A National Priority: Education and AI

In the UAE, the quality of education is seen as a direct reflection of the nation’s progress. “Education is THE priority for UAE leaders, and so is AI,” says Naim Yazbeck, General Manager of Microsoft UAE. “Both the President of the UAE, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, have education on their daily agendas. They are personally involved in ensuring that progress is happening on a daily basis.”

This commitment to technology in education across the UAE’s educational systems is far reaching. From AI tutors to AI-enabled curriculums, the country is making significant strides in transforming how education is delivered. According to Yazbeck, “As we move from digitally transforming education to AI enabling education, this sector will undergo a major transformation. Soon, every student, teacher, and staff member will have an AI assistant to enhance their work.”

Innovative AI Initiatives in Education

The UAE has already begun to see the fruits of its early adoption of AI in education. One standout example is the “AI Tutor,” an initiative sponsored by the Ministry of Education. This program, which garnered international attention at the World Economic Forum (WEF) last year, exemplifies the UAE’s innovative approach to leveraging AI in education. “The success of the AI Tutor has set a precedent, and we will see more initiatives like this shaping the future of education,” Yazbeck notes.

These AI-driven initiatives are not limited to K-12 education. The UAE’s higher education institutions are also rapidly integrating AI into their programs. Key universities such as the American University of Sharjah (AUS), Khalifa University (KU), and the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) are developing AI-centric curriculums and offering specialized majors to address the growing market demand for AI expertise. The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), in particular, stands out as a beacon of the UAE’s commitment to fostering world-class AI talent and research.

Digital Infrastructure: The Backbone of AI Education

A key factor enabling the UAE’s AI-driven education revolution is its world-class digital infrastructure. The country boasts some of the best digital resources globally, including cutting-edge 5G networks and hyperscale data centers. This infrastructure is crucial for the deployment and scalability of AI technologies in educational settings. “The quality infrastructure allows students, teachers, staff, and third-party providers to push the boundaries of innovation around the use of AI,” Yazbeck explains.

As AI continues to evolve, the UAE is set to lead in the development of large language models (LLMs) and AI tools tailored for education. “We will start seeing LLMs developed at universities, and AI tutors and AI teacher companions being used by everyone,” Yazbeck predicts. This forward-thinking approach is likely to spur healthy competition among schools and universities, driving them to innovate faster and more effectively.

Investment in the Future: Public and Private Sector Collaboration

The UAE’s bold vision for AI in education is backed by substantial financial commitments from both the public and private sectors. The government is making significant investments in K-12 and higher education, ensuring that the necessary resources are available to integrate AI into every aspect of learning. “This investment will be leveraged by stakeholders to innovate with AI in order to develop students and teachers and prepare them for the AI era,” says Yazbeck.

The private sector is also playing a pivotal role. Leading educational organizations like GEMS Education and Taaleem are actively working on incorporating AI into their educational frameworks. “The commitment to invest in education in the UAE is definitely an advantage that will allow the country to be not only an AI hub but also an education AI hub and role model regionally and globally,” Yazbeck asserts.

A Collaborative Effort: Shaping the Future of Education

The transformation of the UAE’s education system through AI is a collective endeavor. Yazbeck calls on the private sector, including tech companies, education providers, and consultants, to partner with the public sector in this ambitious undertaking. “Education quality will define the future of nations, and we are all responsible for supporting the UAE in developing a world-class AI-enabled education system that will prepare its youth for the challenges of the future,” he emphasizes.

As the UAE continues to integrate AI into its education system, it is setting a benchmark for the rest of the world. The nation’s unwavering commitment to education and AI, coupled with its robust digital infrastructure and substantial investments, positions it as a leader in the global race to harness AI for educational excellence. The UAE’s bold steps today will undoubtedly shape the leaders, innovators, and thinkers of tomorrow. The rest of the world, including the United States, should also consider this.

The Value of an Education

Most modern citizens of Kentucky or any state recognize the value a college degree can add. The question is not often if getting a degree is a good decision, but rather if it’s a practical one. Undergraduate enrollment specifically in Kentucky has been seeing massive declines for certain key groups. Low income earners have gone down 41% and adult learners down 46%. 

Now more than ever the typical college student has become an affluent young adult right out of high school. Expanding the scope, the average educational attainment in the U.S. at large is 37%. Kentucky, by as early as 2030, wants 60% of the population to have some postsecondary education. The challenge is that the percentage of the population who currently have postsecondary education is 29%.

In an effort to bridge the gap between current and prospective education rates, Kentucky has been investing in new programs. These range wildly in their specific intent and method of accomplishing their goal. However, the overall intention across the board is the same, let’s give people the opportunity to get into and through schooling.

Kentucky Student Success Initiative

The Kentucky Student Success Initiative, for example, has raised millions in grants and investment to further education. This initiative focuses on three separate categories. The first is fulfilling students’ basic needs, something that three in five college students struggle with. The second focuses on improving transfer pathways. And the third focuses on increasing the effectiveness and implementation of gateway courses.

Each of these categories have been specifically studied and recognized as important elements for students’ success. One of the biggest obstacles for any college student is their finances. If a student ends up leaving school for financial reasons, the odds are very low that they’ll come back. Screenings which identify students who are at risk or need additional support can keep people in school and increase performance. 

Meanwhile things like gateway courses and transfer pathways help ensure that those who are stable are incentivized to stay committed. A good gateway course, for instance, can cause a massive difference in which students move into their sophomore year. Meanwhile transfer pathways make sure that those who decide to find a better college fit can do so smoothly. 

Conclusion

Initiatives and programs like these that are having an immediate impact on actual students. Returning the focus to adults and low income students, these present a clear focus point for new programs. For Kentucky, and states across the U.S. to reach the education rates they want, key groups cannot be ignored. Not only that, but getting students into college isn’t enough, graduation rates are just as much of a challenge. These are the challenges of modern higher education in Kentucky.

While the United States remains the chief world leader in this field, there are signs that both China and India may soon overtake Uncle Sam in this strategic area. Both countries are sending thousands of students abroad to learn the latest developments in software. And then having them return home to bolster national research and development.

