Press release February 08, 2001

Saxony is recycling computers to security servers

Operation 'Finally internet in class' got through to the next round: The Nutzwerk development company turns existing computers at schools into servers for safer surfing through the internet – free of charge. The Saxon ministry of education and cultural affairs supports the project with a cover letter to more than 2500 educational institutions.

"The aim of this campaign is to make teachers bring the good sides of the internet into play during lessons. This medium ought to be acknowledged as teaching aid the same way as books, films or a language laboratory", says René Holzer, CEO of Nutzwerk.

So far the internet has rather lived in the shadows of the classroom. Many teachers are afraid that students might hang around on cheap entertainment sites instead of following the contents the teacher has chosen to go with the subject matter.

Big Brother instead of education. Pokemons instead of pedagogics. Often distraction is only one click away. On top of that there is a potential danger from harmful contents. In January the ministry acted and informed schools about the SaferSurf system from Nutzwerk GmbH.

This solution for safer surfing enables teachers to decide which web pages students may visit during lessons. For example, if English lessons are about London, the teacher can release www.britannia.com and www.londontown.com or similar addresses. Now only these sites can be opened – everything else is locked.

"There are no more reasons to say: 'Internet in class causes too many problems'", says Dr Frank Petzold from the Agency for Knowledge and Technology Transfer at the Dresden University of Technology, GWT-TUD. The head of the department for patent exploitation called the ministry's attention to Nutzwerk.

During the winter holidays that start on Friday, Nutzwerk's technicians are going to set up the first systems of SaferSurf School free of charge. The first schools are: Latina "August Hermann Francke" in Halle, Domgymnasium Merseburg and Mittelschule Glesien.

"Our approach of pooling allowed addresses rather than creating hard to maintain blocking lists like in AOL is very successful. Because more schools applied than we had thought, we will extend our offer", says Nutzwerk's CEO Holzer.

Schools that are interested can still apply. Via internet at www.nutzwerk.de/safersurf/testen.html, or via phone: +49 (0)345-5630022. The only requirement: a simple PC, even an older one. Once you have installed SaferSurf School, the whole school can safely surf the internet using this one computer.