Steljes Managed Services moves into mobile learning technology
Managed services arm of distributor branches out from trade rental services to ride in learning fast lane
Steljes Managed Services (SMS), the managed services arm of distributor Steljes, is moving into a new area with the development of services for mobile learning technology.
The move follows the recent internal promotion of Mark Bird to managing director of SMS, replacing Warwick Hill, who has left Steljes to pursue other interests.
Bird, formerly director of new product introduction at Steljes, told CRN: “Before the company restructure SMS was known as Steljes Hire. The core of SMS is still very much a trade rental business, but we also do event management and are currently developing some new services. One area we’re focusing on is mobile learning.”
Mobile learning delivers training and knowledge via mobile devices such as mobile phones, PDAs and interactive tablets.
“We’re focusing on the education market to start with, because that’s where our expertise lies, plus there are a number of mobile learning pilots under way in schools,” Bird said. “We are working closely with vendor Smart Technologies to evolve mobile learning software and hope to develop channel-friendly services that resellers can sell to schools.”
Asset management is another area Bird is developing. “Asset management ties in with mobile learning. We’re developing web-based solutions to manage mobile learning products,” he said.
SMS has 20 staff in total, but Bird hopes to grow this over the next three years as the new services develop.
Colin Messenger, senior consultant at analyst Decision Tree Consulting, said: “I went to a US education trade show last year and there were lots of mobile learning products on display. As the interactive whiteboard market begins to reach maturity I think it will be an ideal time for VARs to start looking at other product areas such as mobile learning.”
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