YvesVS

IBM lanceert in samenwerking met Koogo, het Co-Kidsproject om de digitale kloof te verkleinen

15 Vlaamse scholen(*) zullen vanaf september 2010 deelnemen aan het Co-Kidsproject dat als doel heeft om computers en educatieve software toegankelijk te maken voor ouders en kinderen uit kansengroepen

BRUSSEL, 8 juni 2010 – Vandaag lanceren IBM en Koogo, de ouderkoepel van het officieel gesubsidieerd onderwijs, het Co-Kidsproject in het bijzijn van Pascal Smet, Minister van Onderwijs, Jeugd, Gelijke Kansen en Brussel. Als teken van hun engagement zullen de directieleden van de vijftien deelnemende scholen het Co-Kidsakkoord ondertekenen. Het project heeft als doel om de digitale kloof te verkleinen en de ouderbetrokkenheid te stimuleren. Dit gebeurt door jonge kinderen multimediavaardigheden aan te leren en deze in te oefenen onder begeleiding van hun ouders binnen een stimulerende schoolcontext.

Alle betrokken partijen dragen hun steentje bij om het Co-Kidsproject in september 2010 van start te laten gaan. IBM staat in voor de hard- en software van het project. Zo zullen alle geselecteerde scholen gratis KidSmart-computers ontvangen om een mini-klas in te richten. Deze computers werden speciaal ontwikkeld voor kinderen tussen 3 en 7 jaar. Koogo ondersteunt op zijn beurt de ouders en de school om het kind-ouder-leren zo optimaal mogelijk te laten verlopen. Dit alles biedt moeders en kinderen uit kansengroepen de mogelijkheid om vanaf de kleuterschool toegang te krijgen tot software die de ontwikkeling van taal, wiskunde en wetenschap stimuleert.

Jan Stevens, beleidscoördinator Koogo, licht toe: “Naast het verkleinen van de digitale kloof en het stimuleren van de ouderbetrokkenheid, willen we met het Co-Kidsproject ook de maatschappelijke participatie verhogen. Concreet betekent dit dat we de ouders op vooraf vastgelegde tijdstippen zullen uitnodigen om samen met hun kinderen aan de slag te gaan op de KidSmart-computers van IBM. Dit komt bovendien ook tegemoet aan de vraag van ouders om als mee-opvoeder en individuele begeleider de school te ondersteunen in het gezamenlijke opvoedingsproject”.

Exact 10 jaar geleden begon IBM met ‘KidSmart Early Learning’-projecten. Een van de toonaangevende voorbeelden is het Amerikaanse project waarbij IBM Young Explorer™ computers schonk aan peuter- en kleuterscholen om de ontwikkeling van jonge kinderen met Spaanse roots te stimuleren.

“Onafhankelijk onderzoek wereldwijd heeft aangetoond dat het IBM KidSmart-project de ontwikkeling van jonge kinderen bevordert,” aldus Aline De Mulder, Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs Manager IBM Belgium & Luxembourg. “Het peuter- en kleuteronderwijs legt de fundamenten voor de volledige schoolloopbaan. Op deze manier hopen alle betrokken partners de kansen van zowel de ouders als de kinderen van de Vlaamse kansgroepen te vergroten”, concludeert Mevrouw De Mulder.

In totaal zullen er 45 KidSmart-computers geleverd worden aan de vijftien geselecteerde scholen waardoor er groot aantal peuters en kleuters van dit initiatief zullen genieten. IBM en Koogo nemen bovendien de organisatie van de opleiding voor de leerkrachten op zich.

 Foto’s van de lancering van het Co-Kidsproject zijn beschikbaar via deze website. 

 (*) 15 deelnemende scholen: Windekind, Sint-Jans-Molenbeek - Klaver Vier, Brussel, Harenheideschool, Brussel - Sint-Joost-Aan-Zee, Sint-Joost-Ten-Node - De Kleurdoos, Gent - De Vlieger, Gent - De Regenboog, Gent, Wondelgem - François Laurent Instituut, Gent - De Populieren, Antwerpen - De Piramide, Antwerpen - De Bever, Antwerpen - Stedelijke Basisschool, Turnhout - Stedelijke Basisschool Turnhout - De Horizon, Borgerhout - Kristof Casier -De Kleine Prins, Menen.

Contact:

Yves Van Seters

Media Relations - IBM Belgium & Luxembourg

Mobile:  +32 (0)478 - 27 10 33

E-Mail:  yvanseters@be.ibm.com

Twitter: @YvesVS

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IBM Launches New Era of Smarter Buildings

PULSE, LAS VEGAS, February 22, 2010 – IBM (NYSE:  IBM) today announced new partners and customers that are creating smarter buildings, offices, and urban infrastructure.