Custom software development, which ranges from advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning to the growing importance of cybersecurity, are not just influencing how software is developed and deployed, but also how it’s integrating into every aspect of our lives.

The overview

1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: AI and ML continue to be at the forefront of software technology trends. In 2023, we are seeing these technologies becoming more sophisticated, with increased capabilities in natural language processing, predictive analytics, and automated decision-making. AI is being integrated into a variety of applications, from customer service chatbots to advanced data analytics tools, making processes more efficient and offering new insights.

2. Increased Focus on Cybersecurity: As the digital landscape expands, so does the need for robust cybersecurity measures. In 2023, there’s a heightened emphasis on developing software that’s secure by design. This includes the integration of advanced encryption techniques, regular security updates, and the use of AI for threat detection. Companies are also focusing on educating their employees about cybersecurity to mitigate risks.

3. Cloud Computing and Edge Computing: Cloud computing continues to dominate, but there’s a growing trend towards edge computing. Edge computing involves processing data closer to where it’s generated rather than in a centralized data-processing warehouse, which reduces latency and improves speed. This is particularly important for IoT devices and applications that require real-time processing.

4. The Rise of Quantum Computing: Quantum computing, although still in its nascent stages, is starting to make more substantial strides in 2023. With its potential to process vast amounts of data at unprecedented speeds, it promises to revolutionize areas such as cryptography, materials science, and complex system modeling.

5. Sustainable and Green Software Development: With increasing awareness of environmental issues, there’s a growing trend in developing sustainable and green software. This involves optimizing software for energy efficiency, reducing resource consumption, and considering the environmental impact of development and deployment processes.

6. The Expansion of Blockchain Technology: Beyond cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology is finding applications in various sectors including finance, supply chain management, and healthcare. Its ability to offer secure, transparent, and tamper-proof record-keeping is being leveraged to improve processes and create new business models.

The results 

7. Remote Work and Collaboration Tools: The shift to remote work, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, continues to influence software development in 2023. There’s an increasing demand for collaboration tools that facilitate efficient remote work, including project management software, real-time communication platforms, and virtual workspace solutions.

8. Increased Use of Low-Code and No-Code Platforms: Low-code and no-code platforms are democratizing software development, allowing individuals without extensive programming knowledge to create applications. This trend is empowering more people to develop software, leading to innovation and rapid prototyping.

9. Advancements in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR): VR and AR technologies are becoming more sophisticated and accessible, finding applications in training, education, entertainment, and retail. These technologies are not only enhancing user experiences but also creating new avenues for interaction and engagement.

10. Focus on User Experience (UX) Design: There’s a continued emphasis on UX design in software development, with a focus on creating intuitive, user-friendly interfaces. Good UX design is increasingly seen as a critical factor in the success of a software product.

11. Growth of Internet of Things (IoT): IoT technology is expanding rapidly, with more devices being connected to the internet. This trend is leading to the generation of large amounts of data and the need for sophisticated software to analyze and utilize this data effectively.

12. Software for Social Good: There’s a growing trend of developing software aimed at addressing social and global challenges, such as healthcare accessibility, education, and environmental sustainability. This reflects a broader shift towards socially responsible technology development.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the software technology trends of 2023 reflect a dynamic and rapidly evolving industry. From the integration of AI and ML in various applications to the focus on cybersecurity and sustainable development, these trends are not only shaping the way software is developed but also how it’s transforming businesses and impacting society at large. As we move forward, these trends will likely continue to evolve, offering new challenges and opportunities in the world of software technology.

Scott Heimes, Chief Marketing Officer at Zipwhip, discusses how two-way text messaging can be an extremely effective way to communicate with your customers in an interview on the B2B Growth Podcast:

76% of Consumers Have Received Text From Businesses

Over 76 percent of consumers have received some kind of text from a business. The most common are appointment reminders or bank alerts. This really just scratches the surface. Texting has so many applications beyond just alerts and reminders. There are sales and marketing, discount coupons and giveaways, customer support and service, recruiting and staffing, and internal communications at places like educational institutions. It’s so new and businesses are continuing to innovate in this medium. There are a lot of powerful use cases for businesses.

We have over 30,000 businesses using our software today. They range from very small businesses like yoga studios or lawn care services all the way up to multi-billion dollar insurance companies that are using our solution in their claim call centers. Industries include financial services, staffing and recruiting, healthcare, legal, and more. We have 156 professional sports teams that use our solution. They use it for ticket sales and customer service. There are lots of fitness gyms, radio and TV stations that use our text solution as well. It really does run the gamut of anybody that wants to communicate with their customers via this preferred medium.

Report Shows Increasing Use of Texting by Businesses

I just talked to the Director of Communications for the Sound Transit Authority, the public transit authority in Seattle, who uses our solution. They publish an 800 number to text or call when people see problems on the trains. Rather than get on the phone and calling, more and more people are texting those alerts. It’s really an interesting use case. Another one is during a recent hurricane down in Houston we had an insurance agent that was using our software to communicate with all of his customers in the area because the phone lines were largely down. Texting was working well to create engagement and communication during those tough times.

We recently created a report called the State of Texting which is a deep research study that highlights the adoption curve of text messaging as a business communication tool. It identifies how many consumers are already being texted by businesses as well as many other key insights and trends. One of the things we saw was that there are a lot of one-way texting tools where you get an alert from your doctor’s office, for instance, but you can’t respond to it. It was actually fired off by a CRM using an API that was just one way.

Text is a Great Way to Increase Engagement

Increasingly, consumers would prefer to be able to respond to those texts and have an actual interaction with a human on the other side to either reschedual that appointment or alert them that they are going to be five minutes late or something like that. We are seeing a trend where people want to be able to respond to texts and have an interaction as opposed to continuing to be one way.

For businesses, the communication channels of email and phone are just becoming less and less effective. Text is a great way to increase your engagement and responsiveness with consumers. They’ll actually respond to a text. One of the things we are doing as a company is everything we can to maintain the purity of the texting medium to make sure that spam doesn’t leak its way into this channel.

>> Listen to the complete interview with Zipwhip CMO Scott Heimes on the B2B Growth podcast.

Technology can help you incorporate various learning styles to cater to all learners, improving learning while making learners feel more motivated. Discussed below are five ways to use technology to enhance learning and teaching.

