Indiana Department of Education Selects ENA as Statewide Internet Access Service Provider
Managed Service Delivery and Education-Centric Services Proves Most Cost-Effective Solution
INDIANAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) has selected Education Networks of America, Inc., (ENA) for a four-year contract, with one additional four-year renewal option, to provide Internet access and managed network and telecommunication services for members of the IDOE E-Rate Consortium.
The Consortium is comprised of over 350 public and private school corporations throughout the state. Through competitive selection processes, ENA has provided these services to the department since 2005.
The demand for robust and reliable Internet access to support critical instructional and administrative applications has risen dramatically as Indiana schools transition to digital applications, such as online content, distance learning, student data management, school community portals and more.
“At a time when Indiana’s schools are demanding more and more bandwidth for critical teaching and learning strategies, ENA is helping us meet the 21st century needs of Indiana students and educators by providing a robust, scalable and cost-effective statewide network that is positioned to evolve as the network access requirements of Indiana’s schools continue to grow exponentially,” said Dr. John B. Keller, Director of Learning Technologies for the IDOE.
Since ENA was first awarded the statewide contract, ENA has been able to increase the total Internet access available to Indiana schools by over 700 percent while simultaneously cutting the overall price of service, creating cost savings for the State and participating school corporations.
In addition to compelling price advantages, IDOE selected ENA because of the additional value the company brings to Consortium members through providing education-centric services including face-to-face consultative support for every school corporation, as well as active partnerships with schools and educational entities across the state. As outlined in the letter of selection memorandum, “ENA understands that the core business of schools is student learning and that bandwidth is a mission-critical factor in meeting this goal. This understanding has resulted in ENA’s involvement in the broader educational conversation as they constantly seek to support key education initiatives in the state.”
“We are honored to continue serving Indiana’s students and educators,” said David Pierce, president and CEO of ENA. “Service is ENA’s top priority, indeed the blueprint of our business model, and this new contract is certainly a validation of that. We look forward to proving our commitment to delivering unbeatable service and exceptional network solutions to Indiana’s K–12 community for at least another four years.”
ABOUT EDUCATION NETWORKS OF AMERICA
ENA provides managed network and communication services to customers in the education, library and government sectors. Their scalable solutions facilitate collaboration, increase productivity and decrease the cost of information management through the convergence of data, voice and video technologies. ENA currently manages multiple statewide and district-wide education and library networks successfully serving over 5,000 end sites, 560 school districts, 230 libraries, more than 2.5 million students, teachers and administrators and more than 6.2 million librarians and patrons. Empowered by their networks, ENA’s customers can focus on what matters most: preparing students, strengthening communities and leading enterprises into the 21st century. For more information, please visit www.ena.com.
ABOUT THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
The Indiana Department of Education, led by Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett, is working to ensure the academic achievement and career preparation of Indiana’s students is the best in the nation and on par with the most competitive countries in the world. To do this, the department is initiating bold education reforms to create a culture of academic excellence in which at least:
a. 90 percent of students pass both Math and English/Language Arts sections of ISTEP+ and End-of-Course Assessments
b. 25 percent of all graduates receive a score of 3, 4 or 5 on at least one Advanced Placement exam, a 4 or higher on an International Baccalaureate exam or receive the equivalent of 3 semester hours of college credit during their high school years
c. 90 percent of students graduate from high school
For more information, visit www.doe.in.gov.
