A $300,000 contribution from EDS is helping to provide the latest technology network for Kettering University's new $42 million Mechanical Engineering and Chemistry Center. The donation includes a $250,000 gift and more than $50,000 in professional consulting services.

A $50,000 check was presented to University President James E.A. John during ceremonies June 14 at the Kettering University Board of Trustees. Paul J. Chiapparone, vice chairman for EDS and a Kettering trustee since 1990, made the presentation. "EDS is providing Kettering with the latest in technology consulting to ensure our new Mechanical Engineering and Chemistry Center is the best in the nation," said President James E.A. John. "It places Kettering University on the leading edge in technology and industry."

"EDS is committed to advancing education in the communities where we live and work," said Chiapparone. "Success in the digital economy demands the brightest minds and the best technology. Our donation, coupled with the hands-on expertise of EDS consultants, gives Kettering students the technological edge and business insight to succeed in the global workplace."

Along with the substantial cash gift, EDS has assisted in the development of the new Mechanical Engineering and Chemistry Center in two ways:

** through a design of the essential computing infrastructure elements in the 126,000 square feet building, and

** by utilizing the EDS professional staff to define, design and train the staff of Kettering's revamped Help Desk operation.

"It's a complete data and voice network design for our new building, including all voice and data cable, network closets, and a highspeed Gigabit Ethernet backbone required for large data transfers of a modern system," said Donald J. Vantine, director of Information Systems Operations at Kettering. "EDS is helping us bring the latest technology to the users," he said.

Ed Burger, manager of Technical Services, said the advances are due, in part, to EDS "opening their doors" to their professional consulting staff. "EDS set us up with their call center and tech support personnel to help us define and design how Kettering's new Help Desk operation should work. They helped us develop our strategy for desk tops by making available to us their people and facilities in Southeast Michigan."

Two technical support people were assigned to assist and they introduced Kettering's staff to other experts in the call center and tech support areas. "We are grateful for the EDS'ers who showed us how their operation runs and walked us through their call center operation," Burger said. "It gave us both insight and direction."

Along with being the new home of Mechanical Engineering and Chemistry, Kettering's new academic building will offer access to wireless network technology. "Wireless is geared for a mobile environment," Vantine explained. "Labs won't be wireless because they require higher speed and data intensive work, but classrooms, faculty offices, and common spaces in the building will have a wireless option."

The building, which will feature silversmith and slate gray metal panels, streamlining the look of the 1940s block facility into a modern engineering center, is set to open in the summer of 2003.

The structure, which currently has 86,000 square feet on two levels, was built by General Motors Corp. in 1940. Chevrolet Manufacturing used the facility as a customer delivery unit. Early prototype work on the Corvette was completed in the building, which was later used by AC Delco and then donated to the University by Delphi Automotive Systems in 1996.

A portion of the first floor is already in use, housing an automotive engine test cell, instrumentation and control equipment designed in collaboration with Lubrizol. The first floor is also home to an undergraduate automotive design center, where vehicles for the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and other intercollegiate competitions are designed and fabricated. In the future, it will also house automotive laboratories.

The second floor will be the new home of Kettering's Mechanical Engineering Department, including laboratories and faculty and departmental offices. Kettering will add a third floor for Chemistry classrooms, laboratories and faculty and departmental offices.

About Kettering University
Kettering University is one of the country's premier co-op institutions, providing 2,500 undergraduates with career-based education in engineering, applied sciences, mathematics and business. Founded in 1919, the University also offers graduate programs in engineering, manufacturing management and operations management and is ranked among the nation's finest specialty schools by U.S. News & World Report.

About EDS
EDS, the leading global services company, provides strategy, implementation, business transformation and operational solutions for clients managing the business and technology complexities of the digital economy. EDS brings together the world's best technologies to address critical client business imperatives. It helps clients eliminate boundaries, collaborate in new ways, establish their customers' trust and continuously seek improvement. EDS, with its management-consulting subsidiary, A.T. Kearney, serves the world's leading companies and governments in 60 countries. EDS reported revenues of $21.5 billion in 2001. The company's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: EDS) and the London Stock Exchange. Learn more at www.eds.com.