1. Embracing online learning

Technology is invaluable when it comes to facilitating online education. The use of technology offers multiple platforms and tools that enable:

• Communication between learners and teachers
• Access to course materials
• Remote assessment and assignment completion

A learning management system from teachngo.com is an example of technology used for online learning. They offer:

• A platform for course management and delivery
• Communication and collaboration tools like video conferencing and chat rooms for real-time interactions between teachers and students
• Interactive simulations
• Digital content delivery systems like video/ audio players

These resources provide students with varied modes of consuming course materials. There are also online assessment tools like assignments, tests, and quizzes that enable teachers to track learner progress and provide feedback.

2. Improving communication

When learners are absent and cannot get study materials or have questions after school hours, a disconnect between them and the rest of the class arises. Fortunately, technology has made it possible for teachers to leverage messaging applications to respond to student queries, send reminders, and offer feedback when learners need it. Technology helps bridge communication gaps while smoothening knowledge flow.

Whether you’re in a virtual or traditional classroom, online collaboration systems make it easier to create communities where teachers can allocate projects to their learners in real-time, and the learners can request clarifications where necessary. Peers can also interact with one another for any concerns.

3. Implementing personalized learning

Personalized learning tailors learning experiences to each student’s interests and needs. With the help of technologies such as adaptive learning systems, teachers can develop personalized learning plans for every student and monitor their advancement in real time.

Customized learning can help learners feel more engaged and motivated by letting them concentrate on what’s most challenging and relevant to them. Besides enhancing student outcomes, customized learning can also automate specific learning process aspects, saving teachers time.

4. Leveraging self-paced learning

The emergence of education technology introduced another significant benefit that learners can enjoy: self-paced learning. Every student’s pace for grasping concepts is different. While some are fast learners, others take time to understand particular concepts.

With technology as part of learning and teaching, slow students don’t have to skip the ideas they have difficulties learning. They can easily catch up with their peers thanks to the online curriculum and lessons designed exclusively for them.

5. Use gamification

Gamification involves applying game design factors in an educational setting to make learning more engaging and motivate students to learn. This technique turns boring activities into fun games.

Gamification raises competition among peers, resulting in higher engagement. Besides involving creativity, gamification offers learners immediate feedback, which makes it easy for them to monitor their progress toward achieving their learning objectives.

Endnote

Technology comes in handy when looking to improve learning and teaching. Familiarize yourself with ways to leverage technology to enhance learning and teaching for better student outcomes.

With many positives over the potential of an edtech boom in the near future, others are more concerned over the sharp decrease in funding the sector has received from venture capital deals throughout last year, and during the first quarter of the year. 

Venture capital investors poured roughly $4.2 billion into U.S.-based ed-tech companies in 2022. However, this marked a nearly 50 percent decline from the year before, with more than $8.3 billion invested in 2021. 

Even more worrisome is the roughly $2.2 billion secured during the first quarter of the year, a far cry from analysts’ expectations. 

The sharp decline marks the beginning of what many claim to be K-12 schools tightening their purse strings amid economic difficulties, taking up less interest in advanced and smart classroom products. 

As it stands, it seems funding might be steadily drying up for tech companies, prompting many to consider the potential future of the industry, and whether these companies could come back with the same prowess as what they entered the decade with back in 2020. 

What is the future of ed-tech?

On a linear scale, it’s hard to determine how the ed-tech industry will unfold in the coming years. However, the advancement, and seemingly rapid development of commercial generative AI tools could potentially be a stronghold for the industry, allowing startups and entrepreneurs to ride out challenging conditions. 

Personalized Learning Experiences 

A development that could help reshape the way educators teach and operate their classrooms is the advancement of personalized learning. The use of AI-backed software tools and Machine Learning (ML) could allow educators to create more personalized, or one-on-one experiences for students. 

The development of these tools could seemingly be integrated with other digital capabilities such as virtual reality (VR), whereby educators can now develop plans and learning sessions based on student’s needs, and abilities, and find more adequate solutions, rather than using generalized methods and strategies. 

Integrated Systems 

There’s a good chance that ed-tech tools will become more integrated with existing digital infrastructure, allowing schools and educators to utilize advanced software capabilities more frequently within the classroom setting. 

We could see more ed-tech-based tools being used with ordinary tools, such as computers, smartphones, and tablets. This could lead to some advanced tools becoming more accessible to a bigger number of schools and systems. 

Instead of seeing a minority of advanced, and more affluent schools having access to basic ed-tech software and infrastructure, new teaching models can now be shared among an array of classrooms, regardless of financial and economic implications. 

Neuroscience and Cognitive Processes 

Researchers within the tech and educational fields are continuously uncovering more understanding of the neuroscientific properties, and how cognitive development could be integrated within the advancement of edtech tools.

While there is still a lot to learn, advancements in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are further increasing the understanding of how ed-tech-based tools can be used to enhance the learning outcomes of students. 

Measuring brain activity, and collecting cognitive data processes would help researchers form more fundamental educational tools that are designed for student-specific uses, and would further optimize in-person and virtual learning experiences. 

Virtual Learning 

During the onset of the pandemic, classrooms and lecture halls moved into the virtual learning ecosystem, prompting both educators and students to become more accustomed to what could potentially be the future of teaching and learning. 

However, since then, the majority of educational activities have resumed as normal, relying on antiquated structures. 

The coming years would potentially be a breakthrough period for virtual classrooms. Instead of relying on traditional methods, which see students participating in person, eLearning and derivatives could help educators reach remote learners, further making learning opportunities more accessible to a larger majority of the global population. 

Not only will classrooms become more advanced, and tech-based, but higher research and academic institutions will see greater improvements in the sharing of resources among students, even outside of their proximity. 

There are still big opportunities within the eLearning ecosystem, and further developments would help make education, and basic learning materials more democratized for a bigger share of the disproportionately displaced population. 

Growing Competition

As with any industry that still poses a tremendous amount of opportunities, growing demand could affect the landscape undergoing a dynamic shift in the number of new companies and startups all competing to develop the next big thing in ed-tech. 

