IT Resources to Help You Weather Economic Climate Change

As economic conditions continue to deteriorate, and many school districts and institutions are learning their budget downfalls are now even steeper…the pressure is on to cut costs and services. I believe information technology can play an important role in helping you respond to this rapidly changing economic environment. There are a number of technologies helping schools lower expenses and improve effectiveness and efficiency…virtualization, unified communications, video conferencing and new collaboration tools to name just a few.

We partnered with HP and the Chronicle of Higher Education to put on our first ever virtual trade show. The free online event – “How to Keep Your Institution Ahead of the Curve” – is now archived and available in case you missed it. I encourage you to check it out. You can download white papers, watch videos, and browse through customized solutions available from Microsoft and our partners. With Lisa Baker from HP, I had the chance to answer customers’ questions, and we had a good discussion on the trends we are seeing in today’s economic climate for education and cost-saving strategies. There’s also a discussion with CIOs from Notre Dame, Wichita State and Arizona State on how they are adapting their IT operations and management. Just head into the “Auditorium” to listen to the podcasts…

Take a look at these additional resources and case studies for inspiration on what’s possible…

Microsoft Economy Guide for Education: https://www.microsoft.com/education/economy/default.aspx
Technology opportunities through ARRA: https://www.microsoft.com/education/stimulus/default.mspx
Customer Case studies:
• School District Standardizes IT Environment, Saves More Than $100,000 in Costs
• Operating System Upgrade Helps School District Streamline IT, Strengthen Security
• College Uses Application Virtualization to Deliver Course Software Easily, Inexpensively