Intel Corporation, the world's largest chipmaker, has announced a new benefit programme to offer computers, internet access and services to all 70,000 Intel employees world-wide, completely free of charge. Intel says its Home PC Program will help employees and their families participate fully in the information revolution and take advantage of educational and e-commerce opportunities.

The company said it expected its entire world-wide staff, including temporary workers, to have their systems by the end of this year. The base product and service offering will be provided to employees at no charge, but is not tax protected. Employees and their families are free to use the PC and internet connectivity for any purpose they choose.

"We want our employees and their families to participate fully in the internet revolution," said Craig Barrett, President and CEO of Intel. "An internet-savvy workforce supports our mission to be the pre-eminent building block supplier to the world-wide internet economy. We see these employer-based programmes as a positive trend illustrating the importance of technology literacy to us all."

This is an on-going programme, not a one-time offer, promises Intel. Employees will get periodic "refreshes" to ensure the hardware and software stays current. Employees will also have the option to upgrade the configuration of their systems, peripheral devices and connectivity by contributing to the price of the system.

Anna Lagerkvist