Google Inc. has donated 20 refurbished servers to West Georgia Technical College to be used in the college’s Computer Information Systems program.

The servers were donated by the California-based technology company earlier this year, when they became too outdated for Google’s use. Although the servers could no longer be utilized by the company, they were still valuable, said Russell Bonds, Google’s data center facility manager.

So Google started to look into other ways they could put the machines to use and give them a second life, finding WGTC’s CIS program in Douglas County, where Google has a data center.

“Our goal is to support our local community in every way we can,” Bonds said. “We want WGTC students to have the tools and resources they need so that one day they have the opportunity to work at a company like Google.”

So far, the servers have been of great benefit to the college, said Eugene Jones, an instructor in Computer Information Systems at the WGTC Douglas Campus.

“We are very appreciative for the servers that were donated by Google,” Jones said. “We will be using these servers to give our students who are currently majoring in networking practical experience. The College provides instruction in the field of Network Administration, Active Directory Administration and Server Infrastructure.”

Jones said the donated servers will enable WGTC instructors to set up real-world training and problem-solving exercises that will pay off for students as they pursue careers in the networking field.

Babs Russell, dean of the School of Business and Public Services at WGTC, said she’s proud to have the servers, as they’re still valuable even though they outlived Google’s lifetime range.

“The nature of Google’s business requires servers that are highly efficient in performance,” Russell said. “While Google could no longer utilize these servers, their generous donation for educational application provides exposure for our students to innovative equipment."

Kim Learnard, WGTC Vice President of Institutional Advancement, thanked Google for its generous donation to the CIS program.

“Partnerships with local business and industry are vital in order for us to fulfill the mission of providing our students with the necessary instruction and skills as they enter the workforce,” Learnard said.

The Computer Information Systems program prepares a graduate for entry-level employment as a networking specialist or in other IT professions.

Completion of the program of study leads to an associates degree in Computer Information Systems with a specialization as a Network Specialist or Computer Support Specialist.