Jisc and Eduserv merger will form UK public sector tech powerhouse
Two of the UK’s leading technology not-for-profit organisations in the field of education, government and charities catering for both the public and private sector have agreed to merge, bringing together expertise in digital and data technology solutions.
Jisc, the UK’s technology solutions organisation for higher and further education, and Eduserv, which specialises in digital transformation in local government, public bodies, healthcare, charities, higher education and emergency services, are coming together to form a unique powerhouse of world-leading expertise to benefit all UK and overseas clients.
The two charities will begin operating as one from 1 January 2019, in a move that will retain existing staff and services. The new organisation’s collective expertise will provide unparalleled technological support to more than 20 million users in several international markets such as the US, Australia and Scandinavia.
Jisc’s CEO Paul Feldman, said:
“This is an exciting step forward in how we support and enable the education and wider public sector, while taking advantage of the technologies driving Industry 4.0. Together, Jisc and Eduserv will have greater scope to co-create innovative products and services to meet the needs and expectations of students and citizens, without duplication of effort, time and money.
“Jisc is committed to making the UK the most digitally advanced education and research nation in the world, and this aim will be bolstered with the addition of Eduserv’s expertise. As a bigger social enterprise organisation, we can invest our income into developing digital services and products that empower colleges, universities and research centres to provide students with an outstanding education experience that will set them up for the needs of the modern workplace. This merger will also allow us to help lifelong learning and research be the best it can be.”
Eduserv’s CEO Jude Sheeran, who will take up a position as trustee on the Jisc board come January, said:
“In a truly digital age, it is vital for the UK that a not-for-profit, socially driven technology player of scale emerges. From our roots in education to our more recent work with government and charities, our mission has always been to enable organisations to put digital technology to work for the benefit of society.
“The opportunity to do exactly that is greater today than it has ever been and, as a combined entity, we believe that we can have a substantially greater impact and help develop the UK’s standing as a true powerhouse of digital technology. This merger will give the public and third sectors access to more, better and potentially lower cost technology services and digital knowledge transfer at scale, as well as a strong, ‘top-table’ advocate for digital progression.”
For members and customers, there will be a greater range of services to choose from with Chest, OpenAthens and Eduserv Cloud Solutions creating a strong portfolio of services with Jisc’s current offer.
The new organisation will be more influential in its aim to make the UK the most digitally advanced nation in the world; it will have more influence in governmental organisations and its collective buying power will have more clout when negotiating deals.
Besides its portfolio of more than 100 products and services, Jisc operates the national research and education network, Janet, and has a staff of more than 620 principally in London, Manchester, Harwell and Bristol. Eduserv has 100 Bristol-based employees and focusses on digital transformation, identity and access management, licensing and cloud solutions.
The 220 Jisc staff at its central Bristol office will stay in situ until refurbishment is complete at Eduserv’s building in the city, forecasted to be completed in autumn 2019.
Jisc and Eduserv will keep their individual identities and websites after 1 January 2019, although in time, the new entity will be brought together under the Jisc brand.
About Jisc: A not-for-profit providing the UK’s national research and education network, Janet, and technology solutions for its members – colleges, universities and research centres. It is funded by the UK higher and further education and research funding bodies and member institutions.
Jisc does three main things for its members:
- Operates and develops the super-fast and secure Janet Network and its built-in cyber security protection.
- Helps save time and money by negotiating sector-wide deals with IT vendors and commercial publishers
- Provides trusted advice and practical assistance on digital technology.
Jisc’s vision is for the UK to be the most digitally advanced education and research nation in the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaKTnwcYlmQ
About Eduserv: A not-for-profit technology partner of public and third sector organisations. As a charity, Eduserv can be free to align its objectives with its customers’ and reinvest its profits back into the communities it earns them in. Eduserv believes that knowledge transfer is at the heart of the digital revolution we are driving, and we aim to close the digital skills gap by helping our customers gain digital independence.
Eduserv is comprised of three business units:
- OpenAthens: A single sign-on service that gives over 4 million users worldwide remote access to online resources.
- Chest: Negotiating preferential licence agreements for software and online resources for the academic sector.
- Eduserv Cloud Solutions: Specialising in helping organisations in local government, public bodies, healthcare, charities, higher education and emergency services make the most of public cloud technology through strategic advice, engineering and development.
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