Back in March 2022, Ford made waves when the automaker announced that it would be dividing itself into three separate business units – Ford Blue, which focuses on ICE passenger vehicles, Ford Pro, which handles the commercial fleet side of things, and Ford Model e, which is dedicated to all-electric vehicles. However, what many may not be aware of is the fact that Ford Model e existed long before that – albeit, as a program designed to equip the company’s workforce with computers, printers, and internet access.
The very first Ford Model e program was announced in February 2000 and launched later that same year, charging employees a nominal monthly fee to help them more easily transition into an increasingly tech-heavy world. The program itself was coordinated by San Francisco-based PeoplePC, Hewlett Packard (which provided the hardware), and UUNET (the internet service provider), and was intended to teach employees about consumer behaviors during a time when e-commerce was just beginning to grow at a rapid pace and retail sales were moving online as well.
It may seem a bit ancient by today’s standards, but the Ford Model e program provided employees with a Hewlett Packard Pavilion computer powered by an Intel Celeron 667-megahertz processor, with a 15-gigabyte hard drive, a CD-ROM drive, and a 56 kilobyte-per-second internal modem. The package included a 15-inch monitor, stereo speakers, and a color printer. The computer was preloaded with software including Microsoft Works 2000 and Encarta Encyclopedia. After employees reached three years of enrollment, they owned that equipment in full.
This program was obviously a bit ahead of its time, and as such, even earned some accolades – including being named one of the Top 10 Digital Workplaces by Time Digital. Ultimately, around half of the company’s 350,000 global employees took advantage of the Ford Model e program, making it a rather huge success – and helping the company better prepare for the rise of e-commerce and technology shifts.
Comments
I think you meant announced in February 2000, not 2020.
… in the 90’s, American Airlines did the same “for” it’s employees. As it turns out, our CEO was on the board of Michael Dell’s Dell Computer. Dell had a TON of old models sitting on shelves, close to being incinerated. Sold for pennies on the dollar to AA employees. Most of us saw through it.
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