sector have equitable access to the tools, content and services they need to deliver educational outcomes.”
Librarians Jisc’s work is across many product areas and Jonathan said: “We engage with IT leaders, librarians, procurement profes- sionals, learning technology specialists/ leads, senior leaders and curriculum stakeholders.” He said: “Libraries remain an important part of our work for FE both in licensing and the broader mission of Jisc. However, we recognise that libraries and learn- ing resources exist within a wider and increasingly integrated digital ecosystem. Colleges and universities need joined up approaches that span content, platforms, infrastructure and learner experience. “Our role in licensing is to understand how these pieces fit together, which at an operational level is reflected in our three licensing portfolios covering enterprise systems, learning and teaching, and research. Therefore our aim is to develop a comprehensive offer for FE that meets the needs across these functions.”
Global companies
“Many of the suppliers serving FE are global technology and content providers operating across multiple sectors and countries. This creates opportunities for the sector to adopt, integrate and innovate with world leading technologies, but it can also create challenges where education represents only a small proportion of a supplier’s overall business.” Asked how collective works when companies are so big that the whole UK sector still makes up a small proportion of their business, he said: “The objective is not simply to be bigger in terms of our collective position. Effective negotiation comes from combining evidence, market understanding, and a clear articulation of sector priorities. Suppliers have shown to be more willing to engage construc- tively when they understand the needs of a large, coordinated customer community. We should also keep in mind that many of today’s learners will be tomorrow’s users and buyers of products and services. There- fore it is in the interests of many vendors to ensure access to their offer is accessible to the education market, particularly when we consider the broader skills agenda and critical position of FE to support the UK in addressing employer skills gaps and requirements for the future.
Smaller companies
But big multinationals are not the only providers. He said the innovative nature of the FE sector is reflected in it suppliers say- ing: “Often within the context of learning and teaching, we also see colleges working with smaller and emerging vendors where their main business is often limited to
schools, colleges and/or universities. Often these vendors are offering solutions to very specific use cases in learning, teaching and assessment, in other cases they are offering viable alternatives to market incumbents. “We see an important role here for Jisc’s licensing team to support small and medium size vendors within the FE and HE sectors, as well as helping to share the efficacy of these tools to support our members with making informed decisions on their purchasing. We also subscribe to the notion that competition ultimately creates a healthier market place for education.”
Suppliers want revenue growth “The challenges facing FE are not always identical to those seen in higher edu- cation,” Jonathan said: “But colleges still face questions around affordability, access and sustainable licensing models. The case for collective engagement is that it can help institutions navigate these issues and encourage more balanced and equitable approaches across suppliers.” But they all have to deal with commer- cial organisations that promise their investors growth which is increasingly difficult to keep up with in sectors where
funding is reducing. Jonathan said: “Suppliers for FE will of course seek revenue growth as with any other sector, and one of Jisc’s key roles is to challenge proposed price increases, minimise them wherever possible and, where increases are unavoidable, ensure they are evidence-based, proportionate and linked to genuine value for the sector. “Increasingly that conversation is moving beyond traditional content and software licensing into emerging areas such as AI-enabled services, where commercial models are still evolving. Institutions need transparency around future costs, usage models and contractual terms, as well as confidence that investments will remain sustainable over the longer term. “One area of concern is that the record-breaking investment in AI-enabled services and features will need to realise a return, which could indicate future challenges ahead when it comes to annual increases. All the more reason for the sector to stand together as a collective and negotiate as one, particularly where these commercial risks are greatest.” BG
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