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With the BETT Show taking place this month in London, education is very much in the spotlight. One company that has been making real headway in the sector is Fujitsu. In this exclusive interview, we talk to the company’s experienced education expert Ash Merchant, about the current opportunities in the sector and how resellers can address them effectively
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Ash Merchant:
Understanding customer needs is key to success in the education sector
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You have many years of experience of taking solutions to the education market. What would you say about the nature and scale of the opportunity within the sector right now?
Te use of technology in the teaching and learning environment is now vital. Tere’s been growth in opportunities across the board
but the differentiator for us is having a real understanding of the education environment. IT providers must work closely with education to understand the individual requirements of each of them and ensure that technology contributes to teaching and learning outcomes.
It’s also about giving students the confidence and freedom to create and discover the learning style that works best for them so they are prepared for the next stage. We believe that if you empower the learners with the correct technology you can overcome some of the challenges and disparities that exist in education today.
Where are the opportunities exactly? How can resellers best go about addressing them?
We’re seeing growing success across all segments and specific opportunities come about by understanding the challenges that a given education establishment needs to address and ensuring that the right technology
is offered to support this. Our approach has been to gain an in-depth view and develop focused propositions that address the challenges of individual establishments. Working with focused partners and connecting with appropriate educational bodies has supported our excellent growth in the sector this year. Tis success has also enabled collaborative and lasting relationships with our customers – many of whom are now new reference sites for us. Tis is something that our reseller community can leverage, by sharing best practice and expertise. Resellers need to show that they have insight and understanding of the sector – on a teaching and learning level initially, and then by demonstrating how the technology can support this to the benefit of those within the education environment.
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Do they need to have experience or a specialisation in or focus on education? If not, what can they offer? What kind of value proposition really resonates with schools and colleges today?
Resellers should be able to demonstrate a basic knowledge of the sector initially and then a willingness to build on this based on a
specific establishment’s individual needs. Tere is a growing need for both vendors and resellers to increase their knowledge and understanding and ensure that they do have the products and solutions to address the evolving needs across the sector. Te right front-end devices are the start of this, but schools, colleges and universities are now looking for their ICT partners and providers to offer guidance on the entire ecosystem – encompassing devices, infrastructure and the applications and tools themselves that can be used in the learning environment.
What’s working for you and bringing Fujitsu success with schools and colleges?
With our technology and pedigree in developing innovative solutions, our success in education is being built on strong propositions that our partners are able to take to their education clients. A good example
of this is our success with the Microsoft Technology Access Programme at the front end. Te detailed engagement of our CTO’s at our recent Fujitsu Forum event in Munich with our education ambassadors, developing the lifelong learning ecosystems of the future is another area where we clearly differentiate ourselves and provide real value propositions.
How important is it to understand the exact needs of schools and colleges?
As every establishment has different needs it is about finding the right products and solutions that help them to achieve their desired outcomes. One of the main things is appreciating the impact if the technology in
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