A sense of competition among companies could further drive accessibility, and furthermore, affordability to the forefront of the argument. Allowing more educators, students, and schools to have access to the best ed-tech-based tools. 

Whichever way the pendulum may swing, ed-tech still has an encouraging future, even as the industry experiences a decline in available funding and investment opportunities. 

While there may be a decline in interest coming from both public and private investors, growing demand, not only from K-12 schools and institutions could help push ed-tech into the next frontier of education and help revolutionize the way we understand, teach, and interact with students in the classroom.

According to CRN, the tax breaks will help AWS expand its presence in the Morrow County area, where the company already has several data centers. The company will reportedly pay as much as three-quarters less property tax than other businesses in the area.

“We’ve been an active member of the eastern Oregon communities since 2011, investing more than $15.6 billion while supporting thousands of local jobs,” Amazon said in a statement. “Investments like these create and support high paying, highly skilled jobs in local communities, and projects that benefit local education, healthcare, public services and more.”

Nirosha Methananda, Vice President of Marketing at Bombora, discusses the challenges of marketing without annoying your potential customers by bombarding them with marketing messages in an interview with Logan Lyles on the B2B Growth Podcast:

Marketing Is Really About the Customer Experience

As a B2B marketer, I get marketed to a lot. It’s something that I have increasingly noticed and I’m probably not the only one. That’s just becoming part of the experience in terms of being inundated with different messaging and different calls and this, that, and the other. Use this, do this, buy this, whatever it is. It’s really not a great experience. It doesn’t necessarily provide value. Marketers are so busy as it is, and I know that is applicable across the board with everyone we are marketing to. Being able to cut through the noise and having an understanding of all these different things is very challenging. 

Having on top of it being inundated with this constant flow of messaging like meet me, meet me, meet me, is not very helpful. That’s one of the things that I’m passionate about. It’s really about customer experience. I think that is something fundamental to marketing. I feel like we have gone down this path of almost over automating and having to constantly pounce on people without necessarily being conscious and mindful of what their experience is on the other end. From my experience, it’s leading to me switching off and ignoring messages. I’m sure I’m not the only one. 

Create a Marketing Strategy That’s Not Annoying

It also leads to this annoyance and irritation which leads to distrust of brands and that’s not great for this industry. From a customer perspective those bad experiences, unfortunately, more than good experiences, they stay with you for longer and you remember that. Another thing that we don’t necessarily think of is that it’s wasteful. It’s wasteful of time and it’s wasteful of money especially for marketing and sales where money is a precious resource. It’s not something to be wasted. That’s basically why I’m passionate about creating a marketing strategy that’s not annoying.

As an example, our Intent Event was our first flagship event that we did last year. It was a closed event so we did have limited numbers and we were limited as to what we could do with promotion. What we did was try to have mindfulness around what we were sending out and ensuring that it was helpful. Making sure that the recipients, the people that we invited, were given all the relevant information, but there was brevity in the communication as well as encouraging them to participate without forcing them to be there. 

There was certainly some urgency around some of our communication but it wasn’t you need to attend this and this is why you must attend this. It was more about being a bit more subtle in presenting them the idea and the concept of what it was, why it would help them, and exactly the information that they needed. What that meant was not sending out multiple emails, being very controlled around it, really thinking about what the experience was before the event, to during the event, to after the event. We were really focused on the customer and making sure that all of the content and communication was educational and helpful.

IBM explained the decision in the deprecation announcement:

IBM continues to evaluate its service offerings periodically keeping in perspective our customer requirements and service offering consumption. Since the launch of Cloud for Education, new catalog services such as VPC, Code Engine, and third party services from Dizzion and Citrix can now provide the capabilities required by the academic community, superseding the capabilities of the Cloud for Education service.

The service is deprecated immediately and has been pulled from IBM’s catalogs. Existing customers will be able to use the service through November 30, 2023, or the date their order expires, whichever comes first. After that date, Education Cloud will shut down.

The service was born out of the pandemic-driven move to remote learning. As things have returned to normal, it’s not surprising that IBM is killing off the service.

Nirosha Methananda, Vice President of Marketing at Bombora, discusses the challenges of marketing without annoying your potential customers by bombarding them with marketing messages in an interview with Logan Lyles on the B2B Growth Podcast:

Marketing Is Really About the Customer Experience

As a B2B marketer, I get marketed to a lot. It’s something that I have increasingly noticed and I’m probably not the only one. That’s just becoming part of the experience in terms of being inundated with different messaging and different calls and this, that, and the other. Use this, do this, buy this, whatever it is. It’s really not a great experience. It doesn’t necessarily provide value. Marketers are so busy as it is, and I know that is applicable across the board with everyone we are marketing to. Being able to cut through the noise and having an understanding of all these different things is very challenging. 

Having on top of it being inundated with this constant flow of messaging like meet me, meet me, meet me, is not very helpful. That’s one of the things that I’m passionate about. It’s really about customer experience. I think that is something fundamental to marketing. I feel like we have gone down this path of almost over automating and having to constantly pounce on people without necessarily being conscious and mindful of what their experience is on the other end. From my experience, it’s leading to me switching off and ignoring messages. I’m sure I’m not the only one. 

Create a Marketing Strategy That’s Not Annoying

It also leads to this annoyance and irritation which leads to distrust of brands and that’s not great for this industry. From a customer perspective those bad experiences, unfortunately, more than good experiences, they stay with you for longer and you remember that. Another thing that we don’t necessarily think of is that it’s wasteful. It’s wasteful of time and it’s wasteful of money especially for marketing and sales where money is a precious resource. It’s not something to be wasted. That’s basically why I’m passionate about creating a marketing strategy that’s not annoying.

As an example, our Intent Event was our first flagship event that we did last year. It was a closed event so we did have limited numbers and we were limited as to what we could do with promotion. What we did was try to have mindfulness around what we were sending out and ensuring that it was helpful. Making sure that the recipients, the people that we invited, were given all the relevant information, but there was brevity in the communication as well as encouraging them to participate without forcing them to be there. 

