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Transportation equipment industry

Delta Air Lines Joins the Ranks of Corporate PC Giveaways

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Delta Air Lines, known for being the Best-Managed major Airline for 1999, is following in the footsteps of Ford Motor Co. by offering its employees personal computers and Internet access at a minimal cost. This move is part of the airline's "wired workforce program" developed in partnership with PeoplePC Inc. The company is providing home computers, monitors, speakers, and Internet access for $12 a month for 36 months, while employees who already own home computers will be offered free hookups to Deltanet, the company's intranet provided by AT&T services.

Key Takeaways:

  • Delta Air Lines is offering its employees personal computers and Internet access at a minimal cost of $12 a month for 36 months.
  • The company is partnering with PeoplePC Inc. to provide hundreds of thousands of 500 megahertz Hewlett-Packard computers with 64 megabytes of RAM.
  • Employees who already own home computers will be offered free hookups to Deltanet, the company's intranet provided by AT&T services.
  • Delta employees will be given the option to choose from Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, or Toshiba computers for the company-provided PC.
  • PeoplePC offers a computer, monitor, and Internet service to the public for $25 a month for 36 months, including shipping costs.
  • Delta's CEO, Leo F. Mullin, stated that personal computers are not only basic business machines but also excellent and essential communications tools for the 21st century.

Statistics:

  • 370,000: The number of Ford Motor Co. employees who will receive computers and Internet access as part of the company's program.
  • $5: The monthly cost for Ford employees to access computers and the Internet.
  • 500 megahertz: The processing speed of hundreds of thousands of Hewlett-Packard computers that PeoplePC is expected to provide to Ford employees.
  • 64 megabytes: The amount of RAM in the company-provided Hewlett-Packard computers.
  • $25: The monthly cost for a computer, monitor, and Internet service to the public, including shipping costs.

Sources:

  • UPI, "Delta joins PC giveaway trend", February 4 (no year specified)
  • Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine, "Best-Managed major Airline", 1999
  • COMTEX news archive, "Delta Air Lines Offers PC Program for Employees" (http://www.comtexnews.com)

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