Dell has unveiled a new network server packaged with software from Napster Inc., with the aim of providing college students with secure access for downloading music. It is planned that the server will be connected to a university's campus network and store Napster content locally, thereby increasing bandwidth. Technology will be in place to protect from viruses, spyware and other security risks. The University of Washington will be the first will be the first to try it out.

"As a leading provider of technology to U.S. colleges and universities, we hear from customers regularly that illegal music downloads put them, their students and their networks at risk," said John Mullen, vice president of Dell's higher education business. "Napster paved the way for legal, subscription-based music services, and with this partnership, Dell is able to address what's become a common IT challenge for university CIOs."