MEA Q1 2018

26 MEA MARKETS / Q1 2018 , Against this scenario Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company is aiming to play a big role in the digital transformation aspirations of the educational sector in UAE by providing innovative mobility solutions for the next generation wireless classroom. Mr. Gamal Emara, country manager – UAE at Aruba says, “As part of UAE Vision 2021, the country’s Ministry of Education is very keen to introduce and support e-learning initiatives, like the Mohammed bin Rashid Smart Learning project for instance, to develop the educational process and improve the quality of instruction and learning. This will in turn transform the country into a digitally empowered society and a knowledge economy.” As the Internet continues to develop andmature in UAE and the rapid speed at which mobile devices, mobile apps and IoT are entering the market, it is no surprise we are seeing a transformation in the country’s education sector with the emergence of e-learning and the ‘Smart classroom’ of the present and the future. Aruba to Drive ‘Next Generation Wireless Classrooms’ in UAE with Technology Innovations “The basic foundation of an ‘Optimised Digital Classroom’ that supports 21st century learning is a next generation, robust and intelligent wireless infrastructure that lets everyone thrive when they use Wi-FI enabled devices and apps that create a richer learning experience. Aruba being a world leader in Wired & Wireless networking, is taking the lead in working with public and private educational institutions in UAE and introducing the latest technologies that help build the optimised Digital Classroom for mobile first learning,” says Mr. Emara. The innovations include the latest Wave 2 802.11ac Wireless Access Points (APs) with public cloud, private cloud and on-premises management providing gigabit speed, secure and seamless internet access across the entire educational campus. Teachers and students are increasingly using video, gaming and even social media to enrich learning and collaboration. This potentially exposes them to malicious and/or inappropriate content. Aruba Policy Enforcement Firewall (PEF) delivers intelligent mobile security based on its knowledge of mobile apps, devices and malicious URLs. Aruba supports the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend. Students, teachers, staff, and guests connecting to the school network with a variety of personal devices create a tough challenge for IT. Aruba ClearPass simplifies device onboarding with self- enrollment and grants network access privileges based on user roles, device types and location. “It’s evident that today’s #GenMobile students are showing up in classrooms knowing more about technology than previous generations. Classrooms are changing and are shifting away from rows of desks, to an environment that promotes collaboration between students, teachers and learning devices. Textbooks are being swapped out for mobile devices that provide up-to-date content in real time. Printed exams are transitioning to online assessments. 1:1 and BYOD initiatives are replacing wired computer labs. Skype and Google Hangouts are fueling new study groups. And personalised learning programs are developed to meet the individual needs of each student. Technology is transforming the way we educate our children. Schools are adopting these initiatives to deliver a rich learning experience