Tight Budgets Force UK Schools to Look to New Cloud Technology
LONDON, January 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
- Follett's Aspen education platform makes its UK debut at BETT conference.
It's no secret; schools in the UK and abroad are dealing with tight budgets. Therefore, schools and Local Authorities (LAs) are looking for new ways to save money and still improve student outcomes. Technology is a significant budget item. When schools consider the dated approach of installing and maintaining dozens of servers and disparate software around a distributed school site, the new, lower cost 'education cloud' solution becomes an attractive option.
This week's BETT event in London includes new entries to the 'education cloud'. One of them, Aspen by Follett, was recently market tested. Feedback from UK schools and LAs highlighted that Aspen removes several limitations and costs posed by older technologies. For example, Aspen is a full featured MIS (Management Information System) that is wholly browser-based and handles school and LA data seamlessly without additional servers or software being required at school sites. That could be seen as a significant step forward for UK schools.
Then there is the old assumption that UK schools need to buy an MIS and a separate Learning Platform (LP), and then spend even more money to cobble them together. With Aspen, there is the option for all MIS and LP functions to be delivered in a unified environment. The old 'MIS plus Learning Platform' concept is virtually redundant. Essentials like parent portal, student learning spaces, statutory reporting and digital learning resources are delivered through Aspen at a lower cost. Zac Colandrea, President of Follett's international operations, explains, "Innovative solutions like Aspen reduce the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) while improving the effectiveness of managing a school system."
Follett's Aspen implementation and support partner for UK schools and LA's is Novatia Plc.
About Follett
Follett Corporation is a £1.8 billion, privately held education company. Follett was founded in 1873, and today is headquartered in River Grove, Illinois, USA. Follett works with international partners to deliver its education solutions to over 30 million students across 148 countries. See Follett at the BT BETT Stand J6.
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