News

IT Companies Assist American Red Cross Relief Efforts

• 09/18/2001

Compaq Computer Corporation has responded to American Red Cross requests for technology by donating more than $1 million in equipment and cash to assist in relief and recovery efforts in New York City and Washington, D.C.

"With the loss of one employee and four others among the missing, the Compaq family was directly affected by this tragedy," said Michael Capellas, Compaq chairman and CEO. "Thanks to the tireless work of many of our employees who volunteered to assist, we are contributing technology and money to aid in the recovery process for those most directly impacted by this attack on America."

In addition to a $250,000 cash donation to the United Way September 11 Fund, Compaq has provided the Red Cross $725,000 worth of servers, personal computers, iPAQ handheld computers and storage equipment to support the agency's disaster-relief computer network, as well as the development of a victim-registration system. The computer network will be used in the New York City metropolitan area to track missing persons and victims of the terrorist attacks and develop databases for area shelters and field-personal records.

More than 200 Compaq personal computers will be used for Red Cross' victim-registration system. The PCs will be housed in kiosks in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Washington, D.C., to allow families to register on the Red Cross Web site, at www.redcross.org. This will allow the agency to respond to inquiries received from concerned friends and family nationwide. Users also will be able to send e-mail to their loved ones. In addition, Compaq Canada has contributed $100,000 to the Canadian Red Cross to support collaborative efforts for disaster relief.

Vector Networks Inc., a development company specializing in desktop management software, has also aided rescuers by donating 300 licenses of its flagship product PC-Duo remote control software. PC-Duo software will allow the Red Cross team to remotely connect all of the desktops at its satellite locations across New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. PC-Duo will effectively create one united force of workers, even though they are miles apart. Lists and information may be shared; a central IT support team can provide help to all desktop users across the network without having to visit the remote location; PC -Duo will provide a snapshot of the system configuration to furnish the technician with all the pertinent information about that PC; task groups may be created to organize computers with in teams, plus more. The installation and utilization of PC-Duo on the network will effectively more than double the capabilities of the current IT staff of the American Red Cross.

Andrew Parsons, vice president of Vector Networks commented, " Even though our company is miles from the disaster sight, we at Vector Networks along with the entire nation, empathize with the people in New York and Washington, D.C. who have been affected by this horrific incident. We hope that this donation hastens the relief effort and can help bring comfort to those in need."