There was certainly some urgency around some of our communication but it wasn’t you need to attend this and this is why you must attend this. It was more about being a bit more subtle in presenting them the idea and the concept of what it was, why it would help them, and exactly the information that they needed. What that meant was not sending out multiple emails, being very controlled around it, really thinking about what the experience was before the event, to during the event, to after the event. We were really focused on the customer and making sure that all of the content and communication was educational and helpful.

The pandemic ushered in the age of so many students needing virtual education overnight, but the need for online schooling goes back much further than that. It’s easy to try to put everything into a tidy container called the global pandemic, but there’s more to the story. COVID hasn’t been the primary motivator for parents and students. The future of school must adapt.

By The Numbers: In Person Education is Lacking

Here are some shocking statistics for you – as of March 2021, a whopping 168 million students globally do not have access to in-person learning.

Studies have shown repeatedly that bullying keeps students wary of going back to a physical environment. Nearly 1 in 4 students experience bullying at in person school.

 60% of Americans are saying that traditional schooling is failing the students of today. We can do better.

Online Schooling Has Been Tried Before: Here’s What’s Missing

It’s time for a skillset shift of focus in education. With the world’s knowledge at anyone’s fingertips with Google, Siri, and smartphones, education can no longer be focused on rote memorization and repetition. The skills of the next generation are clear: it’s time to focus on analytical thinking and innovation, active learning and learning strategies and creativity. It’s now a cycle of learning, unlearning, and relearning.

Deeper learning occurs when there is a goal of mastery instead of just trying to ace a test. If a student puts in just enough effort to get their desired grade, how does that prepare them for success in all the areas of their life? Instead, it’s time to focus on learning how to actually learn.

Additional benefits of online learning done right include greater flexibility, improved memory, enhanced performance, and a better use of time, as online learning often takes 40-60% less time as compared to traditional in-person education counterparts. Online learning is adaptable and has mentorship components that benefit the students for a lifelong journey.

Today’s Generation Wants an Online Platform That Matches the Times

More and more, the youngest generation turns to Discord. I’ve often wondered why so many online components of school technology focus on out of date, out of touch tech, when there are much better alternatives that students are embracing while gaming and socializing with friends.

Discord isn’t just a replacement for another messaging app – what gravitates Gen Z (and others) to it is its sense of community. You can start a server on the most niche interests, and know that you are not alone. This is especially true during the pandemic which has been crushingly isolating for us all.

Bringing it All Together

All in all, school can – and must – improve. We may be wandering into an uncertain future, but education does not need to take a back seat. It’s time to innovate – embracing culture, community, and technology and a more immerse online experience.

For more information on how education can and must adapt to the virtual world and the future of school, see the infographic below:

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While the success of remote work and distance learning have exceeded many people’s expectations, it has also provided new opportunities for hackers and bad actors. Companies have had to take measures to ensure employees can connect remotely and schools have worked to protect their classes from Zoom-bombing and other hacks.

Even so, the FBI is warning that hackers are increasing their attacks.

“It’s of greater concern now when it comes to K-12 education, because so many more people are plugged into the technology with schooling because of the distance learning situation,” FBI Cyber Section Chief Dave Ring told ABC News. “So things like distributed denial of service attacks, even ransomware and of course, domain spoofing, because parents are interacting so much more with the schools online.”

While Zoom-bombing may be one type of attack, ransomware is another common, more dangerous attack. According to the FBI, there has been a nearly 30% increase in ransomware attacks against schools.

“The broader the move to distance learning, I think the more attacks you’re going to see, just simply because there are more opportunities for it and it’s more disruptive,” Ring said. “Not everybody’s looking to make money when it comes to criminal motivations for these attacks. A lot are they’re looking to steal information. They’re looking to use that for financial gain. They’re looking to collect ransoms.”

As a result of the pandemic, record numbers of people are working from home, relying on broadband internet more than ever before. Unfortunately, many families are struggling with reduced or lost work, making it hard to pay for the very internet access they need for work, school and socializing.

According to Senator Ron Wyden, the $7 billion includes $3.2 billion set aside to help keep families connected, via $50 a month broadband fund for anyone who has been laid off or furloughed.

Broadband connections are essential for Americans seeking to get new jobs, and to access school, health care and other government services. Ensuring working families can stay online will pay massive dividends for kids’ education, helping people find jobs and jump starting the economic recovery next year.

The provision should help families struggling with staying connected, and will no doubt assist in the ongoing digital transformation.

My prediction would be that over 50% of business travel and over 30% of days in the office will go away. Now it’s not the gold standard that to fly all the way here to sit in front of me that. You can do the virtual connection. It will be a very high threshold to actually doing that business trip. There will be ways that you can work from home a lot of the time. Some companies will be extreme on one end or the other.

I just don’t like talking to African leaders and I always feel bad for African leaders. There are so many conferences in Europe and the US that they are expected to come to. Yet, their job in their countries is so important like their education or health system or collecting taxes or disability. Yet, they spend half their time on all these trips. The fact is now we can do a 20-minute call as needed and touch with base them. It’s been pretty impressive how a lot has gotten done. We will go to the office somewhat. We will do some business travel but dramatically less.

The fact that the (video communication) software doesn’t have any sort of serendipitous thing of people you run into after the meeting or gathering thing, there is some work to be done there. So no I haven’t run into somebody and made a new friendship. There is something missing there.

Apple had promised it would deliver the first of its new machines before the end of the year, with many experts expecting one of the MacBook lines to be the first. Sure enough, the MacBook Air was the first new Mac announced, with the Mac mini and MacBook Pro following.

Many have wondered how fast the new Macs would be, especially in comparison to Intel-based Macs. Apple didn’t disappoint. The company unveiled its M1 chip, the first in a family of chips that will power Apple’s products.

The M1 Chip

Apple M1 – Credit Apple

The M1 is the first SoC for the Mac, giving it much faster efficiency and performance than previous generations of Macs, all of which had to use different chips for different tasks. The M1 features an eight-core CPU, four for high-performance and four for high-efficiency. Even the high-efficiency cores are workhorses, however. According to Apple, the four high-efficiency cores deliver roughly the same performance as the last generation dual-core, Intel-based MacBook Air…but at 1/10 the power.

The GPU also includes eight cores. Apple claims it can deliver up to two times better performance than the graphics on Intel machines using only 1/4 the power. The M1 also includes a 16-core Neural Engine, delivering up to 15x faster ML performance.

