eSchoolMall and Lancaster Lebanon Intermediate Unit Form Partnership on Statewide Public Sector Software Procurement Solution

Horsham, PA (PRWEB) April 24, 2003 -- eSchoolMall, the market leader in online school procurement solutions, easyPurchase and easyBid for K-12 schools, today announced that they are expanding their partnership with Lancaster Lebanon Intermediate Unit(IU13), a leading educational service agency.

Today over 900 entities (school districts, private schools, charter schools, universities and public libraries) buy their software through IU 13's Statewide Software Discount Program which offers these entities the unique opportunity to purchase quality instructional and administrative software at significantly reduced prices. Each software vendor participating in the program has discounted their software exclusively for these public buying entities in Pennsylvania. The new eSchoolMall solution will automate the entire process from requisition through submission of orders to the vendors.

eSchoolMall partnered with Lancaster Lebanon Intermediate Unit in 2001 for joint purchasing and Intermediate Unit bids. During the first budget year, eight bids at a total of almost $3,000,000 were conducted through eSchoolMall software resulting in savings in excess of $450,000.

eSchoolMall and Lancaster Lebanon Intermediate Unit are now completing a custom development process for a one of a kind statewide procurement solution. The new solution will be transferable from state to state and will have the unique ability to integrate into the existing suite of eSchoolMall solutions. eSchoolMall will also be releasing other new products with the release of the Statewide Software Solution.

Today over 900 entities (school districts, private schools, charter schools, universities and public libraries) buy their software through Lancaster Lebanon Intermediate Unit. IU 13's Statewide Software Discount Program offers these entities the unique opportunity to purchase quality instructional and administrative software at significantly reduced prices. Each software vendor participating in the program has discounted their software exclusively for these public buying entities in Pennsylvania. The new eSchoolMall solution will automate the entire process from requisition through submission on orders to the vendors.

The following vendors participate in the Statewide Software Discount Program today: Academy of Reading (www.autoskill.com), Apple (www.apple.com - APPL), AutoCAD (www.autodesk.com - ADSK), Blackboard (www.blackboard.com) , FileMaker (www.filemaker.com), Classroom Connect (www.classroom.com), Educational Resources (www.edresources.com), HyperStudio (www.hyperstudio.com), Microsoft (www.microsoft.com - MSFT), Macromedia (www.macromedia.com - MACR), NAMTC Partnership (www.namtc.org), Riverdeep (www.riverdeep.net), Broderbund (www.broderbund.com), Edmark (www.riverdeep.net/edmark), The Learning Company (www.learningcompanyschool.com), Symantec (www.symantec.com - SYMC) and Video Discovery (www.videodiscovery.com).

We are thrilled to be working with Lancaster Lebanon Intermediate Unit again", said Andy Flanagan, Co-Founder and CEO of eSchoolMall. The power of these combined solutions will bring unprecedented value to educational customers, as well as additional sales opportunities for our online vendor community."

About eSchoolMall

eSchoolMall (www.eschoolmall.com) is the proven leader in providing procurement solutions to the education market, with over 1,000 educational entities already using its software. The eSchoolMall solution electronically unites the classroom, the School Business Office, and the Educational Service Agency with their selected vendor community, to ensure the highest degree of efficiency in purchasing goods and services. eSchoolMall's core purpose is to apply technology to make it easier for schools to go about their business of educating our kids.

About LLIU
Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 (www.iu13.org), one of 29 intermediate units across Pennsylvania, is a regional educational agency whose mission is to assist local school districts to enhance educational opportunities by providing quality, cost-effective services. IU 13 is a leader in recognizing the needs of schools and in implementing programs to meet those needs.

Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 workforce includes over 1,200 full-time and part-time employees plus 400 substitutes and seasonal employees. It serves the 22 school districts in Lancaster and Lebanon counties (student population of over 89,000 students) as well as students in nonpublic schools, preschoolers, and adult learners.

For more information, contact:
Harry Goldberg, eSchoolMall, 215-444-9300 x177, hgoldberg@eschoolmall.com