The Open University, EMC and ITS Talk Big Data to UAE Universities

Aug. 8, 2012 - PRLog -- Dubai – August, 7 2012: Every day, the world creates over 2.5 quintillion bytes of data. 90% of the data in the world today was created in the last two years alone. This incredible volume of data comes from everywhere; sensors installed all over the world used to gather information on the climate for example, mobile phone GPS signals, posts to social media sites, digital pictures and video uploads and downloads.

For universities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), although still not in the big data sphere, preparations need to be underway for managing complex data as their campuses become more and more digitized. And with the growing number of students pursuing higher education, the capacity to manage information like enrolment documents, health certificates, transcripts, curriculums and correspondence requires centralized solutions to deal with all that material.

With these very apparent changes, ITS (International Turnkey Systems) Group, a leading technology solution provider for higher education institutions and EMC Corporation, the world leader in information management and storage, addressed these issues at the ‘Enterprise Seminar for Higher Education’ in Abu Dhabi. ITS and EMC have helped many educational institutions in raising inter-departmental collaboration and processes by developing a 360 degree solution to manage student information from a single interface through Documentum Integration with leading SIS education solutions.

The Open University, the largest university in the United Kingdom dedicated to distance learning, was also present to discuss and exchange experiences in managing big data and student information assets.

“EMC was proud to participate in this joint event in Abu Dhabi together with ITS and are pleased that the higher education sector can truly benefit from these solutions. Our client, Open University, came from the United Kingdom to share its experience with us at the seminar,” said Alessio Gallo, EMC IIG, Regional Vice President EMEA. “We hope that all attendees appreciated this productive presentation and discussion.”

The Open University executives presented a case study about the importance of improving the management, storage, retention, access, retrieval and value of its most important information assets – the educational materials it provides to students.

“Students and faculty today look to enrol in universities that embrace high technology to enable distance learning and teaching. Achieving such levels of interactivity will determine the competitiveness of universities going forward and act as the catalyst for attracting students and educators alike,” said Khaled Faraj Al-Saeid, ITS managing director and general manager.

Al-Saeid added that the UAE was fast becoming a “beacon of higher education excellence” and was not only attracting students and teachers from the wider Middle East region but also internationally. “In order to remain competitive and financially successful they need to continually invest in technology.”

“The event showcased how universities could streamline their education content processes with EMC Documentum xCP2 and was a platform for them to meet and network with their peers,” he continued.

ITS Education offers academic institutions, governmental organizations and corporations a comprehensive range of solutions that cater to their individual needs. They provide higher education institutions and training academies with solutions to manage everything from admissions to alumni relations, in addition they provide teachers with the tools they need to assess and manage learners’ individual progress ensuring that students have an enriched and engaging learning experience.

ITS developed its OneCampus solution for the higher education sector that provides a unique and innovative approach through technical and social integrated solutions accompanied by incomparable services.

The applications and the solutions provided by OneCampus are fully compatible with the future plans of any university or educational body which aim to keep pace with its growth and to ensure the best at educational, administrative and technical service levels.

During the last few years the ITS Group succeeded in providing a range of unique solutions, systems and techniques which are suitable for universities and educational institutions across the Middle East. The ITS solutions are in line with the requirements of students in the region and it is this factor which distinguishes ITS from other companies operating in the same activity.

While modern technology has increased substantially it is the deep-rooted experience of the ITS Group which allows the company to meet client requirements and to successfully apply the OneCampus solutions with internationally high standard specifications.