School of thought

Andrew Mulholland explains why schools want - and need - to work with resellers to reap the benefits of their IT budget

Reselling to the education sector can be easy. Not so long ago, IT in schools meant teaching students the very basics of computing. Not any more. The exponential development and expansion of IT and its permeation through all sectors mean it is no longer simply a subject for classroom study. Today, IT is as critical for schools as books or desks, and it can bring education to life, enhancing both the teaching and the learning experience.

Schools are continuing to face a number of financial challenges. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has said that public spending on education in the UK is falling at the fastest rate since the 1950s. Yet despite public sector budget cuts on both a local and national level, schools simply cannot stand still. It is more important than ever for schools to have the right technology to support staff and students both now and in the future.

An example of this can be seen when you examine the impact of the increased use of internet-enabled mobile devices, and the subsequent rapid rise in multimedia content. The volume of network traffic that schools have to deal with has significantly increased. More schools are using data-rich media to assess the work of students as well as teachers, particularly collaborative work, and because of this there is a need for high-capacity storage solutions and a reliable network.

As a result, many schools are having to upgrade their computer networks, with only minimal resources to do so. Finding ways to make this critical upgrade while keeping costs low is at the top of the agenda. Many state schools are looking to resellers to assist them in achieving this goal. In turn, this presents real opportunities for those resellers that can offer the right mix of technology and support.

With reduced local education authority backing, schools are increasingly forced to take on the burden of IT support and any training needs for new technology purchased themselves. They will undoubtedly have limited time and resources to manage this technology, so any new equipment must be easy to use and support.

Simply box-shifting IT to schools is not enough. They will be searching for resellers that can offer the best long-term value, such as service contracts, technical support and training, alongside the actual physical equipment.

Financing future deals

Unsurprisingly, schools will also be keen to seek out the best initial price and payment terms they can. With less involvement by the local education authority there will also be fewer barriers to schools taking advantage of zero per cent payment plans and other deals offered by suppliers.

For resellers, working with vendors that offer incentives and deals such as these will be seen by schools as a gateway to innovation - in spite of budget cuts.

For the reseller, attractive payment terms will help to encourage customer loyalty and revenue in the long run. For schools, the attraction and benefits of being able to buy multiple products from a single reseller is clear, making management simple with only one point of contact.

It is therefore important to be able to offer as wide and complementary a product range as possible. Currently in schools, network traffic is rising, partly as a result of the inevitable move towards an environment where users increasingly bring their own devices. So there is more demand for secure and future-proof networking.

Additionally, an increase in physical security concerns means many schools are looking at the potential for deploying IP security cameras, which in turn have their own specific storage requirements. For a reseller specialising in networking, it is a logical step to expand into storage or IP surveillance products, which will increase the ability to cross- and up-sell to schools.

Clearly, despite substantial cuts, the education sector in the UK retains significant opportunities for resellers. Those resellers that can offer the whole package alongside customer support and attractive payment plans are most likely to be able to help UK schools deliver a 21st century learning experience.

Andrew Mulholland is UK business solutions and marketing manager at D-Link