14 DAY TRIAL // Today, Microsoft announced the signing of an agreement with the Catholic International Education Office (OIEC) to provide Office 365 for the latter’s community of Catholic schools around the world.
The adoption of Microsoft’s cloud service is part of a new Social Network for Catholic Education, and it will kick off with the delivery of software for 4.5 million students, as part of a three-year alliance plan.
However, the deal has the potential of being expanded to the over 43 million Catholic students at 210,000 schools in 102 countries that are part of OIEC’s community.
Through the new network, students will benefit from innovative software and services, as well as from access to technologies that will help them better prepare for future jobs.
OIEC is determined to promote education for all people, and it is also focused on collaboration within academic communities.
Since the technology landscape has evolved greatly in the past years, teachers need new skills to do their work, while students require access to tools and knowledge that would enable them to be successful.
Microsoft is one of the large companies around the world who has been constantly focused on driving education forward, and the new agreement is another step it takes in this direction.
“In alliance with Microsoft, we are entering a new era in global Catholic education,” said F. Angel Astorgano, general secretary, OIEC.
“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.”
Graduates who have technology skills are often provided with more opportunities in today’s competitive employment landscape.
However, not all schools around the world are able to provide their students with education in technology, mainly due to the fact that they lack the access to the technologies and training that would enable them to prepare their students for today’s work environment.
“An innovative and forward-thinking Catholic organization is supporting the modernization of their schools, working with Microsoft and mutual partner Tralcom to deliver technology solutions to Catholic students and educators around the world,” said Anthony Salcito, vice president of Worldwide Education at Microsoft.
“We are excited about delivering on the technology needs of these students and supporting a global community of individuals with shared values, and helping to ensure they are well-equipped for the jobs of tomorrow.”