EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Apogee, Inc. | January 02, 2023
Apogee, an industry leader in managed technology services for higher education, has recently announced the acquisition of Cumulus Technology Services Inc. Headquartered in Ventura, California, Cumulus Technology Services is a specialist in secure cloud services for higher education and an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Select Consulting Partner.
This acquisition reaffirms Apogee's commitment to be the preferred managed technology partner for universities and colleges that strive to innovate and transform. The acquisition extends the managed networking and IT services capabilities of Apogee into the cloud, enabling the new potential for higher education IT innovation to enhance student experiences and promote institutional competitiveness.
While the use of technology in attracting and retaining students and providing great blended learning and student life experiences is growing, IT teams in higher education confront increasing difficulty in acquiring and retaining IT expertise. Services and products that delegate IT operations, manage expenses, improve operational effectiveness, and foster innovation are in great demand. Improving the delivery of managed cloud services in higher education helps universities and educational institutions liberate time for innovation, as promised by Apogee.
The following acquired services will be incorporated into Apogee's managed technology services portfolio:
Secure Cloud Services increase Apogee's expertise in cloud, security, and data center management. Cumulus Technology Services' significant understanding of enterprise resource planning (ERP) cloud migration and containerization, Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS), Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) will enable Apogee to provide colleges and universities even improved performance, scalability, robustness, and security of their apps, infrastructure, and data.
Cumulus Data Adapter (CDA) connects and synchronizes institutional ERP systems such as Ellucian Banner® with learning management systems (LMS) such as Canvas by Instructure using a secure, simple-to-deploy technology that significantly enhances IT administration efficiency and student life. As a managed service, CDA is an additional critical tool that addresses the major pain point of data synchronization between LMSs and ERPs, hence easing student data integration difficulties for IT and enhancing the student experience for class registration and attendance.
Security Services bolster Apogee's security experience and expertise, allowing for the delivery of brawl-tested college security assessments, ransomware incident response readiness, and staffing and disaster recovery plans.
About Apogee
Apogee, a leading provider of managed IT services founded in 1999 in Austin, enables colleges and universities to innovate in order to improve the campus experience and foster student life. Apogee helps over one million students and administrators from over 350 colleges and universities across the United States. The company's extensive array of managed services includes Managed Campus networks and IT services, campus engagement, residential networks (ResNet), and video.
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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
BibliU | February 10, 2023
On February 9, 2023, BibliU, an EdTech innovator democratizing content accessibility, received a contract from Lee College in Baytown, Texas, to provide the company's Universal Learning solution to the college. Lee College is BibliU's largest Universal Learning client, with approximately 8,000 students enrolled.
Utilizing Lee College's Learning Management System (LMS), BibliU's Universal Learning solution provides students with access to content on the first day of class and covers approximately 90% of the booklist. In addition, the solution eliminates many inconveniences associated with acquiring textbooks, including long lines at the bookstore and inaccessibility to course materials once classes begin.
BibliU had to demonstrate that it could provide Lee College learners with electronic textbooks and courseware on the first day of classes while saving students money to earn the contract. In the fall and spring, Lee College offers approximately 800 courses, while around 300 are available in the summer. Nearly 70% of classes require a textbook, and an estimated 18% of those classes also need courseware.
Dave Sherwood, Co-Founder and CEO of BibliU, shared, "Prompted by high costs and the possibility of burdensome debt, many young people are questioning the value of attending college." He added, "I believe that college provides opportunities that should be available to everyone. A digital-first, ed tech solution is a path forward for colleges, offering affordable and available content on the first day of class."
(Source – Business Wire)
About BibliU
New York-based BibliU is a learning enablement platform that is democratizing content accessibility. It facilitates higher education institutions to optimize their textbook and courseware workflows to enhance affordability, student outcomes, and social mobility. The future of higher education will involve securing affordable access to course materials for every student. To accomplish this, the company has partnered with tens of thousands of publishers and developed a Learning Enablement platform dedicated to making education more efficient, equitable, and effective.
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ONLINE EDUCATION
Interplay Learning | February 22, 2023
On February 21, 2023, Interplay Learning, a solution for virtual reality and online training of the actual skilled trades, announced its partnership with Warren Central High School (WCHS) to offer advanced learning opportunities for ninth-grade students through the school's technical education system. It would assist the school's career technical education (CTE) academy program and put fast-track students' hands-on introduction to successful careers in the construction industry.
Through the partnership, it would engage ninth-grade students for the WCHS Architecture, Construction, Mechatronics and Engineering (ACME) Academy with the immersive experience of its 3D virtual-reality simulations and the training content before the actual start of the complete construction CTE program. The WCHS's official CTE programs are conducted at an offsite technical education center for students in the tenth grade and above. In addition, WCHS is allowed to share awarded funds with its virtual reality simulations for students as a part of a district-level initiative to upgrade educational infrastructure in Vicksburg.
Coach in WCHS's ACME Academy, Traci Esparza, said, "With Interplay Learning's advanced, engaging platform and content, we can introduce younger students to sophisticated training simulations a year before they enter the official CTE program." She added, "That experience means they can get more out of the ACME program immediately and throughout their education. Before implementing Interplay Learning's VR technology, younger students had limited opportunities for the hands-on experience that is so critical to CTE and skilled trades learning."
(Source – Cision PR Newswire)
Founder and CEO of Interplay Learning, Doug Donovan, said, "Interplay is committed to helping educational institutions transform the training landscape for the skilled trades industries." He added, "With our innovative training platform, the instructors and leaders at Warren Central High School can equip students with valuable experience and skills that will help them build meaningful careers and will also help business owners in Vicksburg and the surrounding area meet the evolving workforce challenges of the 21st century."
(Source – Cision PR Newswire)
About Interplay Learning
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Interplay Learning, an e-learning services provider, has been delivering effective digital learning simulations in the HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Solar and Facilities Maintenance industries since 2016. In addition, it offers solutions for professional training, 3D simulations, virtual reality, skilled Trades, 3D sims, HVAC team training and learning, solar team training, HVACR, immersive education, and facility maintenance training. It recreates life-like VR scenarios for skilled trades workers to learn in an engaging environment. Its Comersive Learning solution offers courses from beginner to master level and trains massive workers in a short time.
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