COPYCENSE

Remember the big controversy a few years ago about high schools and school districts signing revenue deals with Coke, Pepsi and other soft drink companies? The current wave of tech sponsorship may be the natural extension of that trend.

"It’s no secret that college campuses are hotbeds of technology innovation, so it shouldn’t be surprising that universities are among the first to try out new gadgets and applications. Many of these have direct educational benefits–for example, high-speed wireless video offers students the chance to watch a lecture that they couldn’t attend in person.

"But campuses are also beginning to resemble consumer technology marketing labs, with school-backed programs pushing gadgets and services that may have only a tenuous connection to the classroom."

Marguerite Reardon. Big Tech on Campus. News.com. Sept. 6, 2004.

See also:
CNet. Tech Specs of the Top 50 Universities.