The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions. When complete, Trillium will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Intel, operating within Intel's Networking Communications Group. Under the three-year deal, Nortel will become the main supplier and integrator for a nationwide network being built in the U.S. by ClearData, a privately held data communications service provider. Plans for the optical network include Internet data centers which host Web sites or applications that run Internet commerce, trading, and businesses. Students must purchase the products through their school website, which must be an affiliate.
Universities can sign up for the program for free.
Schools then earn one percent commission for every IBM sale through the link. Products offered include IBM ThinkPads and Aptiva PCs bundled with student-oriented software like Tripmaker 2000, Worldbook Millennium 2000, and the New Millennium World Atlas. Reuters contributed to this report. Wired Digital Inc. All rights reserved.