NetSpec Global: Deploying Advanced Digital Solutions for Educational Entities Date:   Friday , November 21, 2014 It was year 1992 when Rrajesh Bakshi embarked upon his entrepreneurial career with Netlink Business Systems. Under his able stewardship, Netlink achieved the status of one of the most successful system integration company in India. The strategic partnerships and long-term alliances of Netlink with some of the top global IT manufacturing companies like HP, Lenovo & IBM won him several awards for his services. After his success with Netlink, Spectra Innovations, a Singapore based firm, expressed interest in partnering with him over his conceived idea of creating collaborative platforms for education. This led to the formation of NetSpec Global in 2013, a company that develops cloud hosted software applications for educational institutions. NetSpec Global is consultancy & application development company for technology in education. \"Currently, we are evolving as a fast emerging name in the world of Integrated Digital Solutions for educational entities. Our passion for technology has motivated us to take on the challenges of an ever evolving digital world that pose a threat to the education sector,\" states Rrajesh Bakshi, Founder & Chief Architect, NetSpec. The company aims to develop and deploy advanced digital solutions that can optimize campus processes, revolutionize content flow and establish a communication network. \"We believe innovation is as important as customization, hence, we strive towards creating solutions that can be adapted and altered as per needs,\" he adds. Rrajesh recounts the initial difficulties faced by him while setting up the company. \"Selling educational apps to schools and colleges meant first convincing educators and learners of the utility of technology in education. We faced mindsets so deeply rooted in the archaic mechanisms of imparting education that it seemed like a herculean task to even find an audience. Through extensive promotion, awareness building programs and events, we were able to gain attention,\" he explains. Also, educators these days do not have enough time to learn new and ever-evolving technology. To address this issue, NetSpec Global has planned to start a trainer program where they will train teachers on uses of integrating technology into education. \"It has been over a year that we have been rolling out the apps as a company and almost three years that we have been working on our products,\" adds Rrajesh. An Edge over Others The silver lining of NetSpec is the uniqueness of the product and the insatiable drive of its people. Rrajesh and his team have deeply surveyed the need of education market and have made their software applications cloud enabled, easily customizable and scalable. \"We have incorporated several features which allow web interactions and engagements of the healthy kind within a safe environment. This concept has so far not been explored in school management systems,\" he says. The products cannot be easily classified into LMS, ERP or any of those jargons associated with educational technology. Also, the products offer innumerable features and is spread beyond classifications of any kind. The company is also mindful of Corporate Social Responsibility and hence has planned computerizing schools for poor children where they can\'t afford to have computers. \"We facilitate tablets, PCs and notebooks across such schools to ensure that even the differently privileged children have access to such education technology. We are also participants of \'Hole in the wall\' and would like to grow this concept in rural Indian villages,\" he adds. Connecting the Dots Collaboration is integral for the successful functioning of any institution, particularly educational entities like schools, colleges and universities. NetSpec offers various services in this field which includes Jumping Frog, a hosted cloud based application that serves as a collaborative platform between the stakeholders of a K-12 institution. Jumping Frog takes academic networking to the next level by opening up myriad communication channels between students, parents, teachers and school through its several unique features and exciting modules. Good Grads, a software application that brings together a college or university, its students and its alumni in close association with the corporate industry while its Edoolinke is a one stop solution for all administration related workload for schools, colleges and universities. Edoolinke is a highly efficient system that automates, streamlines and executes the countless administrative tasks inherent in the smooth functioning of an institution. Apart from distinguishing itself in the market in terms of effective softwares, NetSpec believes in maintaining a transparent relationship with its employees. \"We try to have as many channels for expression as we can, recognizing that different people and different ideas percolate up in different ways. We actively solicit feedback from employees because we believe that any organization is only as good as its employees,\" explains Rrajesh. Such a work culture creates a community feeling full of fun and hard work, leading to employee engagement and ultimately innovation. The Future Plans The world today is a smarter planet- instrumented, interconnected and intelligent. To lead this shift, NetSpec is implementing a new computing model that is defined by software, designed by data and open and collaborative. The infusion of digital intelligence in education system is changing the educators and learners approach to what they do. NetSpec research is probing the future of information technology. \"We want to establish ourselves as the most valuable IT collaborative solution providers for educational institutions. We want to work very closely with educators to help them upgrade their technological skills that can enhance their teaching practice,\" concludes Rrajesh. Offices Singapore (Headquarters), Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Myanmar and Dubai Key Management Rrajesh Bakshi, Founder & Chief Architect Prior to founding NetSpec, Rrajesh founded Netlink Business System in 1992. Awards & Recognition Recognized as one of 20 most promising education tech service providers by CIO Review, US magazine. Services-Edoolinke: Campus ERP -Jumping Frog: Collaborative Platform for K-12 -GoodGrads: Collaborative Platform for Higher Education Clients: Sankskriti School, New Delhi; Sikshantar School, Gurgaon; AeU University, Malaysia CEO Speak: Children today are more tech savvy than we could ever imagine. They have access to smart devices, are well connected through social media and are exposed to the overabundance of information on the internet. They have unprecedented grasping power over the subtlety of technology which helps them learn faster, better and more! Digitization in the classroom is the inevitable future of education. We, at NetSpec, are trying to exploit the innate curiosity of students with our suite of technology in education software. We are making learning a collaborative, interactive affair which also provides students access to digital textbooks that are constantly updated and often more vivid, helpful, and creative. Students are excited about being able to use technology as it has a feel of a game about it and therefore are more apt to learn. Integrating technology in education is a compulsion.