Stone rolls with cut-price PC portal

System builder and VAR targets cash-strapped students with IT4 Study portal

Students at universities signed up to NDNA scheme can use IT4 Study to obtain below-high street prices

VAR Stone Group has launched a cut-price shopping portal for students, as part of its involvement in the National Desktop and Notebook Agreement (NDNA) membership scheme.

Stone was among several VARs to snare a place on NDNA when the agreement was renewed last August. NDNA dictates that students must have the opportunity to access the same equipment that their university’s IT department chooses to procure.

The public sector specialist’s IT4 Study portal features PCs assembled by both Stone and Samsung, as well as a range of accessories and peripherals.

Although IT4 Study is open to the entire higher-education community, only students at colleges and universities signed up to NDNA will enjoy access to below-high street prices.

The other suppliers involved in NDNA are Ergo, Dell, Lanway, RM, Toshiba, Getech and XMA.

However, Stone chief executive James Bird, claimed Stone – a Samsung-approved service centre – had the edge over its rivals due to its aftercare services credentials.

Bird said: “With the backing of our 50-strong mobile engineer team, we will be able to offer customers from the IT4 Study website the very best aftercare service, without subcontracting to a third party.”