Delivery of journal content via the Internet has led to new markets opening up across the world. These include libraries operating together as consortia, and institutions in the developing world becoming able to access journals for the first time. Cambridge is active in all these markets and works with many organisations to bring journals to research institutions across the globe.
Foundation e-Learning is a fully owned company of Cambridge University Press India and our core products are Cambridge-Hitachi curriculum software and StarBoard-Hitachi’s Interactive whiteboards. These products come from Cambridge University Press and Hitachi Software which speak for themselves
as far the content and technology is concerned .We have six offices all over
India with resident representatives in three major cities which gives us a wider reach. On the issues in ICT Education, high quality content, interactive learning, long distance education and training are the support that our products can extend. Because information overload and paucity of quality teachers/ trainers are some of major concerns in the e- Education sector today. Our USP(s) are the brand equity of Cambridge University Press and Hitachi Software, our after sales service and training to end users. All -Learning products need constant training and support and our customers
have placed repetitive orders on us despite the competition offering lower rates. What then drives the e-Learning market in India? In my opinion, the major driving factors are, infrastructure improvement, lowering of entry costs, technology awareness and adaptation, and globalisation of education.And the major road blocks in the pathof growing e-Learning market in the country are the mindset within the teaching community, high import duties, different curriculum across the country and in fact, all the factors mentioned above – infrastructure improvement, lowering of entry costs, and technology awareness and adaptation. There is lot to be achieved in these areas, articularly in the semi-urban and rural areas. Manish has a different view while reading and evaluating the market potentials and the company’s chances of penetrating into it. He says, the overall market is in the transition state now with lot of awareness and training is required. Institutions have implemented technological solutions but the usage is not befitting the investment. The
potential is huge but the changing the mindset of decision makers is one of the most difficult tasks. We are more ‘selective’ in ‘choosing’ our clients as we always strive to give them our best services and support. We stand out in the market for this reason only. What has been the most crucial learning experience for Manish in this sector? As an individual, I have learnt that selling a product to a school teacher is not the easiest of the jobs! There is an enormous potential in this sector and every day is a new learning day for me. But e-Learning will be a norm in India after five years. We plan to be a market leader in a niche area of providing digital classroom solutions to schools. We have some of the best contents in the world and wish to disseminate this content on a very user friendly media (web and mobile) with a simple and interactive retrieval search engine at very affordable prices.
