India’s image as a global design-outsourcing hub that produces 4 lakh engineering graduates usually can take a beating easily given the standard of technology education in the country. In fact, even the efforts being made towards making education slightly more tech-friendly is also still far from satisfactory.
Nevertheless, like the IT industry, the magical touch of technology and its application in classrooms has come a long way. Whether blackboards and dreary history lectures would be replaced by the interactivity of IT and web technologies is altogether a different debate. But the mouse is being greatly substituted for white chalk, thanks to vendors like Intel for pioneering some pathbreaking steps in this endeavor.
To make e-learning easier and tap the growing demand for computing technology in the education sector, Intel last year launched the Integrated Solution Kit for Education (ISKE), giving channel partners the exclusive go-to-market privileges. Under its scheme of things, Intel designated a few select partners to capitalize on the investment the semiconductor major has made to help educational organizations meet their goals while expanding its own reach into new markets.
There have been other players also who have chipped in with substantial investments. Microsoft is actively focused on the ‘Microsoft Partners in Learning Program’. It has also joined hands with Intel and Wipro respectively to create affordable computing solutions and ensure wider availability of affordable PCs across the country. Meanwhile, Autodesk also launched its Center of Excellence in Mumbai with a focus on architecture design.
This is really the coming of age of application of IT tools in education. We have gone through a stage wherein mandarins running schools and colleges thought buying over cheap, mostly secondhand PCs, was the road to IT salvation. But the situation has changed. Computerization is already in place in most places and educational institutions are looking beyond the stage of upgrading their existing facilities. Here comes the relevance of new classroom-focused initiatives from vendors and perhaps a prospective greener pasture for partners.
With the trained channel partners Intel has created a one-stop destination for the customers who want to buy or install ISKE. Autodesk’s newly floated program, ‘Educational Solution Sets 2007′, is a unique program that provides the complete suite of the latest Autodesk Software, Courseware, Subscription and a host of other benefits in a single package to meet the curriculum requirements of educational institutes focusing on Architecture, Civil and Mechanical engineering. To sell these products Autodesk has enlisted the services of Ingram Micro as the national distributor and a network of 25 reseller partners.
All these are giving way to a trail of success tales and would virtually cushion partners to take a plunge or two at the springboards towards greater glory.
With more and more schools and colleges making computer education compulsory and vendors fast catching up with products, specialized channel program and training capsules targeting this segment, it is a win-win situation for the channel partners and the student community at large.
Like the boxer who refuses to throw a punch, any channel partner opting for stagnancy would soon find himself being left behind in the race. The education opportunity is akin to a lake – crystal clear waters and abundant catch; what one needs to do is to take the initial step and throw the hook. If you are lucky you could soon find yourself a bounty.