Hillary Clinton, Jeff Bezos to announce Kindle Mobile Learning Initiative next Wednesday

As we reported earlier this week, Amazon and the U.S. State Department are making a deal: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos will announce the global launch of the Kindle Mobile Learning Initiative on Wednesday, June 20 at a press conference in Washington, D.C.

Described in a Friday afternoon press release as a public-private partnership with Amazon and the U.S. government, the program is designed to create a global e-reader program that introduces aspects of U.S. society and culture directly to young people, students, and international audiences in new ways and expands English language learning opportunities worldwide.

Earlier this week, States no-bid contract with Amazon became public. State spokesman Philippe Reines told meon Wednesday that the contract wasnt official yet and that State was waiting for Amazons response to its proposal. Apparently, that happened quickly within 48 hours and now the deal is official. Update, 5:54 PM: Reines now tells me that theres no deal, still just a pilot program. Amazon has to respond. The two sides need to work out details. The event isnt to announce a deal. Its to talk about the initiative. Remember, weve already bought 6,000 Kindles. This distinction that doesnt make a lot of sense to me. When Jeff Bezos and Hillary Clinton hold a joint press conference, I infer that a deal, for which a sole-source contract has already been issued, is going to go through. But as Reines notes, State already bought 6,000 Kindles within the past year and the press conference could conceivably focus only on the results of that program. Ill report more on Wednesday.

According to the information we have so far,the State Department would! spend $ 2.29 million in the first year of the program, including a purchase of 2,500 Kindles, and the maximum cost of the program over five years would be $16.5 million, including a maximum of 7,000 Kindles per year. As I reported earlier this week, the potential programs non-device costs are substantial but we dont know yet which e-books will be preloaded on the Kindles.

See also

State Department speaks out on Amazon Kindle deal

Why is the U.S. State Department paying Amazon $16.5 million for Kindles?