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REVOLUTIONISINGEDUCATION IN EMERGING

MARKETS WITHINNOVATIVE IT SOLUTIONS

REVOLUTIONISINGEDUCATION IN EMERGING

MARKETS WITHINNOVATIVE IT SOLUTIONS

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Copyright © 2018 SixSq Sàrl.Member of the RHEA Group. All rights reserved.

Revolutionisingeducation inemerging markets with innovative IT solutions

The emerging economies of Asia, Africa and South America demand and deserve modern, high-quality educational facilities. Although most developing countries have managed to significantly increase enrollment rates in primary education, the quality of that education still lags behind, particularly in rural communities. Key challenges include lack of or poor quality teaching material, limited teacher training, poor IT infrastructure and support. In addition, rural schools struggle with limited or unreliable wired or mobile connectivity. Thanks to satellite services, Internet can now be delivered in all regions. While the quality of these links has improved and cost gone down, they are not a viable option for the broadband and large-scale connectivity required for point-to-point eLearning applications. However, as you will see, satellite connectivity can be a key enabler in reaching remote areas, when combined with smart local infrastructure.

Limited access to educational contentSaaS based education solutions require high-quality broadband, unavailable in many areas.

21st Century Teaching is out of reachConcepts like distance learning, multi-grade teaching and eLearning are needed for emerging countries to have top-class education.

Poor ConnectivityIn many areas, broadband connectivity is unavailable or sporadic at best. This affects the teachers’ ability to consistently provide digital learning materials.

IT expertise is not available locallyThis prevents schools from running the latest technology on-site.

The Problems

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Information Technology can help to democratize entry to primary and secondary education and beyond by reducing the hurdles of access and affordability. Learning applications and content need to be available at the point of delivery, which in this case is the rural school. Pupils and teachers must be able to work and learn on a daily basis, independently of network availability, and have access to the latest content.Despite recent investments in wired and mobile networks, many regions are left with poor or no connectivity. In order to keep costs low, it is essential that the management of the local infrastructure, as well as content and application updates, can be performed remotely. This should be possible even via low bandwidth networks.

SixSq solutions are built to help governments, NGOs and enterprise deploy a scalable IT infrastructure that is tailor-made to support rural schools and distance learning in IT-challenging environments.

NuvlaBox is a fanless computer with a robust + dependable design. It is built on open source technology and includes a local cloud solution with remote management capabilities. Nuvlabox by SixSq provides a simple IT solution which allows eLearning applications, school administration and teacher training software to be implemented locally. The applications inside the box can be remote controlled in a flexible and automated manner. NuvlaBox can support a multitude of collaborations between administrators, teachers and students within a secured environment.The NuvlaBox addresses the key hurdles faced in rural and underdeveloped regions, such as connectivity, power supply, ease of use and affordability.

Bridging the divide

What is the NuvlaBox?

The Millennium Development Goal of achieving universal primary education made good ground in the early 2000s but has now stagnated. Rural children are twice as likely to be out of school as their urban counterparts. The current distribution of resources often leaves rural areas, settlements and pastoral communities behind. At the same time, the increasing demand for a knowledgeable workforce is making quality education a number one priority for governments in developing countries.Whereas countries such as Germany, which has 35,000 schools, or the USA, with about 100,000 schools, manage a relatively small number of educational establishments, some of the emerging economies handle multiples of those. India alone operates 700,000 rural public schools. Governments face a big challenge in motivating and retaining pupils in those schools, as well as engaging those children currently not enrolled, which, for example, is about 1,000,000 children in Kenya and 4,700,000 in Nigeria. How can such huge numbers be serviced at an affordable price?

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NuvlaBox and smart satellite broadband connectivity can provide 21st century technology to students and teachers in both urban and rural schools, helping to prepare young populations for the future.

Access to Educational ContentThe NuvlaBox delivers content locally via Wi-Fi and local network, independently of broadband connectivity.

Delivers 21st Century TeachingMulti-grade teaching and eLearning software runs inside the box, delivering cutting-edge educational content.

ConnectivityBroadband is only required for content updates and student progress monitoring. Via satellite, the connectivity can be delivered anywhere in the world.

IT expertise is not required locallyNuvlaBoxes are centrally managed, removing the need for local expertise, saving significantly on costs.

The Solution

If you want to know more about how the NuvlaBox works or would like to share the challenges you are facing in this field, please contact us. We are keen to provide developing countries with solutions for better education.

What’s next?

Connectivity via satellite can now be delivered anywhere in the world. Although coverage is guaranteed, it cannot deliver bandwidth comparable to fiber optic, cable or broadband mobile solutions for the same price. Combining the NuvlaBox with satellite technology provides the ideal solution. Content is cached in the box and disseminated locally, delivering 21st century technology everywhere on earth, yet keeping connectivity costs to a minimum.

Connectivity: With the NuvlaBox, schools can benefit from cloud technology in small and large-scale scenarios. The box can establish its own Wi-Fi network, or connect to a local network (LAN) to accept connections from devices such as laptops, tablets or mobile phones. The NuvlaBoxes can be securely remote-controlled and their applications and content updated via low bandwidth connectivity, including satellite links.

Power supply: SixSq NuvlaBox runs on 19v, which can be supported by the most basic methods of power supply, including solar energy or even battery.

Ease of use: NuvlaBox comes with an enterprise proven Application Store that is easy to use. Applications can be started and stopped at the click of a button. No IT specialist is needed on site. Off-site specialists can remotely manage each box and its hosted applications, saving on travel costs and improving response time. The ability to securely manage and control NuvlaBoxes remotely also means that IT knowledge can be centralized, yielding even higher savings. This key remote functionality can be delivered without relying on wired or mobile connectivity. Indeed, satellite links are sufficient to control each box.

Affordability is key in improving the availability of IT in development scenarios. NuvlaBox addresses this by replacing up to 8 physical servers with a single box, reducing hardware and maintenance costs and the need for on-site expertise.

Broadband via Satellite

Copyright © 2018 SixSq Sàrl.Member of the RHEA Group. All rights reserved.

Revolutionisingeducation inemerging markets with innovative IT solutions

Rural Schools

Adapt technology to the circumstances

SixSq Sàrl

Rue du Bois-du-Lan, 81217, GenevaSwitzerland

+41 22 544 17 33info@sixsq.com

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