On 21 March 2006 Karl Faberge College of decorative and application art N36 held official ceremony of launching Education centre for micro enterprises development. This is the third centre of the kind in Russia, which was established with support of HP company within HP Global Micro Enterprise Acceleration Program - MAP.  The first centre was launched in Samara, the second one - in St.Petersburg.

Moscow education centre differs from other centers that resolve typical problems being a centre of competence that issues recommendations in the sphere of information technologies in cooperation with IIS. Participation in the project by the Moscow Department of Education will attract teachers and students from Southern and other regions of the city to the centre’s activity. But future young entrepreneurs - students of Faberge College will be the first students of the centre. The students will receive basic computer skills (Microsoft Office, e-mail, Internet, learn about the potential of information technologies in the sphere of jewelry and clothes design, etc. Special attention will be paid to using IT in organizing business processes. Teaching process will involve special programs and methodological material developed in cooperation with HP, IAC of the Moscow Department of Education, IIS and Faberge College.

The Education centre will provide access to information and communication technologies (ICT) for representatives of micro and small enterprises, which will learn about latest IT technologies and potential of their application in business and management.

The choice of site for the future education centre wasn’t random. The selection criteria included distance from the city centre, which is densely populated by different education institutions teaching computer skills. Education centre should become the main link in the process of region informatization. It is supposed that further development of the centre will allow everybody to improve their computer literacy on commercial basis, which will help to resolve one of the most urgent problems nowadays - bridging the digital divide among citizens.

As part of the project HP will provide the educational centre with equipment and training programs and materials that are used in other educational centers opened with support of HP company around the world. HP specialists will train personnel, conduct classes and provide consultations. Besides, Moscow Education Centre will be integrated in the global network of education centers created by HP and its partners. Russia has already launched 2 MAP centers: in Samara (Education centre ORT-HP for micro enterprise development) and in St.Petersburg (Education centre of micro enterprise development HP - St.Petersburg Foundation of business development). The centre will also exchange experience with other education technical centers HP-ORT in Tula and Slavutich town (Ukraine) and many others.

Information-analytical centre of Moscow Department of education will carry out integration of the education centre in the information educational structure, and will provide their methodological training materials. Besides, specialists from IAC will read several courses of lectures.

Institute of the Information Society has wide experience of implementing projects in the sphere of information technologies, including projects within the framework of federal target program “e-Russia”. As part of the project on creating Education centre for supporting micro enterprises HP will carry out general control over the Education centre activity and participate in drafting the curriculum and education programs.

The project was also supported by the ABC company, which was responsible for equipment installation and setting up.

The centre was officially opened by V.Lisov, first deputy head of the Moscow Department of Education; O.Kemp, Vice-President and General Director of Hewlett-Packard in Russia; and S.Orlov, delegate of the Moscow State Duma, member of Supervisory Board of the Institute of the Information Society.

Didie Philipp, Director on e-inclusion program and social investment projects of HP EMEA arrived from Geneva especially for opening of the Education centre.