Damovo In Further & Higher Education
An effective communications infrastructure improves delivery of student services, while creating new revenue and productivity opportunities.
The challenges faced by modern educational establishments
Colleges and universities face increasing pressure to offer courses and facilities that attract and retain students, in order to generate revenue. Key challenges include:
- Demand for work-based and vocational learning, in response to Government initiatives
- Ability to offer greater flexibility and location-independent study
- Commercial and environmental demands to decrease cost, increase revenue and reduce carbon footprint
The right solutions
Damovo offers a range of ICT solutions, specifically aimed at education customers and designed to provide a compelling environment for students to study and live in. This in turn ensures a better chance of attracting and securing student’s attendance and associated revenue.
Improving student services
Damovo offers solutions which help to manage the September influx of students through ‘clearing’, benefiting the student and the establishment. We provide technology to support centralised helpdesks which allow for maximum throughput of calls, often replacing the traditional switchboard function. This technology includes contact centre software, skills-based routing, computer telephony integration and unified messaging.
On campus students expect instant ICT access wherever they are. The ICT department’s challenge is to ensure secure network connectivity, whilst enabling access to virtual learning environments and multimedia technologies.
Enhancements through convergence and collaboration
Converged communications offer universities and colleges new revenue opportunities as well as providing value-added services for the students. For example, integrating services into an IP environment to deliver advertising of local businesses, such as takeaways or taxis.
Collaboration tools can enable staff and students to work together more effectively. By adding presence solutions productivity enhancements can be achieved - for example by viewing lecturers’ availability, students can gain support for coursework via phone, email, instant message or even document sharing.
Delivering life-balance support and cost-effective ways of working
Creative technology solutions like video conferencing or downloadable study materials give students choice in how they learn and where they study. This flexibility can be extended further with mobile and wireless solutions. For example a lecturer could be working from home or the office and students can participate in the lecture via conference. This can help to reduce the establishment’s carbon footprint and potentially reach out to mature, part-time and work-based students.
Reduced cost of ownership through convergence and remote management
A single converged voice and data communications network is easier to manage, reducing maintenance costs and supporting efficiency drives. Damovo can deliver remote management and other network services ensuring ICT availability 24x7x365, supporting and simplifying day-to-day management of student learning. This can also provide an invaluable insight into ICT costs.