The M1 chips improves the overall security of the Mac, bringing the same security architecture that the iPhone and iPad have enjoyed. This includes automatic, high-performance encryption.

MacBook Air

MacBook Air – Credit Apple

With the M1, the new MacBook Air is up to 3.5x faster than the previous model, with up to 5x faster graphics. This makes it faster than 98% of PC laptops sold in the last year.

Like the iPad and iPhone, the new MacBook Air has no fan, is completely silent and wakes instantly. Its improved efficiency gives the MacBook Air 15 hours of web browsing, 18 hours of video playback and 6 hours of videoconferencing.

The MacBook Air starts at $999, or $899 with the education discount.

Mac mini

Mac mini – Credit Apple

The new Mini offers 3x faster CPU performance, along with 6x faster GPU performance. In fact, the Mini is up to 5x faster than desktop PCs at 1/10 the size.

The Mini starts at $699, $100 less than before.

MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro – Credit Apple

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro features 2.8x faster CPU performance and 5x GPU performance. Together, this makes the MacBook Pro up to 3x faster than comparable Windows laptops. The MacBook Pro has the best battery life of any Mac ever made, with 17 hours of web browsing or 20 hours of video playback.

The new MacBook Pro starts at $1299, or $1199 for education.

All of the new machines can be ordered today and are available next week.

At the outset, Tim Cook said: “We love the Mac. It’s in our DNA.” Based on today’s event, that is more evident than ever. It’s also a safe bet far more people will love the Mac too, if today’s announcement is any indication.

Amazon says that “with new deals dropping every day starting October 16, customers can shop early and with confidence that they are getting Black Friday-worthy deals and incredible savings on a huge selection of products.”

Here are the announced details on Amazon’s Holiday Dash deals:

Amazon Brands

• Save up to 30% on select kid’s clothing and more from our brands including Amazon Essentials, Spotted Zebra, and Simple Joys by Carter’s
• Save up to 30% on select men’s and women’s clothing and more from our brands including Amazon Essentials, Daily Ritual and Goodthreads
• Save up to 20% on AmazonBasics
• Save 40% on Wag dog food, and treats
• Save 20% on household and personal care products from Solimo
• Save 20% on Presto! Refillable Cleaners
• Save 20% on baby care products from Mama Bear and Solimo
• Save 20% on Belei skincare
• Save 20% on nutrition and wellness products from Amazon Elements and Revly
• Save 20% on coffee, snacks, and other grocery essentials from Solimo, Happy Belly, and Amazon Fresh

Toys & Games

• Save up to 40% on Star Wars toys
• Save up to 40% on Collectible toys from L.O.L. Surprise!, Calico Critters, Fingerlings, and more
• Save up to 30% on Hot Wheels toys
• Save up to 30% on Building Sets from LEGO, Magna-Tiles, and PlayMonster
• Save up to 30% on Marvel toys
• Save up to 30% on Fortnite, Pokemon, Roblox and more
• Save up to 40% on Tegu Building Blocks
• Save up to 30% on Funko POPs!
• Save up to 30% on Arts & Crafts sets
• Save 30% on Evenflo Pivot Explore Wagon
• Save up to 30% on preschool toys from Jazwares, Spin Master, Hape, and more
• Save on AmScope 52-piece kids beginner microscope STEM kit

Fashion

• Save up to 40% on select apparel from Calvin Klein
• Save up to 40% on select Levi’s apparel for the whole family
• Save up to 40% on Star Wars apparel
• Save up to 30% on select New Balance footwear and apparel
• Save up to 40% on select Tommy Hilfiger apparel
• Save up to 40% on select kids’ clothing from Gerber, Hudson Baby, and more
• Save up to 50% on select watches from Citizen, Bulova, Anne Klein, and more
• Save up to 30% on select Lacoste apparel, shoes, and accessories
• Save up to 30% on Marvel apparel
• Save up to 30% on select seasonal fashion trends
• Save up to 25% on select Nautica men’s and women’s apparel
• Save up to 48% on select Hanna Anderson pajama sets and underwear styles
• Save up to 30% on select styles from The Drop
• Save up to 40% on select women’s shoes from Shopbop
• Save up to 15% on select women’s accessories from Shopbop

Household, Kitchen, Home Improvement & Smart Home

• Save on Le Creuset Cast Iron and Stoneware, including up to 48% on select Le Creuset 3.5Qt Oval Dutch Ovens
• Save up to 50% on select Bissell Vacuums
• Save up to 40% on SharkNinja Shark Navigator Lift-Away
• Save up to 35% on Eufy by Anker RoboVac
• Save up to 30% on Eureka Stick Vacuum
• Save on iRobot Robotic vacuums and mops
• Save up to 30% on iLife Robotic vacuum cleaner
• Save up to 25% or more on Samsung vacuums
• Save up to 36% on select Blueair air purifiers
• Save up to 20% on select Molekule air purifiers
• Save up to 40% on KitchenAid tools
• Save up to 20% on the Instant Pot Duo Mini Plus
• Save up to 30% on Hallmark gift wrap, ornaments, and cards
• Save up to 20% on select Breville Smart Ovens
• Save up to 20% on OXO BREW coffee makers
• Save up to 30% on Tineco floorcare products
• Save on Ninja AF161 Air Fryer and Ninja FG551 Foodi Indoor Smart Grill
• Save on select SodaStream Fizzi Sparkling Water Maker Bundles
• Save on the Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker
• Save up to 20% on OXO Good Grips Smart Seal and bakeware
• Save up to 35% on Ayesha Curry Cookware
• Save 30% on Linenspa 10″ hybrid mattresses
• Save up to 30% on Zinus furniture and mattresses
• Save 30% on Sweetnight mattresses
• Save up to 30% on Moen bathroom fixtures and up to 20% off on Moen kitchen products
• Save up to 25% on select Hansgrohe products
• Save 15% on GE Profile Ice Maker
• Save 20% on select Broan appliances
• Save up to 15% on select Delta Faucet products
• Save up to 15% on Whirlpool softeners
• Save 15% or more on gaming, home education and home office furniture
• Save on select August Smart Locks
• Save on select Kwikset Smart and Mechanical Locks
• Save on Smart Home products from Emerson, Kasa TP-Link, and more

