Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
EU FINANCE MINISTERS will get free tablet computers for the two-day summit of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council in Dublin this Friday and Saturday.
Under an initiative involving technology companies Dell and Microsoft EU ministers and Central Bank governors will be given Dell Latitude 10 tablet computers with Microsoft Windows 8 and Office 365 for the meetings.
But they will hand them back once they finish at Dublin Castle which is playing host to the meeting as part of Ireland’s presidency of the European Union.
The Department of Finance wants to have a fully paperless meeting and sees the initiative as a “high profile opportunity for us to demonstrate that the Irish Presidency is embracing new technology and supporting the Digital Agenda”, according to Finance Minister Michael Noonan.
“We are very grateful for the support of Dell and Microsoft with this initiative and believe that the technology provided will enhance our ability to have a productive and impactful meeting,” he said.
The tablets are being provided at no cost to the Department according to a spokesperson, with Dell and Microsoft offering them to ministers and officials free of charge.
The tablets will be preloaded with relevant documents for the meeting and will be fully encrypted for security purposes.
After the meeting the ministers and officials will hand the tablets back and depart with a secure USB key containing all of the information they discussed at the meeting.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Good deal from Dell & Microsoft. Can”t ask for better than that and it saves a fair few quid.
Good call.
Definitely a good deal but was it the best/only deal?
What’s better than “free of charge”?
Getting one free to keep
It’s a good idea lets hope all the delegates are computer literate, so they won’t need a crash course in using a tablet. As that might take two days.
Precisely, why not just get them to bring their own devices, that they are used to and offer free secure wifi and a server for dishing out the docs. It’s not as pretty looking for the photocell but a lot more sense
And who and how would be resolving all Technical issues on myriad of their private devices in case they can’t connect up or download docs agendas etc. I can see support nightmare at best. Hence idea of giving all same tablets is cool and surely promote environment friendly no need to print 100k of paper pages that will go to bin next day.
I love how people scramble to find faults in any story involving the government.
haha so true..”People starvin and strugglin to pay their mortgages and our government usin tablets”etc etc..if we stuck with pen and paper the anti govt brigade would be sayin”God we are so pre historic,laughing stock of europe in our quaint ways”etc etc
So its porn for the lads then
Let’s be honest most politicians wouldn’t know how to use a computer . Enda the dictator probably using a feather still.
To scratch his head, or arse?
Did we not see Enda fiddling with his iPhone during an audience with the Pope? I’m sure he’s a little beyond the quill stage now!
Both
Although Dell & Microsoft are funding this initiative at no cost to the exchequer, an actual benefit will accrue to them by way of advertising and commentary on it throughout Europe – just wondering if HP or Apple etc were approached or asked to tender in the context of an open and transparent public procurement process
Honestly, some people. Give them free stuff and they ask why you aren’t paying them to take it.
No tendering needed; they’re being offered free as they’re being returned after the meeting.
Will the tablets go back to Dell after the event or just ‘disappear’ to be handed out to some civil service or government shysters?
That’s just insulting. Civil servants organised this initiative and if it leads to greater use of modern technology in the civil service, then surely that is a good thing.
Oh we’ll, if they’re dell & Microsoft, they’ll be brutal & there’ll be a huge support bill at the end.
Apple forever !!!
Before you know it, one of them will be left in a cafe with all of Europe’s bank details on it. AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!
Ohhh I would love to be there to see them all turn them on and try to work them haha :)
They’ll be leased of course & not just bought specifically for the event?
Did you even read the article? Free of charge. Dell and Microsoft came together to fund it.
There is always one.
What’s the bets one of these goes missing with important information leaked to the press?
Nothing in life is free. We “owe” Microsoft and dell after this. Dell who savagely pulled of limerick I seem to remember.
Fair point; but to be honest, it’s endorsement of their product really. I didn’t even know Dell had a tablet out… I understand where you’re coming from though, they’ll be paying in some way for it, likely.
I hardly think getting a few free tablets from Dell/Microsoft is worth any weight as a bargaining chip. They provided the tablets because they knew articles like this one would surface. The free advertising they’re getting from this completely outweighs the base cost of these units. Like someone mentioned above… I had no idea Dell had their own tablets.
It doesn’t have to go missing. The attendees are getting USB keys with the data to keep. That’s where the leaks (if any will come from).
That was for Tery Morgan.
Pity Dell and Microsoft didn’t do the same for schools instead of these overpaid buffoons.
Any chance i could get a few of them for my school when they are finished with them?
No paper trail makes it easier for EU draconian decisions to be imposed on the masses . nobody can be held responsible for any EU decisions arrived at plus as no old fashioned paper trail exists. with electronic documents can be wiped as last weeks report about Cypriot ex government ministers electronic wipe out the trail of approval of buying Greek government bonds. George Orwell 1984 has come to fruition.
It’s good as it leads to more clarity.
We have a record of all notes taken.
What happens when they all ask where the start button is? Expect a few in ebay afterwards..
have your say