At Eiffel Corp, we have grown from a business “that only speaks to universities about software and licensing, to how do we partner to generate actual, meaningful, revenue streams for your institution.” This was one of the key messages delivered by Stefan du Plessis, Chief Commercial Operator at Eiffel Corp, at our Executive Roundtable Event hosted on the 10th of February 2023.
A Great Start to the Year
This event was a momentous way to start the Academic Year. In 2023, there is only one thing we know for sure: The world is changing at an extraordinary speed – even more so regarding technology and education. Our shared update on Eiffel Corp, clearly illustrated our intentional shifts in change towards meeting a distinctive purpose – to enable greater access to meaningful education.
But to understand how to respond to the education sector’s needs, we need to be aware of what we are facing. The shifts are fast and furious when it comes to technology. Myles Thies, CPO & Director of Digital Learning Services, opened the floor with a very apt talk on “Digital Education: Where to now?”
Where to Now?
There are shifts in all spheres of education, from social to political, environmental and especially within Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other disruptive technologies used in education. The challenges that come with these spheres are not going away – they are bolstering ahead at an increasingly faster pace. “Educators need real, practical guidance and help in dealing with and even integrating advanced new technologies that are becoming pervasive.”
Tony Lteif, Head of Education EMEA (AWS), presented the possibility of Cloud-driven solutions for the Education Sector. Explaining what AWS has to offer, Tony highlighted the potential our partnership with AWS creates. Our partnership and latest developments are our response to the challenges and ever-changing technology landscape.
Eiffel Corp has transformed as an organisation. We have done so to deliver solutions focused on helping African higher education institutions solve three main challenges: 1) how to deliver a quality digital education product 2) how to truly leverage the multiple benefits of the cloud across the entire academic project (including data-driven decision-making) and 3) how to generate revenue for institutions.
We developed these six focus areas:
- World-class education technology, built here, hosted here, supported here and priced in Rand whilst leveraging the best of AWS global best practices.
- Continued commitment to innovation and execution of projects in delivering accredited professional development for lecturers and change management services
- Growing our team of instructional designers, multimedia professionals and adding to our portfolio of successfully delivered projects
- Building an ecosystem on AWS that powers commerce, payments and rewards on and off campus to generate 3rd stream income for education institutions
- Increasing our capacity and expertise in offering custom software and mobile development services specifically focused on education
- Establishing an AWS Cloud Centre of Excellence to power our internal innovation and support the rapid adoption of cloud across our industry
Takeaways from our Executive Roundtable Event
At our roundtable discussion, facilitated by Max Makgoale (Snr Account Manager at AWS), we unpacked the many gaps in digital transformation between the corporate and education sectors. We touched on our roles and the roles we could play in narrowing the gap where it makes sense. We must work together to ensure that the education sector benefits from technological advances and Cloud solutions. It is no longer a question of whether institutions must transform digitally – but rather when and how.
As Dr Carina van Rooyen (University of Johannesburg) said, “If you want to go fast, you go alone. If you want to go far, you go together.”
Let’s take the journey together – reach out for more information.