Beauty, Health & Personal Care

• Save up to 50% on your favorite Premium Beauty brands from Elemis, Mario Badescu, Redken, and more
• Save up to 40% on Premium Beauty appliances from T3, Foreo and more
• Save up to 40% on Waterpik and Colgate oral care appliances
• Save up to 45% on skin care from NIVEA, Aquaphor, and Eucerin
• Save up to 30% on hair dryers and products from Revlon, Bed Head, and more
• Save up to 35% on razors from Braun, Gillette, and more
• Save 33% on Panasonic and Norelco shavers
• Save up to 20% on Fitbit Activity and Fitness Trackers

Electronics

• Save up to 33% on select Nintendo Switch games
• Save up to 35% on Nixplay Digital Frames
• Save up to 30% on Kodak Instant Cameras and Printers
• Save 25% on Adobe Creative Cloud Entire Collection
• Save up to 20% on Samsung TVs
• Save up to 20% on Sony TVs
• Save up to 50% on JBL Speakers
• Save up to 33% on Sony Headphones
• Save up to 33% on Bose Headphones
• Save up to 40% on select Mynt 3D printing pens and accessories
• Save 30% on Mynt 3D PRO Pen with OLED Display
• Save up to 30% on VAVA 4K Projectors
• Save up to 30% on TaoTronics Headphones

Small Businesses on Amazon Launchpad

• Save up to 50% on Kids Against Maturity: Card Game for Kids and Families
• Save up to 30% on the SOLIOM S600 Outdoor Security Camera
• Save up to 25% on the Zen Laboratory DIY Jumbo Slime Kit for Kids
• From October 26 to November 19, Prime members can save 10% or more on select unique products from small brands on Amazon Launchpad like: Mobile Pixels Duex Portable Monitor for Laptops and Scentered Travel Essentials Aromatherapy Balm gift set

Entertainment: Amazon Music, Audible, Books & Prime Video

• Amazon Music: Beginning October 23, new Amazon Music Unlimited customers can get three months of the premium streaming tier free, to enjoy unlimited access to more than 60 million songs, ad-free and a wide selection of popular podcasts.
• Amazon Music: Beginning October 29, current Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers can upgrade to the Family Plan free for three months, with access for up to six accounts.
• Audible: Between November 1 and December 31, new members save nearly 40% on the first six months of an Audible Plus membership at just $4.95 per month. Membership includes unlimited access to more than 10 thousand Audible Originals, audiobooks and podcasts.
• Books: Deals on select multi-genre books and ebooks throughout the season
• Prime Video: This holiday season, Prime Video will offer up to 50% off select popular Halloween, family and holiday movies to rent or buy. Deals will roll out over the next few months, so be sure to check www.amazon.com/pmd for updates.

Amazon Gift Cards

• Starting today, customers using Amazon Reload to replenish their Amazon Gift Card balance for the first time will receive a $10 bonus with their reload of $100 or more. Offer available through December 31.
• Starting October 26, first-time Amazon Gift Card shoppers will receive a $15 promotional credit with the purchase of $50 or more in Amazon Gift Cards. Offer available through December 20. The promotional credit expires on February 6, 2021. Other restrictions apply.

Amazon Credit Cards:

• Now through December 22, with an eligible Prime membership, customers who apply and are approved for the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card will instantly receive a $100 Gift Card. Prime Cardmembers earn 5% back at Whole Foods Market and Amazon.com. Additionally, starting November 1 through December 22, customers without a Prime membership can apply for the Amazon Rewards Visa Card and receive a $60 Gift Card upon approval, in addition to earning 3% back at Whole Foods Market and Amazon.com as a cardmember. Restrictions apply. Visit amazon.com/visa for details.

Automotive, Tools and Lawn & Garden

• Save 50% on tire installation
• Save up to 25% on Miracle-Gro Expand ‘n Gro concentrated planting mix
• Save 25% on Castrol GTX Conventional motor oil
• Save 20% on Select Tonno Pro Tonneau covers
• Save up to 20% on select Streamlight flashlights
• Save on select DEWALT cordless drills and tools
• Save up to 30% on select SKIL tools
• Save up to 15% off on select ZGrills Pellet Grills & Smokers
• Save up to 15% on Shintenchi 4 piece wicker rattan outdoor patio furniture set
• Save on select Renogy monocrystalline solar panels

Sports & Outdoors

• Save up to 20% on Select Coleman Tents & Gear
• Save up to 20% on select CamelBak kids water bottles
• Save up to 25% on select Sawyer Products water filters
• Save up to 30% on select Stanley drinkware
• Save up to 28% on select Segway scooters and kids bikes
• Save up to 30% on select Stiga table tennis rackets and Zume badminton set
• Save up to 30% on select Legendary Whitetails apparel
• Save up to 30% on select Osprey Outdoor Packs

Pets

• Save 20% on Catit Creamy cat treats
• Save on Petsafe electronic dog toys
• Save on The Honest Kitchen human grade pet treats
• Save on Friends Forever donut pet beds

Whole Foods Market:

• Both in-store and online, Prime members can receive discounts on customer favorites including 35% off Bare Bones broths and 35% off all packaged teas, available now through October 27.
• Available now through October 20, customers can get 20% off pumpkins and gourds – excluding squash.

Kelly Steckelberg, CFO of Zoom Video Communications, discusses the company’s massive growth over the last quarter and says that an end to the pandemic is not a threat to Zoom:

Working From Home Is Not A Fad

We indicated coming into the quarter that we really expected strong growth in Q2. We saw that across all geographies and all industries. International grew over 600 percent year over year. We saw strong performance in industries like education and nonprofits. We also had our largest Zoom Phone deal to-date signed in Q2. There was really strong performance across all aspects of our business.

What we saw from the retention perspective is that working from home is not a fad. People are really adjusting to this new way of life. They’re integrating Zoom into all aspects. We saw strong retention not only in our enterprise but in customers with fewer than ten employees as well. As we’ve continued to focus on leveraging both the public cloud as well as our own co-located data centers that’s why we saw improvement in the gross margins. We are going to continue to optimize across all of those metrics as we focus on the rest of the year.

