Acorn Computer Group Plc finally confirmed yesterday that, as expected (CI No 2,679) it is licensing Apple Computer Inc’s Mac OS for the UK schools market – but rather more than that – it is putting its schools business, which accounts for most of its profits – into an equally-owned joint venture company with Apple. Each is putting up the English Pound equivalent of $3.8m in cash or kind – Acorn gets $2.6m as a balancing item, and the joint venture, as yet unnamed, is looking for annual business of over $90m. It will develop new computer systems for schools using the PowerPC, stressing quality over low price. With one computer for every 15 schoolchildren in the UK against one for every seven in the US, the venture sees big potential – it’s target is a hand- held in every palm. It will involve its 58% shareholder, Ing C Olivetti & Co SpA in its plans to expand into the rest of Europe in the medium term, where in many countries the ratio is much worse. David Lee, managing director of Acorn, will be chairman of the new venture and Brendan O’Sullivan, who ran Apple Ireland, will be managing director. The rump of Acorn will continue with its set-top boxes, and will license software for the Advanced RISC Machines Ltd ARM.
