TOPdesk, a leading global provider of innovative enterprise service management solutions, today announces that it has been named a “strong performer” by analyst firm, Forrester. TOPdesk is profiled as one of the top 15 vendors that “matter most,” as detailed in the Forrester’s report, “The Forrester Wave™: Enterprise Service Management, Q4 2019.”
According to the Forrester Wave™ evaluation, the globally serving TOPdesk “has shifted to fully address the ESM market during the past few years and has oriented its strategy to provide for all forms of service requests, expanding its collaborative abilities and out-of-the-box modules.”
Per the report, “TOPdesk has grown steadily in North America, gaining popularity with midsize enterprises and public sector organizations, including higher education, and is pursuing a strategy of steady organic growth.”
“TOPdesk is a well-rounded ITSM and ESM product with fast time-to-value,” the report continues. “Request management is notably strong, with Kanban, intelligence, and costing … The platform is built for speed of utilization … [and] is well suited to midsize enterprises looking for a tool with both ITSM and ESM capabilities and experience.”
Wolter Smit, TOPdesk CEO and co-founder, said he’s proud of acknowledgement. “We know — and our clients tell us — that our solution continues to be first-rate. We’re honored to be named as a Strong Performer by Forrester, and are thankful for our clients and partners for helping us get here.”
In the report, Forrester notes ITSM users are looking to increasingly leverage self-service options, speed up service delivery, and enhance their own ITSM capabilities to meet the challenges of changing technology landscapes. TOPdesk believes that it addresses these issues by helping organization improve service management processes; optimize services by providing a user-friendly self-service application; and offers comprehensive support through a continuously delivered platform.
TOPdesk provides a robust platform for improved enterprise services, and a high-quality service management solution with proven fast time-to-value.
TOPdesk develops software that helps organizations efficiently manage the services they provide. Whether this concerns IT, facilities management, HR, service desk or service support, TOPdesk helps organizations support their employees, customers, consumers and citizens. It serves all sized organizations, from small businesses to large multinationals, and is available as a local installation or Software as a Service. The TOPdesk solution can be tailored to meet every organization’s needs.
TOPdesk has 15 branches worldwide: in the US, Canada, Brazil, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Denmark, Norway, and Australia. www.TOPdesk.com
Blackboard Inc. announces the appointment of Edwin Scholte as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Edwin will join the company on November 4, 2019 and will oversee all financial aspects of the company, including investor relations, accounting, tax, financial planning and analysis, treasury, and capital markets. He will report to the company’s Chairman, CEO and President Bill Ballhaus.
With more than 20 years of experience as a finance and operating executive, Edwin has deep roots in the education sector and extensive experience in international strategic finance partnerships, global expansion, and mergers and acquisitions. He joins Blackboard from Best Merchant Partners, a privately owned merchant banking institution in the education sector, where he served as Managing Director. Prior to joining Best, Edwin served as CFO and as COO of the higher education, professional and international divisions of McGraw-Hill Education. Earlier he held senior finance and operating executive roles at LexisNexis/Reed Elsevier, Wolters Kluwer, as well as a privately-owned boutique incubator of Internet and corporate services start-ups in The Netherlands.
“Edwin’s broad financial and operational experience and deep knowledge of the education sector will be an invaluable asset to our executive leadership team as we continue to execute our business plan and strategic initiatives,” said Ballhaus. “I’m excited to have him join our team as CFO.”
“The impact of innovative technology on delivering better outcomes for institutions and learners is significant, and Blackboard is at the forefront of this exciting transformation in the global education community,” said Scholte. “I look forward to joining Blackboard and working with the team to deliver substantial value for all stakeholders.”
Edwin earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Economics from Haarlem Business School in The Netherlands, and a Master of Business Administration from Duke University.
Campus Management and Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) announce their partnership to bring a more technology-centered and customer-focused mindset into the institution through the full suite of CampusNexus solutions. The modern, enterprise-wide system was selected to transform the student and faculty experience to focus on learning and student success through new, operationally efficient and innovative technology.
The full suite of CampusNexus solutions selected by DTS includes CampusNexus Engage, CampusNexus Student, and CampusNexus Finance, HR & Payroll, all of which are implemented and deployed in the CampusNexus Cloud.