With intelligence embedded into the physical assets of an organization, IBM is helping clients create a command center to manage their data center and IT design as well as physical assets as diverse as water mains, office equipment, door locks, printers, heating systems and fire hydrants. 

IBM’s expertise in systems management, analytics and sensors is unmatched for bridging the physical and digital worlds and creating new intelligent infrastructures critical for buildings to operate more efficiently. Buildings account for 80 percent of New York City’s carbon emissions each year, for example, and buildings emit more emissions into the environment than our cars do.  

A smarter building can quickly sense and respond at every system level possible. By joining its software, research and services expertise together with industry-leading partners, IBM is helping clients:

·    manage energy use by monitoring and analyzing heat, air conditioning and power consumption so that they can lower costs and decrease emissions;
·    identify security breaches;
·    maintain equipment proactively and even predictively, preventing breakdowns and ensuring that critical assets such as fire systems, manufacturing equipment, HVAC systems, etc. will work when they’re needed;
·    locate assets across facilities including tools, equipment and machinery; and
·    manage printing costs and usage in offices

“Smarter buildings are key to the economic and environmental sustainability of urban environments,” said Rich Lechner, vice president, Energy and Environment for IBM. “Real-time infrastructure data coupled with analytics can enable better economic decisions and environmental outcomes. Together with an array of partners, we are delivering this value to clients today.”

IBM is working with companies like Johnson Controls and Ricoh to make buildings smarter: 

·    Johnson Controls is working with IBM to optimize energy usage and improve comfort and security for clients across more than 1.8 billion square feet of building space in more than 150 countries. The new smart building solution will help clients improve asset performance, sustainability, productivity and safety across buildings and portfolios of buildings. (see related press release)

·    Ricoh is working with IBM on an advanced device and printing management system which infuses office devices with real-time tracking and monitoring to help firms significantly reduce their print-related costs, improve service and cut back on carbon emissions. Gartner estimates that organizations that manage their printer, copier and fax fleets can save between 10 and 30 percent of their print costs. (see related press release)

IBM also announced new customers using IBM technology to create smarter buildings at world-class facilities that require utmost precision and maintenance:

·    Galveston National Laboratories, one of two National Institutes of Health funded bio-containment laboratories in the United States, is using IBM software to ensure the proper function and maintenance of all equipment within its facility.  This helps ensure biomedical equipment like air-flow handlers, decontaminating showers, and door seals and locks are working properly to assure safe and secure operations. (see related press release)

·    The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the largest public power company in the United States, is using IBM software to manage and maintain I.T. and physical assets across its power facilities, including fossil, hydro, nuclear and wind energy. (see related press release)

IBM is also applying its Research capabilities to deliver predictive and spatial analysis for smarter buildings, critical for campuses, building complexes, factories and cities.  IBM Maximo software gives clients the ability to visualize and manage their assets within their building walls and beyond a city’s limits, and act on critical data about the status of their company, city, utility or building’s resources. 

Last year, IBM created an industry alliance called the Green Sigma™ Coalition with companies specializing in metering, monitoring, automation, data communications and software to provide smart solutions for energy, water, waste and greenhouse gas management.  Members of the Green Sigma™ Coalition are Johnson Controls, Honeywell Building Solutions, Eaton, ESS, Cisco, Siemens Building Technologies Division, Schneider Electric and SAP. The coalition members are working with IBM to integrate their products and services with IBM’s Green Sigma™ solution.

IBM is adding smarter buildings solutions to its own operations.  For example, IBM is implementing smarter building analytics through Green Sigma™.  Anchored on IBM Tivoli and Maximo software, this solution immediately alerts site operations teams when mechanical systems are not performing to a desired specification, which has led to higher building reliability and faster response times that drive energy savings. IBM’s intention is to implement these processes across internal operations worldwide.

Smarter Buildings for a Smarter Planet
IBM is delivering technology that manages office buildings, warehouses, factories, power plants, laboratories, campuses, apartments, resorts and all types of buildings to save costs, better manage systems, and reduce carbon emissions.  IBM software, hardware and services help create, manage and maintain the world’s most intelligent and interconnected infrastructures from smarter buildings, cities, utilities, offices, transportation systems and operations in every industry.

For more information please visit www.ibm.com/smarterplanet and http://www.ibm.com/ibm/servicemanagement/index.htmlwww.ibm.com/smarterplanet and http://www.ibm.com/ibm/servicemanagement/index.html

For photos, videos and more, please visit the Tivoli Pulse press kit here, www.ibm.com/press/pulse