CGI helps Oslo with modernisation of public schools ICT

Oslo’s Agency for Education has hired CGI to modernise a large ICT system used by the city’s public schools. The new system will support more than 90,000 students and teachers in all of Oslo’s 172 public schools and learning centers, as well as external stakeholders such as the parents of students. Total fees for the project are estimated to amount CAD$69 million, nearly €50 million.

Recently the Agency for Education (UDE) of the city of Olso decided that it was necessary to modernise its ICT system used by public schools. Three reasons stand at the basis of the ‘upgrade’: scalability, efficiency and quality. In the coming years the amount of students in Oslo schools is expected to rise to 100,000, and as a result a more scalable solution is required. In addition, by moving to a cloud-based system the UDE expects to boost its IT support to schools, teachers and students, and simultaneously improve the total cost of ownership of its ICT infrastructure.

The UDE subsequently launched a competitive tender to find the most suitable partner, and ultimately chose for the service of CGI, one of the globe’s largest IT consulting firms. The partnership between CGI and UDE is not new though – the two have been collaborating since 2003 in the area of ICT and education. The contract with a total value of nearly €50 million will run for six years with the opportunity to extend the contract for two more years.

The cloud-based solution to be implemented by CGI will work seamlessly on both Windows and Mac computers, tablets and smart phones. It will offer 200 educational applications for more than 50,000 workstations. “We are looking forward to a new ICT solution that ensures all schools in Oslo can efficiently plan, organize, implement, evaluate and monitor student learning activities,” says Astrid Søgnen, UDE director. “Simultaneously, the solution will ensure that all students who attend public schools in Oslo have equal opportunities to use it.”

“We are proud to once again have the opportunity to develop and deliver an ICT solution to the schools in Oslo,” comments Olav Sandbakken, Senior Vice President at CGI in Norway. “The current system provides Oslo with an integrated solution for students, teachers, parents and staff, which, compared to other solutions, is at the forefront of technology both nationally and internationally. The new solution will ensure Oslo stays at the forefront and that students excel in their education through ICT and cloud technologies—both today and into the future.”