Microsoft India unveils Edu-Cloud

Students and teachers of classes III, IV and V in 80 branches across the two cities will be first to use Edu-Cloud.

Microsoft India, on Tuesday, launched a cloud computing-based solution, Edu-Cloud.

Addressing reporters Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft India, said Edu-Cloud would serve as the backbone for digital classrooms and virtual learning, starting with those for 14,000 students and teachers of Sri Chaitanya Schools in Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

Over the next 18 months, the company was looking to cover 60 lakh students and 10 lakh teachers across 1,500 schools and higher education institutions in the country.

Replace printed books

Apart from helping students and teachers create, deliver and manage content from any device, anywhere, anytime, the cloud computing solution would also mean classrooms without printed books.

Mr. Rao said students and teachers of classes III, IV and V in 80 branches across the two cities would be first to use Edu-Cloud. They will have access to digital content and Office 365 from Microsoft on the tablets apart from access to eDvelop, a learning management solution from Mobiliya, a Microsoft partner.

He said for government schools Microsoft planned digital offerings through White-Fi, a last-mile connectivity over unused spectrum in frequencies used for television broadcasting.

With television channels going digital, a lot of such frequencies in the 200-600 Mhz range is available. After securing approvals, Microsoft plans to roll out a pilot project each at a location in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.