“Since our inception in 1924, we have been serious about serving our students and preparing them for whatever God might be calling them to do,” said DTS chief operating officer Robert Riggs. “With the development of technology over the past decade, the way we can engage, and support students has improved tremendously. Today, we are focused on providing our students, faculty, and staff a higher education-specific, enterprise-wide system that is built on Microsoft technology and enables innovation in the way we connect and impact all our constituents. We are excited about our new partnership with Campus Management and what we will gain by implementing these advanced technological solutions.”
The latest release of CampusNexus Engage includes a native integration with CampusNexus Student that provides the real-time, bi-directional communication, enabling constituents to access accurate data when they need it. Using CampusNexus solutions and the Microsoft Power Platform, the institution will have the ability to utilize app development and the latest innovations on their campus such as chatbots, analytics and machine learning.
“We’re proud to be the selected transformation partner for Dallas Theological Seminary as they strengthen their infrastructure for innovation and technology advancements. Their strategic investment positions them to be at the forefront of technology for years to come,” said Campus Management senior vice president of field operations Jim Brigadier. “From the moment we began interacting with DTS, we knew there was a strong cultural alignment between their institution and our organization. We look forward to leveraging that alignment to drive student success well into the foreseeable future.”
PowerSchool announces that its CEO, Hardeep Gulati, has been appointed to serve a two-year term on the University of California, Davis School of Education Board of Advisors, offering strategic guidance to drive the goals of the school.
The School of Education’s Board of Advisors supports the implementation of the school’s vision through strategic planning and guidance, philanthropic leadership, and alumni engagement.
“We are so pleased to welcome Hardeep Gulati to our Board of Advisors,” said Lauren Lindstrom, dean of the UC Davis School of Education. “He brings a passion for educational equity and a wealth of knowledge about the ways that technology can enhance teaching and learning opportunities for all students.”
The mission of the UC Davis School of Education is to confront and eliminate inequities among people and communities through the generation of impactful knowledge and the promise of education. Since its founding in 2002, the School of Education has established itself among the nation’s top education schools, renowned across the state and country for leadership in advancing educational opportunity and attainment. School of Education faculty prepare exceptional K–12 teachers and education leaders, and conduct pioneering research that informs national policy and practice.
As the CEO of PowerSchool, Hardeep Gulati leads a company of educators and technology specialists committed to harnessing the power of technology to empower educators and unlock student potential. Under his leadership, PowerSchool has introduced award-winning, unified solutions and made a lasting impact on the future of K-12 education.
Gulati has been recognized by EdTech Digest as Education Technology CEO of the Year and one of the Top 100 Influencers in EdTech. Most recently, he was named a Top 25 Education Software CEO by the Software Report. Gulati received his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
“At PowerSchool, we believe every student deserves the best opportunities in life and I am proud to serve on the UC Davis School of Education Board of Advisors with those who share a vision of a quality and equitable education for all,” Gulati said. “As highly visible ambassadors of UC Davis and the School of Education, Board of Advisors’ members expand the school’s connections to the community, and I look forward to contributing to the board’s efforts to impact education.”
Ellucian announces that Gannon University (Gannon), a private, Catholic university in Erie, Pennsylvania, has selected Ellucian CRM Advance to more dynamically build alumni relationships and better support its fundraising efforts.
In 2018, Gannon began a search for a modern customer relationship management (CRM) solution that would enable personalized communication with stakeholders and alumni along with increased operational efficiency and strong configuration capabilities for staff. The university also required more robust analysis and data reporting tools to drive effective fundraising campaigns and increase accountability. After evaluating competitive offerings from other vendors, Gannon selected Ellucian CRM Advance because of its flexible platform, advanced features, and native integration with the university ecosystem.
“We chose Ellucian CRM Advance due to its highly configurable nature and because it enables us to create the exact reporting, data analysis, and functionality we need,” said Gannon University vice president of advancement Scott Rash. “In addition, Ellucian’s detailed demonstrations and commitment to our successful partnership during our search highlighted their standout focus and expertise within the higher education advancement space.”
