A deal to provide 43 million schoolchildren worldwide with access to cloud-based productivity suite Office 365 could be on the cards for Microsoft.
The software company has inked a deal with the Catholic International Education Office (OIEC) to provide its cloud-based productivity suite to 4.5 million schoolchildren, as part of a new Social Network for Catholic Education.
We will offer the most advanced technology, knowledge and skills to our schools .
The three-year deal, if successful, could be extended to encompass OIEC's community of more than 43 million Catholic students at 210,000 schools in 102 countries.
Through the Microsoft education alliance, OIEC will provide access to technology and training to students and teachers, as well as establish an online space for collaboration, communication and information sharing.
It will also create an online network for Catholic education and all OIEC schools, as well as provide curriculum and training to develop digital literacy skills.
School children and teachers will use the software to communicate using instant messaging and videoconferencing, taking part in virtual classes and transforming any conversation to include high-resolution video, application and desktop sharing.
OIEC's community of schools will receive subscriptions for Microsoft Learning Suite, which includes a variety of tools and services that enable educators and students to create, conduct research, study, collaborate and teach.
It will also have its own community area within the Partners in Learning Network to allow for collaboration targeted across the Catholic schools community. Select OIEC schools will participate in the Microsoft Innovative Schools program and will be given additional resources to help promote teaching and learning innovation.
Father Angel Astorgano, general secretary of the OIEC said that the alliance with Microsoft was the start of a "new era in global Catholic education."
"We will offer the most advanced technology, knowledge and skills to our schools so our next generation of graduates is prepared for the new challenges of the 21st century," he said.
