Aylesbury: September 7, 2011 - Esri UK, the country’s leading provider of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), today announced that it has renewed an agreement to make GIS software available to colleges and universities in the UK and Ireland, at a substantially reduced price, through an Eduserv Chest agreement. The new three year agreement adds to Esri UK’s existing 19 year participation in Chest through which 80 per cent of UK universities and other educational institutions purchase GIS from Esri UK.
Esri UK’s continued support for the further and higher education sectors will enable lecturers to further integrate GIS into a broad range of courses and, importantly, allow more students to develop GIS skills alongside expertise in core subjects. Research previously carried out by Esri UK* revealed that business leaders across the UK are calling for an increase in graduates with geography skills, yet large numbers of graduates continue to struggle to find employment. GIS skills help students and undergraduates improve their potential employability.
“As universities increase course fees, students will inevitably have higher expectations, and will want to graduate with up-to-date technology skills that are relevant to the work place,” commented Richard Waite, Managing Director of Esri UK. “Esri UK is proud to extend its commitment to education by making it even easier for universities and colleges to equip their students with the skills they need, to optimise their potential employability.”
“Esri UK has a unique understanding of the needs of educational establishments, both lecturers and researchers, and the very students that will benefit from increased access to GIS software,” added Nicola Garwood of Eduserv. “We are delighted to continue our long-standing working relationship with Esri UK and look forward to working together, to ensure our educational institutions can help their students acquire essential new skills, vital for the workplace.”
*Research conducted by Vanson Bourne amongst 200 UK business leaders, across the public and private sectors, in October 2010
For more information please contact:
Sarah Webb/ Swebb@esriuk.com / 07515 330374
About Esri UK
Esri UK (www.esriuk.com) is the leading provider of geographic information system (GIS) technology, helping businesses become more profitable and public service more efficient through a better understanding and analysis of location-based information. Esri UK offers an extensive range of GIS technology and professional services and is the only company in the UK providing a complete and entirely integrated GIS solution.
Esri UK has been providing GIS solutions for over 20 years to a wide range of markets including Central & Local Government, Commercial, Defence & National Security, Education, Public Safety, Utilities & Telecommunications, as well as catering for system integrators and application developers through the Esri Developer Network. Customers include Birmingham City Council, Defra, the Environment Agency, Metropolitan Police Service, Ministry of Defence, Ordnance Survey, RSA Group, Scottish Power and The Crown Estate.
About Eduserv
Eduserv is dedicated to developing and delivering technology services for education and the public sector. We are a not-for-profit organisation and registered charity, governed by a board of Trustees. We fulfil our charitable mission by providing services for the public benefit. These include: