News in the Channel - issue #14

EDUCATION SECTOR

Graham Matthews head of mid-market and education

Security solutions Security is also an increasing priority for educational establishments. “Lockdown has also been a big trend over the last few years,” says Lance Williams, chief product officer at Distology, which works with Verkada in the education sector in the UK,. “With the introduction of Martyn’s Law, which looks to affect schools as well, this is likely to increase.” Martyn’s Law – named in memory of Martyn Hett, who died in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack of 2017, along with 21 others – requires venues, including educational establishments, to take steps to increase public safety. To this end there are various solutions that education providers are looking to purchase, such as alarms. “Schools and colleges are looking at alarms to be centrally managed,” says Lance. “A lot of solutions on the market have a lack of intelligence and poor management, which Verkada covers well. “Intercoms are also an attractive proposition and a point of great interest in education and CCTV is acknowledged as being of high- quality, but cheaper solutions are available which are proving difficult to displace/ compete with.” Environmental sensors are also growing in popularity, he adds. “This is partly due to the new challenge of pupils/students vaping and an increase in understanding and awareness of the health concerns around them,” he says. Budget concerns But all this is done against a backdrop of increasingly tight budgets. “Budgets are becoming tighter than ever before,” says Lance. This means there is greater scrutiny on spending before it is signed off. “There

is more due diligence required on orders exceeding £5,000 requiring multiple bids to show value for money,” he says. Budget restrictions need to be considered by resellers. “Schools and institutions are looking to do more with less,” says Graham. “At Lenovo, we also encourage our partners and customers to tackle the digital equity divide, as we believe every student should have an equal opportunity to access the tools and technology required for their academic journey and future. “It is important to provide flexibility for education providers to be able to equip every student with the right technology. For example, there are trends of customers being more open to leasing options, compared to traditional CAPEX. Education providers should also look for the products that offer the best value-for-money. These options might not always be the cheapest but have longevity and are not easily broken by students.” Tim adds that sales into education providers require a comprehensive understanding of their specific needs and constraints, as well as solutions, both hardware and available applications and software that can effectively address these requirements. “It's important to discuss how technology can enhance educational outcomes and offer scalable solutions that align with the financial capabilities of schools, which is often a defining factor in cash-strapped public education establishments,” he says. “Either way, resellers should emphasise the long- term benefits of technology investments in education and delivering improved learning experiences over time.” Rachel Rothwell, senior regional director, UK and Ireland at Zyxel Networks, adds that there

lenovo.com

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We’re seeing

trusted brands becoming stronger in this market and tenders are also more focused on solutions

now, including sustainability and readiness for work...

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Lance Williams chief product officer

distology.com

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