REDMOND, Wash. — July 26, 2012 — Beginning with the class of 2016, Seton Hall University will provide incoming freshmen with Windows 8 to help create a new and dynamic learning environment and better prepare students to enter the workforce after graduation. The university also made the decision to standardize on Windows to help reduce its IT support and mitigate ongoing maintenance costs while also providing comprehensive security, reliability and management across thousands of devices.

“We have a responsibility to give all our students access to the technology they need to be successful learners today, as well as future leaders in the workplace,” said Dr. Gabriel Esteban, president, Seton Hall University. “By putting the most advanced mobile computing system in the hands of all of our students, regardless of prior experience or socio-economic background, we are leveling the playing field and creating opportunities for tomorrow’s servant leaders.”

Seton Hall University has been at the forefront of using technology to expand the impact of education and accelerate students’ growth for the past 14 years through the school’s Mobile Computing Program, which provides a standard laptop to all its undergraduates as part of their tuition and fees. However, incoming freshman and returning juniors this year will receive Samsung Series 7 tablets or Samsung Series 5 ultrabooks running Windows 8. More than 1,200 students have already received this technology, and when school resumes this fall, nearly 2,500 students will be using Windows 8 devices as part of their academic experience.

“From students’ perspectives, Windows 8 delivers an environment that allows them to be as productive as possible,” said Stephen Landry, chief information officer, Seton Hall. “They want integration of their tablet experience with their desktop experience, and products like Microsoft Office 365 for education help make that possible. Other devices out there have the form factor and battery life, but miss the mark on offering efficient content creation and consumption.”

Along with tablet and laptop devices, Seton Hall has also equipped incoming freshmen with the Windows Phone-based Nokia Lumia 900 and Office 365 for education. Windows Phone aids students with seamless integration with the students’ Windows 8 desktop environment, providing them with access to familiar programs and documents on both devices. These tools make the process of keeping up on academic work and connecting with other students and professors effortless.

Seton Hall will also upgrade the entire campus to Office 365 for education, Microsoft’s communications and collaboration cloud suite, which provides email, shared calendars, Microsoft Office Web Apps (such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint), video and online meeting capabilities, and document sharing to academic institutions. This will ensure that not just students, but also faculty and staff have a familiar user experience across all their devices, allowing for greater productivity and teamwork, no matter what compatible device they are working on at any given time.

“Windows 8 provides us with the ability to manage thousands of devices on our campus network that other operating systems just didn’t provide,” Landry said. “We couldn’t manage these devices without the help and the tools that Microsoft has provided.”

“Microsoft really has the right vision for creating a dynamic learning environment for students,” Landry said. “With Windows 8, students can create and collaborate seamlessly with each other, regardless of the device they have with them.”

Find more information, news and perspectives from Seton Hall University at http://www.shu.edu/go/mobile.

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