Robin Gadd, Head of Information and Systems Development, Brockenhurst College

“P ro Microsoft Live@edu vi Customer Solution Case Study di n g College Improves E-Mail System to Reflect the Way Students Interact Online

technology that reflects what students use socially Customer: Brockenhurst College increases their perception of the college as a modern Web Site: www.brock.ac.uk Number of Employees: 800 educational institution.” Country or Region: United Kingdom Robin Gadd, Head of Information and Systems Development, Brockenhurst College Industry: Education Partner: Salford Software Brockenhurst College wanted to upgrade its e-mail service to provide

online tools that students could use beyond the classroom. Microsoft® Customer Profile Brockenhurst College is a Further Education Live@edu fit the needs of students and the organisation by offering institution in Hampshire, England, rated functionality that reflects the way students interact online but is outstanding by the U.K. Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted). appropriate for an educational setting. Now, almost every student in the college uses the e-mail system every day. Software and Services  Service − Microsoft Live@edu Business Needs Development, Brockenhurst College, says:  Microsoft Server Product Portfolio Brockenhurst College is a Further Education “Students quickly found that their mailboxes − Microsoft Office SharePoint Server institution in Hampshire, England. Awarded would get full, and they couldn’t send e-mail 2007 the coveted Beacon Status in 2004, by the externally, so why bother using the college United Kingdom (U.K.) Learning and Skills system?” Council, the college has maintained a high level of academic excellence. In 2008, the It became clear that the e-mail system wasn’t college was again rated outstanding by the supporting the needs of the students or the U.K. Office for Standards in Education college. Students couldn’t use their college (Ofsted). identity for official communications, such as their online applications for university places The college started providing an e-mail through the Universities and Colleges service to students in 2002—well ahead of Admissions Service (UCAS), while such low many other Further Education institutions— level of use meant administrators couldn’t be but administrators limited the student e-mail sure if students were receiving important system to sending and receiving messages on information—it was clear that the college campus only, to decrease the risk of viruses needed to upgrade the e-mail system. and spam. Limited access combined with low storage capability discouraged students from “We decided that if we were going to provide For more information about other Microsoft using the college e-mail system. Robin Gadd, e-mail services we should do it properly,” customer successes, please visit: www.microsoft.com/casestudies Head of Information and Systems says Dr. Gadd. But with 3,000 sixth-form students and 9,000 adult learners, the college’s With the launch of the new service, lecturers home. They’re regular instant messaging existing IT infrastructure didn’t have the and tutors were sent notices in the staff users and most prospective students put capacity to provide individual e-mail accounts bulletin announcing the Live@edu service an e-mail address on their college for everyone. Dr. Gadd says: “The Further and encouraging them to start using e-mail applications. “Providing technology that Education sector struggles to find sufficient more to communicate with students. reflects what students use socially resources to invest in IT. We want to provide increases their perception of the college as the very best services to our students, so it was Students needed little, if any training. Posters a modern educational institution,” says Dr. clear we needed to look beyond systems that and publicity materials placed around the Gadd. we would manage ourselves.” college inform students of the e-mail system  More features for less money. when they arrive on campus. Some high-level Implementing Live@edu provides all Solution explanation of the service is included in the students with a robust and easy-to-use e- Microsoft already provided much of the IT student induction and administrators have mail system at no cost to the college. In infrastructure at Brockenhurst College. published basic “how to” guidelines on the addition, the college saves several Administrators were impressed by the level of college’s portal, built on Microsoft Office thousand pounds a year that was spent on service they received so they were eager to see SharePoint® Server 2007. hardware and support for past e-mail what the company could provide in the way of systems. e-mail systems delivered over the Internet. Benefits  E-mail for life creates links with alumni. Microsoft Live@edu, including the SkyDrive Providing a service that meets the needs of E-mail addresses that stay with students storage solution, provided all the features students has increased student e-mail use after graduation maintain their identity students needed, and more. The system from almost none to well over 70 per cent. with their college. incorporates the tools—such as instant “We often talk about meeting student messaging, collaboration, and online storage— expectations, but students that have come students already use outside college. “When a through the U.K. school system don’t always company such as Microsoft offers a service of have very high expectations of what they’re this kind of calibre—free—it would be going to get when they start college,” says foolhardy to turn it away,” says Dr. Gadd. Dr. Gadd. “We’re exceeding their experience at school with services that reflect the way Working with the Microsoft Exchange team they interact online.” and Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Salford Software, Dr. Gadd and his team implemented  Anytime, anywhere access. Students can the e-mail and collaboration solution, using use the e-mail system from any machine Microsoft Identity Lifecycle Manager 2007 as a with an Internet connection, on and off provisioning technology. The project was campus. completed within two weeks. “We decided to  Easy-to-use interface requires little implement Live@edu quite late in the planning training. The familiar look and feel of cycle for the following term, but, even so, we Live@edu was easy for students to start managed to get the system up and running using immediately. Administrators posted the weekend before term started in a few basic “how to” guidelines on the September,” says Dr. Gadd. college’s portal, but no additional training is needed. This was not an easy task given the time  Resilient storage provides much-needed pressure of enrolling new students once GCSE tool for students. Before the exam results are published in August. By implementation of Live@edu, students integrating Live@edu with the college’s kept their work on easily misplaced student records system, as soon as students memory sticks. Now they can upload their are registered all of their IT services including work onto SkyDrive and access it Live@edu are automatically provisioned, anywhere. “We’ve seen an interesting making the ongoing management of the reduction in the pleas sent around campus service straightforward. from students who’ve lost their flash drives, and consequently all of their course The account gives students immediate access work,” says Dr. Gadd. to a 10-gigabyte (GB) e-mail mailbox, 25 GB of  Wider use of e-mail promotes online storage and collaboration tools that are collaboration. Increased student use accessible from any computer with an Internet opens new channels of communication connection. The ability to connect with the between students, staff, and alumni. system by mobile phone gives students a great  Fits the student lifestyle. Many students deal more flexibility than they had before. at Brockenhurst are used to having good access to e-mail and social networking at

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published August 2009