Apple store opens at Ateneo

iCampus, a store selling Apple products, was formally opened at the Ateneo de Manila University recently, aiming to provide access to students, faculty and alumni of the university on the latest gadgets and technologies from Apple.

The iCampus, a partnership between Senco Link Technologies Inc., an authorized reseller of Apple products, and Ateneo, is located at the LS Bookstore of the Manny V. Pangilinan Leadership Center at the ADMU’s Loyola Heights campus in Quezon City.

The store, a partnership between Senco Link Technologies Inc., an authorized reseller of Apple products, and Ateneo, is located at the LS Bookstore of the Manny V. Pangilinan Leadership Center at the Loyola Heights campus in Quezon City.

Patrick Yeung, managing director of Senco Link Technologies Inc., said the store aims to deliver the latest Apple technologies that are ideal for teaching and learning.

“The partnership will benefit the growing number of students and faculty who have long appreciated Apple technologies in the field of education. With the opening of this store, Ateneans will have more access to these technologies,” Yeung said.

iCampus-Ateneo is Senco Link Technologies’ first campus store in the country.

The store, which occupies but a small corner of the bookstore, sells the latest Macintosh laptops, iPods and iPod Touch and, Apple-related accessories and also has on-site technical staff to provide support to students and faculty.

William Mallari, director of the Loyola School Bookstore and coordinator for student entrepreneurial initiative of Ateneo, said what makes the mini store different from other Apple stores outside is that students, faculty and alumni can purchase the products at discounted prices.

A lot of students, he said, supported the initiative as evidenced by strong sales in the last three months since it started operations.

To qualify for a discount, one has to present a student or faculty ID or an alumni card. Discounts vary for different products but are generally in the range of 10 to 20 percent.

“Our products are now more available to the Ateneo community, especially to the budget-conscious,” said Yeung in a statement. “The savings they will get from buying at iCampus can now be reallocated to other needs.”

The Apple on Campus program has been successfully implement worldwide and select universities in many countries have joined forces with the company to provide the academic community a chance to purchase Apple products at the best prices. All campus stores also offer the entire range of software, hardware and even third-party peripherals and accessories.

Jean Yew, solutions sales manager for Indonesia and the Philippines of Apple Inc., graced the opening of iCampus-Ateneo. Rodolfo Ang, dean of the John Gokongwei School of Management of Ateneo de Manila, officially welcomed the Apple store to the university.

Ang shared the story of an Ateneo alumnus who used an old Macintosh he owned as a student to make and distribute maps at the Subic Bay Freeport in the early 90s, a business venture that eventually became one of the direct marketing companies in the country.

“What can computers do for us nowadays?” asked Jeric Soriano, another Ateneo alumnus and a certified Mac enthusiast. “They are actually digital storytelling machines. They help tell a story. I’m sure everyone has a story to tell. In fact the computer allows you to tell that story. Adding the multimedia elements such as sound, pictures and moving videos allows you to tell that story even better.”

Soriano, a producer and director of television commercials and corporate videos, added that the computer is not just a tool; it is his portable studio.

“Digital storytelling help students develop creativity and innovation skills needed to solve important problems in imaginative ways. The digital revolution in a sentence is this: Finally we can all tell our old stories in our own way... Here is the tool for you to be able to tell that story,” he said, adding that learning communities are storytelling communities but technology doesn’t make teachers obsolete.

“Now more than ever students need the guidance and wisdom of teachers to guide them on how to choose technology with care and how to use it to tell stories with clarity and humanity,” he said.