With CRM Advance, Gannon will have the ability to drive increased campaign performance with customized intuitive dashboards, relevant reporting and more robust analysis of meaningful data. Improved workflow management will enable Gannon to further streamline outdated manual processes and increase overall productivity and efficiency for its staff. Additionally, enhanced features within CRM Advance will allow for more impactful constituent engagement, translating to better long-term relationships between the university and its alumni and supporters.
“We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership with Gannon University and we look forward to watching CRM Advance enable the university to advance its mission, serve its students and community, and inspire philanthropists to transform lives,” said Ellucian associate vice president of advancement Beth Brenner. “Today, it is essential for colleges and universities to have technology that empowers their staff with access to a holistic view in order to develop data-driven strategies and execute innovative campaigns. We’re proud to help such a forward-thinking institution achieve its philanthropic goals.”
You know what you’re doing, and the service you’re providing is helping teachers teach and students learn. In my case, that’s directly what my colleagues and I are doing, putting teachers and students together in web and video conferences, integrated with their learning management systems. I know what we’re doing is making the process of education easier, better and more efficient. We’re absolutely helping more students access their teachers and helping more teachers use the modern tools of teaching.
That’s comforting. And rewarding.
But it is also isolating and challenging at the same time.
The 22 part is that for anyone to recognize your work, they have to see you, know you’re there. They need to understand that great bridges require great bridge builders.
The catch part is that, if you do your education IT job well, you’re invisible. Your IT can be so good, so seamless and so intuitive that no one has any idea you were ever there. Or that it did not simply just work that way to start.
In IT, being invisible is winning, even though it may not always feel that way. I liken it to what a studio-level makeup artist must feel – you know, the person who makes movie stars look great or gruesome, depending on the role. If you’re at the movies and you’re talking about the makeup, something probably went wrong. It’s only when they’re really good that they can fade away.
And sure, knowing you do good work is satisfying. And please don’t misunderstand, I’m not in this business for glory and adulation. I feel certain that almost no one goes into education for that. Still, what we do – those of us who build the bridges and apply the makeup of education IT – is not easy. Or free, unfortunately.
It can also be a marketing challenge. Wrap your head around this sales pitch. “What I do is so smooth and subtle that, once you start using it, you won’t notice it all.” Where do you sign, right?
I exaggerate. People do notice when they have to drive around a river instead of having a bridge to cross. But once it’s up, people don’t remember what it was like before. And people who’ve become used to driving around an obstacle, or not traveling at all, don’t know cool bridges are available.
Polluting my metaphors again, I think back to the talented make-up artist who probably has to go pitch new producers and directors by saying, “You probably didn’t notice me at all in this other movie, but …”
To tell you the truth, though, I’m not deterred by the education IT paradox. Solutions that work are always in demand. Bridges are easy to sell when people have to get somewhere. When people look at nearby towns and cities and say, “hey, how did you get that cool bridge?” the phone rings.
And the big education dynamics favor companies like ours. More and more people are studying online, and more schools are needing to invest in tools that make that reality easier and safer.
But as it does, I feel for others in education IT or in IT in general – on staff or on their own. I know that some of the best among us are the least seen. That’s what happens when we do our jobs well. And it can get old. It’s also not likely to change. I cannot see a future in which IT solutions have pretty construction plaques saying, “Built by Julie Carter at IT Solutions in 2019” or whatever. So, we’re just going to have to accept that as the way it is.
At the same time, we can take comfort in the real value we’re providing, unseen as it may be. Cynical types may say that gleaning value from the service you provide, regardless of recognition is cold comfort. I prefer to think of it as warm comfort. It can be easy to forget that IT is about making connections and helping people do great things, in our case, helping people learn. When we do that, we’re doing right, whether anyone notices or not.
Kivuto announces that it has entered into a strategic partnership with NERCOMP, a nonprofit consortium focused on technology acquisitions by higher education IT professionals. Through this partnership, Kivuto will have exposure to NERCOMP’s higher educational institution members across the northeastern United States, who will have access to purchasing Kivuto Cloud through NERCOMP.
Cloud license management and provisioning is a challenge for academic IT departments as it is difficult to actively manage those who have access, the length of time and amount of access, and the rules around software license use.
