Johannesburg, 20 Jul 2012
Microsoft will make its cloud-based suite, Office 365 for Education, available free of charge to education institutions throughout the country.
Microsoft says the suite will be available to more than 25 000 local schools, reaching an estimated 12.2 million learners.
The suite will be available to academic institutions with a valid education domain and replaces Microsoft's previous Live@Edu offering. Education institutions currently using the Microsoft Live@Edu platform will be upgraded to Office 365 for Education, beginning this summer.
The company says the suite will give educators the tools to create learning opportunities across multiple devices. It explains that the suite provides secure access to e-mail and calendars, Office Web Apps, instant messaging, conferencing and file sharing. The suite also includes online versions of the Microsoft Office desktop applications, as well as Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Lync Online.
Kabelo Makwane, Microsoft SA's public sector director, says Office 365 for Education has the potential to connect more schools and learners to 21st century education opportunities and skills.
“The cloud and online learning are key trends transforming education today, as schools face shrinking budgets and growing requirements. By offering the latest productivity and collaboration technology at no cost, we hope to help modernise teaching practices and prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow,” says Makwane.
Makwane adds that the company's long-standing initiative, the Partners in Learning programme, is aimed at helping teachers use technology in the classroom to improve teaching and learning outcomes. According to Makwane, the programme has reached more than 30 000 teachers and three million learners to date.
Eligible academic institutions can sign up for Office 365 for Education here, while students need to sign up through their schools.
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