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| WEBGECKO SUPPORTS NONPROFITS THROUGH DISCOUNTECHSEATTLE, Wash. - February 13, 2002 - WebGecko Software, a web application performance company, announced today that WebGecko products are available to nonprofit organizations via DiscounTech, an online technology store for nonprofits. This press release is reproduced from AScribe Newswire. TechSoup.org Adds Online Technology Store; Nonprofit Site Unites High-Tech Industry Supporting the Sector
Associated Press Newswires Copyright 2002. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13 (AScribe Newswire) --TechSoup.org, the technology Web site for nonprofits, today announced the launch of DiscounTech, an online technology store just for nonprofits. DiscounTech was created in collaboration with leading technology providers to deliver technology products and services the way nonprofits need them: affordably and easily. DiscounTech brings together some of the key players in the high-tech field for the first time. At launch date, DiscounTech had already signed partnerships with ten premier companies: Akiva, B2PCommerce Corp, eTapestry, Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ: INTU), Lotus, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), NetIQ Corporation (NASDAQ: NTIQ), Ontero, SmartForce (via the SmartForce e-Learning Foundation, S.E.L.F.), and WebGecko. Additional backing for the site is provided by Blackbaud. The corporations' willingness to come together in support of the nonprofit community reflects a new trend in the collaboration between the nonprofit and high-tech sectors. Matt Florence, Director of TechSoup, emphasized the importance of TechSoup being jointly backed by tech industry leaders: "Since its inception, TechSoup has successfully encouraged tech companies to work together in order to provide nonprofits with easier, more affordable access to all aspects of technology. Through DiscounTech, nonprofits get access to a range of products and services that work with and build on each other. The potential of a collaboration like this is enormous for the nonprofit sector." DiscounTech opens with a broad range of deeply discounted software and also offers a web-building ASP solution. The catalog will expand soon to include an even wider variety of products and services, including hardware and training. The new store provides technology products solely to nonprofits without charging access or membership fees. Products currently available have been either donated to TechSoup or have been made available to TechSoup users at specially negotiated discounts. As a result, DiscounTech offers the best possible prices for nonprofits -- up to 90 percent off the retail price. For example, Microsoft Office XP Professional is available on DiscounTech for $60.00, compared to $579.00 retail price. "DiscounTech could not have launched at a better time," said Marc Osten, principal of the Summit Collaborative (www.summitcollaborative.com) and a nonprofit technology expert. "When budgets are tight and demands for their services are rising, nonprofits need technology products that streamline operations to better help people in need. But the products must be affordable, of good quality, and easy to access. That's where DiscounTech makes a difference." DiscounTech is a natural next step towards fulfilling TechSoup's mission of providing the first comprehensive technology Web site for the nonprofit sector. Since its launch in May 2000, TechSoup has empowered close to 700,000 nonprofit staff to make informed decisions about technology by creating an authoritative, highly interactive and user-friendly resource. In addition to researching a wide range of tech topics, nonprofits can now purchase software and other technology products at the best possible prices. They can then visit the community message boards to discuss implementation with peers and experts. DiscounTech builds on CompuMentor's 13-year history in providing nonprofits with low-cost software. During this period, CompuMentor fulfilled the software needs of more than 15,000 nonprofits nationwide. DiscounTech replaces this program and expands it by offering a greater variety of products and services, as well as easy access to related information on TechSoup. Products offered through DiscounTech: With the launch of DiscounTech, Microsoft made the commitment to exclusively use DiscounTech as the distributor for software donations outside of the Microsoft in-house program. Guidelines for software donations directly from Microsoft can be found at www.microsoft.com/giving. (Nonprofits in the state of Washington can obtain products directly from Microsoft.) The following products will be available through DiscounTech at launch time:
The following products and services will be available soon:
(For a complete listing of products and product specifications, please visit www.techsoup.org/discountech/). The product offerings will expand as additional leading technology providers partner with TechSoup. B2P, Blackbaud, and NetIQ Corporation each sponsor a specific TechSoup content section. About TechSoupTechSoup (http://www.techsoup.org), a nonprofit Web site created by CompuMentor (http://www.compumentor.org), empowers nonprofits to succeed in the Digital Age by providing timely and targeted technology information. By offering free information and resources for technology products and services combined with expert knowledge, TechSoup provides other nonprofits with the tech know-how and solutions they need to more efficiently and effectively achieve their missions. Through DiscounTech, its new online technology store, TechSoup offers access to deeply discounted tech products and services just for nonprofits. TechSoup partners with high-level tech organizations such as CNET, and with other leading nonprofits such as NPower. TechSoup's weekly e-newsletter, By the Cup, is distributed to more than 15,300 subscribers. Media Contact: For further information, please contact Franziska Marks, CompuMentor, 415-512-7784 x336, fmarks(at)compumentor.org. About WebGecko SoftwareWebGecko Software is a leading Web application performance company, based in Seattle, Washington. WebGecko develops powerful tools and provides specialized consulting services to help customers streamline Web development and improve Web site performance and efficiency. WebGecko's products APGen™ and ASPCache™ are sold at http://www.webgecko.com. CONTACT: | ||