Kivuto Cloud addresses these challenges, empowering educational institutions to effortlessly deliver both product key license verification and distribution, and named user license distribution. Kivuto Cloud allows organizations to manage, distribute, and recover costs on any digital resource in a single cloud-based platform.
Jeff Blacklock, president at Kivuto, said:
“NERCOMP is one of the largest education
consortiums focused on technology acquisitions in the US, so we are excited to
be partnering with them. Through this partnership, Kivuto will have access to
NERCOMP’s 300 educational institution members and will have ongoing exposure to
them though various activities and events. This is an important strategic
partnership for Kivuto.”
Kevin Brassard, chair of NERCOMP, said:
“We are so pleased to have Kivuto on board as a
NERCOMP partner, and that our members will have access to Kivuto Cloud. Because
we take the time to vet all of our partners, our members can be assured that we
see Kivuto is a trusted vendor, and that Kivuto Cloud is a key technology that
they should evaluate for use within their organizations.”
Ellucian, the leading provider of software and services built to power higher education, today announced that Gannon University (Gannon), a private, Catholic university in Erie, Pennsylvania, has selected Ellucian CRM Advance to more dynamically build alumni relationships and better support its fundraising efforts.
In 2018, Gannon began a search for a modern customer relationship management (CRM) solution that would enable personalized communication with stakeholders and alumni along with increased operational efficiency and strong configuration capabilities for staff.
The university also required more robust analysis and data reporting tools to drive effective fundraising campaigns and increase accountability. After evaluating competitive offerings from other vendors, Gannon selected Ellucian CRM Advance because of its flexible platform, advanced features, and native integration with the university ecosystem.
“We chose Ellucian CRM Advance due to its highly configurable nature and because it enables us to create the exact reporting, data analysis, and functionality we need,” said Gannon University vice president of advancement Scott Rash. “In addition, Ellucian’s detailed demonstrations and commitment to our successful partnership during our search highlighted their standout focus and expertise within the higher education advancement space.”
With CRM Advance, Gannon will have the ability to drive increased campaign performance with customized intuitive dashboards, relevant reporting and more robust analysis of meaningful data. Improved workflow management will enable Gannon to further streamline outdated manual processes and increase overall productivity and efficiency for its staff. Additionally, enhanced features within CRM Advance will allow for more impactful constituent engagement, translating to better long-term relationships between the university and its alumni and supporters.
“We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership with Gannon University and we look forward to watching CRM Advance enable the university to advance its mission, serve its students and community, and inspire philanthropists to transform lives,” said Ellucian Associate Vice President of Advancement Beth Brenner. “Today, it is essential for colleges and universities to have technology that empowers their staff with access to a holistic view in order to develop data-driven strategies and execute innovative campaigns. We’re proud to help such a forward-thinking institution achieve its philanthropic goals.”
Skyward, an administrative software provider committed to a better experience for every user, is proud to announce it has become a Google for Education Build Partner. As a Google for Education Build Partner, Skyward will soon enable educators to conduct real-time grade syncs from Google Classroom to Skyward’s Gradebook solution in a beta program.
Keeping
student data synced between Google Classroom and student information systems
has been a key issue facing administrators and instructors. With this exciting
new collaboration, school districts using Skyward’s SIS will be able to sync
assignments and grades from Google Classroom directly into Skyward’s Gradebook
solution, saving teachers valuable time.
“We
are thrilled to become a Google for Education Build Partner and soon provide a new
capability that many of our customers have been looking forward to,” explained Scott
Glinski, CEO of Skyward. “Between our collaboration with Google for Education
on the grade sync beta program, Ed-Fi data standards, and OneRoster 1.1
certification, we hope to continue leading the interoperability movement for
student information systems.”
The
integration between Skyward and Google Classroom will also eliminate the need
for double grade entries, reduce the number of tools teachers need to master,
and lessen the possibility for error in grade entries.
“Our
collaboration with Google for Education is about saving time for teachers, so
they can focus on what matters most—students,” explained Kevin Duda, director
of product management at Skyward. “By providing one place to enter data, teachers
can be more confident in their data while continuing to use the tools that work
best for their needs.”
For
more information, visit www.skyward.com/k-12 and fill out the interest form for the
Classroom grade sync beta program here.
