Schools Move Beyond The Basics: Competition Will Drive Technology Into The Education Market

Tech vendor strategists are attracted by the "edu" opportunity — a large and fast-growing user base and increasing reliance upon technology by governments, educators, parents, and students. But they also struggle with the complexity of the industry and persistent constraints on investment like training and funding. Forrester sees competition in education as the key driver for increased technology investment and adoption — competition for the best students between school districts; between public, charter, and private schools; and between the highly ranked global universities. As competition heats up, schools will increasingly bet on technology as a source of differentiation. Vendors will ride this wave of demand only if they can address the perennial constraints and improve the accessibility and usability of technology both in and by educational institutions.