14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has recently announced that it’s taking over Flipgrid, a video social learning service that allows students to participate in discussions on a series of topics using their own clips.
Flipgrid has more than 20 million users across the world and is currently being used in no less than 180 countries. Previously available with a subscription, Flipgrid will be offered free of charge once the Microsoft takeover is complete, and all those who originally paid for the service will receive a refund.
In an attempt to address concerns that the service could at some point be shut down or integrated into Microsoft’s own products, the software giant emphasizes in the official announcement that Flipgrid would be further improved without changing its existing culture.
“Fans of Flipgrid can rest assured the Flipgrid they know and love, in joining Microsoft, will continue to grow and thrive across the Microsoft, Google and partner ecosystems, all while retaining its distinct brand, culture and team. Furthermore, Flipgrid will continue to be a safe, secure place for students and teachers to communicate in alignment with Microsoft’s GDPR, FERPA and COPPA compliant privacy architecture,” Eran Megiddo, CVP, Education, explained.
Microsoft in education
Taking over Flipgrid is part of Microsoft’s offensive in the education market, as the company has become more focused on expanding its product offering for teachers and students, not only in the United States, but also in the largest markets across the world.
Products like Office 365 have been particularly improved to align with this new approach, while Microsoft also invested in hardware specifically tweaked to address the needs of educators. The Surface Laptop, although a premium product, was launched with Windows 10 S (later renamed to Windows 10 with S Mode), a dedicated Windows 10 version restricted to the Microsoft Store for extra security.
Rumor has it that Microsoft is also preparing a new low-cost Surface, possibly running Windows 10 on ARM, that could be aimed at students and teachers and see daylight later this year.