At a time when schools systems are collecting more data than ever and implementing new technology to improve their classrooms, education leaders must act to better secure the personal information of their students, staff and stakeholders. Unfortunately, instead of bolstering security, reports are showing that the education industry ranks dead last in cyber security, pointing to low awareness, limited budgets and a lack of expertise, making many schools easy targets for cyber criminals.
The
growing threat against schools
Educational data is a valuable black-market commodity because student records often contain information such as birth dates, addresses, Social Security numbers and, in some cases, financial records. In fact, since 2016, K-12 institutions have been hit with more than 400 cyber security incidents, and in 2018 alone, there were 122 publicly-disclosed cyber security incidents impacting schools in 38 states, according to the K-12 Cybersecurity 2018 Year in Review report.
Additionally, in December 2018, a hacker stole the personal details for more than 500,000 staff and students from the San Diego Unified School District. And just a few weeks ago, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards issued a statewide emergency declaration in response to a cybersecurity incident that affected several school districts. That same month, Watertown city school district in New York was hit with a severe attack that prevented employees from logging into accounts or accessing files. The bottom line is, based on the treasure-trove of data educational organizations have access to, coupled with a lack of budget, awareness and protocol, schools are vulnerable to advanced cyber attacks, and criminals know it.
New technology
brings new risk
Fortunately, awareness is spreading. Technology chiefs indicated in the CoSN IT Leadership survey that cyber security is now one of their top priorities. Education leaders are also recognizing that these attacks not only have the potential to cause financial loss for schools, donors, students, and staff, but they can also erode trust in the educational institution itself. For students, it’s not just about their privacy and preventing identity theft, but also about their future academic and workplace careers. Ultimately the problem for school systems rests in constrained budgets, inadequate cyber security staffing, and in some cases, senior leaders who may not truly understand the threats they are facing. Out of 17 industries analyzed, education ranked last in cyber security, according to the 2018 Education Cybersecurity Report.
Most schools are accustomed to putting student education at the forefront, and while they may also devote energy and resources to physical security, it can be easy to overlook the modern threats lurking in connected systems. Behind the promise and excitement of smart boards, smart TVs, laptops, tablets, and IoT devices, criminals are waiting to exploit vulnerabilities.
One major issue is the large number of staff and administrative users with personal and school devices that expands the attack surface. Many schools now have students utilizing their own laptops during school hours, bringing more points of vulnerability into the school. For example, students or faculty could be working remotely on an unsecured Wi-Fi network, opening the possibility of an attacker gaining access to a school’s system. Many also use apps such as Office 365, Dropbox, GSuite and Slack to communicate and collaborate on projects. While these apps do offer some security, they are often no match for the advanced cyber threats that are changing daily. If a student were to unknowingly share a document infested with malware to Dropbox, it could compromise the entire system.
Taking action
There are
several actions that educators should take to mitigate cyber risks. One place
to start is with a simple risk assessment to identify vulnerabilities. This
could include an inventory of all devices and connections in the system,
including BYODs, along with apps and software. During this assessment,
questions should be asked such as “How is the technology being used?” and “What
processes and protocols are in place?” Comprehensive risk assessments can often
reveal several simple ways a school can improve its security.
Other cost-effective steps that leaders should take include:
Establishing
a cybersecurity plan that covers the management of networks, maintenance of
equipment, establishment of policies and how human practices and solutions will
protect the data.
Identifying
endpoint security, application security and processes for ensuring patches and
updates.
Requiring
strong password and protection on all devices.
Prohibiting
visitors from using the WiFi.
Additionally, schools, much like enterprises, should have a system to backup data and a plan for recovery should an attack occur. For it is slowness or lack of preparedness that often leads to the most serious disruption.
Finally, as human awareness is a critical component of cyber security, students, faculty and staff should be educated on cyber security issues, how to reduce the risks and what procedures to follow in the event of a breach. For all employees, such training should occur before every school year and for students, computer security literacy should begin as early as the third grade. While cyber security risks will always be a reality in today’s digitally-connected environment, school-wide awareness, planning, and education can reduce many of your vulnerabilities lowering their risk and better protecting the sensitive data of their students and faculty.
