Education is hardly a greenfield market for the IT channel. In fact, it has been a happy hunting ground for a long time now. But this special ARN vertical guide takes a fresh look at the huge opportunities it presents today and in the years ahead.
Schools and other educational institutions have traditionally offered two main lines of business - building a functional network and attaching as many desktops/notebooks to it as possible with all the usual bits and pieces like mice, USBs and carry bags.
But that's a tired old story and the 'classroom of tomorrow' is nearer than you might think. For some, it's already here today. The Connected Classroom set-up I was shown recently by the NSW Department of Education and Training featured an interactive whiteboard, an ultra-short throw projector, a wall-mounted flat-screen television and videoconferencing facilities. Without doubt, it put most corporate boardrooms I've seen to shame.
State government department contracts are not easy to win but the same opportunities exist in private schools all over the country, many of which have deep pockets and a thrist for innovation.
Today's learning environment is all about collaboration and technology will be the biggest enabler of these shared experiences. Imagination is the only real limitation and there's no shortage of that among today's schoolchildren. For those in the channel that can clearly communicate how technology will deliver rich learning experiences, there has never been a better time to go back to school.
