14 DAY TRIAL // Today, Microsoft announced that the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) branch of India’s Ministry of Human Resources and Development has chosen the deployment of Microsoft Live@Edu to more than 10,000 technical colleges and institutes in the country.
Through this move, Microsoft will sustain the delivery of a brighter future for India’s up-and-comers, as well as for the country itself, the company notes.
This is the biggest cloud deployment that Microsoft has ever secured, though it might not bring it much revenue, since the Live@Edu service is offered mostly for free.
Live@Edu is a leading communications and collaboration suite in the cloud specifically designed for education, and it already has a number of more than 22 million users all around the world.
Through the availability of Microsoft’s cloud offering in the country, students, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to communicate from anywhere at any time, through providing them with a seamless collaboration experience.
“AICTE selected Live@Edu based on a critical need for a world-class cloud productivity solution for their students that could grow and evolve with ever-changing student needs,” Anthony Salcito, vice president, worldwide education, Microsoft, explains in a blog post.
The adoption of Microsoft’s product will deliver free, cloud-hosted communications and collaboration services to over 7.5 million students, educators and staff.
Additionally, the move will result in more than just better quality of education, as it will also enable smooth transition for students from college to workforce.
“When it comes to belief in the power of education to transform lives and entire economies, India’s Ministry of Human Resources and Development and Microsoft also share a common belief that successful outcomes for students require more than just a product,” Anthony Salcito continues.
“Unlike other companies, it is Microsoft’s unique ability to offer additional support through programs like BizSpark – a global program that helps software startups succeed by giving them access to Microsoft software development tools and connecting them with key industry players – that inspired AICTE to choose Live@Edu for their students.”