allows students to obtain up-to-the-minute information on their ThinkPad notebooks that can be downloaded from their wireless Internet connection at any time or place. Students also have access to e-mail from professors, digital video on the latest tools and techniques, and other online resources. All of these services are provided through a school-wide wireless network.

The DVD reference library is a major component of this new technology. Each incoming student will receive a DVD containing six months of lectures, class manuals, syllabi, assignments and textbook material. At the end of each semester, students will trade in their current DVD for an updated version that contains recently added or updated information for the following six months. Digital technology allows each DVD to replace over two million pages of text, thousands of images and more than 400 pounds of books and manuals.

UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School is also ushering in state-of-the-art electronic management of patient records and treatment information. Using their laptops, students are able to securely access patient records, examine medical and dental histories, develop diagnoses and treatments through the use of digital x-rays, and make appointments for patients online.

All students at the dental school are being provided with a fully equipped IBM ThinkPad PC, insurance, 24 x 7 technical support and personal training in the use of notebook computers from IBM.

The UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School, located in Newark, N.J., is one of eight schools of the University and the only dental school in the state. It has been shaping the future of dentistry through its innovative programs, challenging curriculum, cutting-edge research, and community service for more than 40 years. From its modest beginnings as a struggling private institution, the school has grown into the state's major resource for dental education and research.

IBM ThinkPad continues to deliver enhancements, innovations and solutions that shape and define the mobile computing industry. The implementation of wireless technology in the IBM ThinkPad, including an antenna built into the display cover for optimal signal reception and WiFi connectivity using the IEEE 802.11b standard, is an example of the ThinkVantage Technologies offered in IBM's Think strategy of innovation for business advantage. To date, more than 15 million ThinkPad notebooks have been shipped. Since the launch of the ThinkPad 700C in 1992, these acclaimed notebook computers have been lauded as design and engineering models, winning more than 900 industry awards worldwide. For more information, see www.ibm.com/thinkpad.

IBM Learning Solutions addresses the learning requirements of corporations, governments and educational institutions with an integrated portfolio of services, software, hardware, research and alliances with strategic business partners. With its global presence and extensive expertise, IBM helps customers address their specific learning needs, ranging from learning infrastructure to broader transformation initiatives. Thousands of companies are using IBM's learning solutions, and IBM has won multiple awards for its own use of innovative learning solutions for its employees worldwide. For more information on IBM Learning Solutions, visit www.ibm.com/learning.

IBM, ThinkPad and ThinkVantage Technologies are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.