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Janison acquires UNSW education tech business

EA’s technology is used by 4,600 schools in Australia

Independent software vendor (ISV) Janison has acquired Educational Assessments (EA) technology from the University of NSW’s (UNSW) corporate arm.

Janison, which makes software to run secure offsite tests and examinations, bought EA from UNSW Global — a UNSW subsidiary —for an undisclosed sum.

The deal will give publicly listed Janison access to EA’s technology, which is currently supplied to 4,600 schools in Australia.

Products include ICAS, a competition which runs in 15 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Greater China, South Africa and India. 

Its other products include JET, a curriculum-linked assessment, REACH, a reporting platform for schools and SCOUT, an assessment designed for use by schools for student placement.

The deal will also allow Janison to produce tests for third parties as well as giving its a bigger portfolio to scale its footprint globally.

“This is a well-timed acquisition perfectly aligned with our assessment strategy,” Janison’s CEO David Caspari said. “The investments made in recent years by UNSW Global to broaden its product portfolio and transition online means it is poised for quality growth both domestically and internationally.

"As we integrate it into our K-12 business it represents a step change for Janison, and will immediately strengthen our position in the K-12 assessments market," he added.