Caught a couple of videos this week that have encouraged me to think further about the challenges facing schools… and the opportunities afforded by the Software as a Service (SaaS) idea (see also my earlier reflections on Google apps for education).

The first is a terrible production… but the guy interviewed has some cool stuff to say about web-based Office computing - like 20K-person companies moving away from desktop + local network-based software like MS Office, Exchange, etc towards systems hosted on "the cloud". It’s REALLY interesting… and is the sort of thing I’d love to see us innovating with
http://www.fastcompany.tv/video/workfast-interview-mr-office-20

In it they talk about Salesforce.com. At the US Moodle conference, the guys from Moodlerooms are working on integrations between the two - with a view to supporting smaller universities hosting their entire financial and student management systems online.

The (much better made) second vid is an interview with Salesforce.com’s CEO (former Oracle executive, Marc Benioff) - these guys are serious - US$1 billion of revenue and 50% growth last quarter, and they’ve got some powerful ideas about taking on the established model.
http://www.fastcompany.tv/video/salesforcecom-become-platform-juggernaut-says-ceo


This stuff has more exciting possibilities to transform schools management & admin than anything I’ve seen.

One wonders who’ll be the first to take advantage of the present gaping hole in this market…