Hired Over 500 Employees In Q2

We have worked very tirelessly. Our entire Zoom team is doing everything we can to continue to support not only our existing customers but to ensure that every customer who has a need for Zoom has access to it. We have focused quickly on scaling up our employee base. We have hired over 500 employees in Q2. That’s the largest growth we’ve had to date. We are also working from home like many of our customers are and really supporting our employees to ensure that we can meet the needs of the customer. We are leveraging great partners like AWS and Oracle as we need to in order to ensure that we have the capacity to continue to support our customers along the way.

We continue to look for opportunities to invest to grow the top-line (while free cash flow rose by 2,000 percent year over year). We had record operating margins in the quarter at 41.7 percent. We expect those to come down for the rest of the year as we are focusing on investing in more salespeople to meet the demand and more engineers to continue to innovate and build our platform. Of course, we are always looking for opportunities with M&A, technology, or teams that can really augment our platform or our team to continue to drive that top-line growth.

Video Is The Future Of Communications

We really believe that video is the future of communications. With that, we want our Zoom customers to be able to use the Zoom platform with other best of breed products in platforms that they choose. We have integrations with many products out there and that’s great. We want our customers to be able to use the products that they know and love and have them work together seamlessly.

What we’ve heard from our customers is that while everyone is really longing for the day that we get to go back to a more normal life before COVID that in many ways they are loving the flexibility that this has brought to them. They get to wake up with their children, have a full day of work and then have dinner with their family at the end of the day.

End Of Pandemic Is Not A Threat To Zoom

I really believe that Zoom is now integrated into all aspects of our lives. We look forward to the day that the pandemic is over and we can resume more normal activities and yet I don’t think that in itself is a threat to Zoom. We have grown accustomed to it. We have seen so many additional use cases. If you think about Formula One having these great premium experiences leveraging Zoom now in bringing clients into the paddock.

There is a company in Singapore using it to do virtual tours. They did half of their new properties that came to sale in Q2 they showed them virtually and sold them this way. We are starting to see more and more ways that people are making more efficient and more effective. This way of communicating and working is here to stay.

Nigel Vaz, CEO of Publicis Sapient, discusses how the current pandemic has forced organizations to reimagine their businesses digitally. Nigel works closely with clients such as McDonald’s, Nationwide, and Unilever to deliver transformative experiences and business models:

Digitization Has Become Existential For Business

I think Digital has always been important for business. Now more than ever what’s becoming very clear is this has gone from being something that’s important to something that’s existential. How do you support customers to make orders entirely online when your stores are closed? How do you create mashups with other partners to be able to facilitate deliveries when your own deliveries don’t suffice? How do you try to create experiences online through self-service that minimize the impact of people calling your call centers? 

All of these things are things clients are facing on a regular basis. Most CEOs I’m in conversation with are acknowledging the fact that this has now got to be a priority, that they have to be ready more so than they’ve ever thought before.

3 Key Things Happening With the Transformation

There are three things happening here in terms of transformation. The first is the change in human behavior where I think there’s a recognizable shift now. We’re seeing significant accounts of over-70s, for example, ordering from retail and ramping that up. We’re seeing a big shift in institutions like schools and educational institutions, which historically had not thought about transformation as particularly applicable to them. 

We’re also seeing a shift in industries like leisure looking at creating virtual experiences since physical experiences are essentially restricted and people can’t use them. The human behavior shift is translating to big investments in technology and technology platforms that enable this. 

Businesses Being Reimagined In A World That Is Now Entirely Digital

Then lastly, new business models. There’s a real recognition that digitization and transformation are not doing what you used to do in the physical world. Digitizing that and translating that is essentially the journey of going from being a caterpillar to a butterfly. Real transformation. How do you reimagine yourself in the context of a world that now is entirely digital?

Customers are thinking very actively about how they actually create products and services that essentially create value for customers entirely digitally. There are plenty of examples in this from telemedicine and from the educational space with new courses coming online which can scale faster than traditional courses limited by a classroom and a professor.

Technology news leader CNET paved the way for CNET Media Group, a portfolio of digital media brands that advise consumers across leading consumer tech, business tech, gaming, and entertainment. Their brands include ZDNet, Gamespot,  TVGuide, Metacritic, Chowhound and several others.

“Red Ventures believes in the power of premium content from trusted brands that help people make better life decisions,” said Ric Elias, Red Ventures CEO and Co-Founder. “Over the last 25 years CNET Media Group has built a dynamic portfolio of brands with well-earned authority on such topics as consumer tech and gaming that play an increasingly important role in people’s lives. Red Ventures is eager to invest in CNET Media Group’s growth with more personalized consumer experiences that will reinvigorate CNET Media Group’s brands and unlock unprecedented opportunity for all.”

“I am incredibly excited about CNET Media Group’s future. I believe that the combination of Red Ventures customer experience platform and CNET Media Group’s rich content and deep editorial expertise greatly benefits both our audiences and our partners,” said Mark Larkin, Executive Vice President and GM of CNET Media Group. “Red Ventures shares our vision and is committed to realizing the full potential of our portfolio of world-class brands.”

Red Ventures was formed in 2000 as a performance marketing startup and has since grown to include more than 100 digital brands with more than 3,000 employees across 10 US cities, the UK and Brazil. It has two sides to its business – one is a sophisticated, partner-centric platform for performance marketing, and the other is a robust, consumer-centric platform for digital brands. Red Ventures’ existing brands operate in the Home Services, Health, Finance, Travel, Education, and Entertainment verticals. The acquisition of the CNET Media Group accelerates Red Ventures’ entry into new verticals, including Consumer Tech and Gaming.

“Every aspect of our lives – from our homes to our jobs, our income, and our well-being is impacted by the technology around us, so the content we consume and the brands we choose are highly personal,” said Marc McCollum, President of Red Ventures’ Media & Technology group. “Adding CNET Media Group to our portfolio will further advance our mission to help people make some of the most important decisions of their lives. It will be a win for our teams, for our businesses, and most of all, for visitors and fans of the CNET Media Group’s brands.”