Creating an agile environment for the future of Higher Education
Agile thinking is the lifeblood of learning, fuelling new ideas and innovations. In a world of accelerating change, our very lives depend on the nimble intelligence and adaptable minds of today and tomorrow’s students.
Students are living the changing world first hand. Their colleges and universities are grappling with more and more complex operational demands, delivering transformational learning experiences anytime, anywhere. Ensuring huge amounts of data is cybersecure, achieving the highest levels of sustainability objectives, and providing it all within tight budgets.
These are big and evolving challenges with no single off-the-shelf solution to any of them. As colleges and universities navigate their options for the future, little wonder that ‘agile’ is now the watchword for HE institutions as much as for their students.
Mark Bramwell, CIO of Said Business School believes agile planning is crucial in his business. Said Business School is maximising its global online capabilities, aiming to attract thousands of new learners in new geographies with a wide range of country-by-country solutions.
‘We need agile operational modes and models to respond cost-effectively and quickly to our changing environment if we want to build the best learning experience,’ he says. ‘We need to move fast with deft decision making.’
Stable platform and enabling tools
Agile decisions are most effective when they underpinned by a stable and secure operational platform, that is capable of support scale and growth. CAE has been alongside Said Business School throughout its technology transformation in recent years, supporting the school’s network ‘as if it were their own’ according to Mark Bramwell. That ‘stable, scalable, secure network’ will be fundamental to the school’s future and a seedbed for flexible thinking.
With a firm platform in place, canny CIOs in HE are looking for tools designed to enable agile decision making. The CAE Labs Network Intelligence solution enables organisations to keep track of the diverse styles of learning used today across multiple locations. It delivers visibility and actionable insights based on quality data: critical information for agile planning. It equips network managers to quickly imbed efficiencies and drive a range of operational cost savings.
Data security is a growing challenge as access to courses and content broadens. Network Intelligence helps here too, continuously checking network devices for potential software vulnerabilities and security threats. Administrators use the output to review timely and relevant alerts about the security status of devices to prevent potential attacks.
WiserWatts, also developed by CAE Labs, supports an agile approach to digital sustainability in HE. This innovative solution eliminates energy waste within the IT estate by optimising technology according to operational needs. As well as meeting sustainability objectives, WiserWatts can make significant cost savings. One HE institution achieved 52% reduction in carbon emission waste and significant energy costs.
Innovative partner
So a stable platform and using the right tools are prerequisites for agility. Just as vital is a partner who encourages innovative thinking and ideas. If the partner offers opportunities to learn from others and share experiences that’s a big bonus.
To learn more on how we can support your technology needs, talk to us today.
