Conversation: Mobile Learning SaaS platform based on cloud computing

Interlocutor: "China Distance Education" (information) magazine executive Editor Charles PK.

Guest speaker: Liu Feng Branch, chief operating officer, Czech Library Power Education Technology Co., Ltd.

"You and I, like using water and electricity, to enjoy the cloud", this is one of the slogans of Beijing cloud base. As a member of the cloud base in Beijing, based on cloud computing, Czech library Power Education Technology Co., Ltd. provides mobile learning SaaS platform for enterprises and educational institutions. What are the new changes in the field of mobile learning in the 2013? Why do mobile learning platforms based on cloud computing? What are the advantages of a cloud based mobile learning platform? Is it possible to "enjoy mobile learning as easily as water and electricity"? Let us look for answers in a dialogue with chief operating Officer Liu Fung-ji of Ceecou Power education technology, Charles, our executive editor.

The client was educated by himself.

Charles PK: How do you choose mobile learning in this field?

Liu Fung-ji: My partner and I are all entrepreneurs, and in this process I deeply appreciate the importance of employee training for an enterprise. Successful enterprises, especially brand enterprises, staff training must do a particularly good job, because only the staff have a way, there are methods, processes, tools, can be implemented in place, the size of the company can be bigger. For myself, but also in the training of staff constantly growing, and then slowly to realize, training others, and then establish a system, batch production of qualified front-line staff. In the past work experience, there have been such a situation, the fastest half a year to recruit nearly thousands of people, rapid training, let them quickly induction, and then form a circular mechanism. The two of us in total entrepreneurship, hit, is to the training of products. We have no experience as to how we can make the training product. Since 2007, we have developed a series of two courses-intercultural communication and business Chinese-through the use of a serial format, using a course model and method called "Critical Moment" by IBM. These two courses are all in English and sold abroad, mainly to teach foreigners how to deal with Chinese. Now, our courses are still available at the Apple Store, one of which is licensed to local agents, sold in Australia, Germany and the United States, and we receive money.

Two series courses we spent a lot of money, and it took a long time, because the difficulty of developing the curriculum is far beyond our imagination, whether it is theoretical framework, curriculum development, video original, or script shooting and production, we have not done before, we have to invite actors, please voice, editing, lighting, sound workers and so on. Although the process is very painful, but the real effect is very good, but also a sense of achievement. So many customers are willing to cooperate with us one of the reasons is that we have a relatively strong curriculum development capabilities, as long as customers give us a page, tell us what you want to do, we can help you do teaching design, into a curriculum.

Charles: When did the Czech Republic power set up?

Liu Fung-ji: 2010, we judged that with the video, with the way we develop the curriculum, if there are mobile terminals, we can turn the curriculum into a micro-curriculum for mobile learning. So we made a batch of micro-video courses in 2010. But at that time the mobile terminal storage is not convenient, mobile learning is generally done-to the learner's mobile phone collection, using a U disk to copy the learning content, and then return the phone to the learner, this way obviously can not be long. We do research and preparation for mobile learning, we choose to use cloud background to do storage, mobile learning and cloud computing combined. But the concept of cloud computing was just emerging, and many people didn't understand it. In the 2011, our first generation mobile learning platform was released, the two years are escalating, this year is the third generation.

Charles: What is the market environment when you just enter the mobile learning market?

Liu Fung-ji: This industry is very new, 2010, customers are basically worried about terminal problems, many people do not know what is mobile learning. So, from 2010 onwards, I went to the United States every May to attend ASTD Annual meeting to see what others said and how to do. By contrast, foreign mobile learning is a little more than half a year earlier than the domestic time, but did not reach a large, has formed the scale, or the formation of industry standards.

Charles PK: You said at a conference that "the mobile learning industry is too new, the world is groping", how to understand this view? Are there some new changes in the market environment?

Liu Fung-ji: Whether it is a business, or an educational institution, for mobile learning, I feel that from this year onwards, exactly after the spring festival, there has been a very obvious change, the mobile internet and mobile terminals popularization faster than we think. My personal experience is that the user himself has been educated. Why do you say that? One client had some contact last year, but not much progress. After the Spring Festival, I suddenly received his call, let us go to do business exchanges. The customer not only invited the relevant department a room person to participate in the exchange, after our introduction, the client spent a long time discussing the specific applications of mobile Internet in their business, and very specific, such as the relationship between the mobile learning platform and the original e system, how to ensure the synchronization of learning Records, How to ensure that the original data and courseware can be used in the new system and so on.

A number of similar situations were encountered in the ensuing months. If it was in 2012, when talking to customers about mobile learning and cloud computing, they would probably be in a daze, and it would take a lot of effort to explain it to them. But with the rapid popularity of mobile terminals and mobile internet, it seems that people overnight understand that information is not necessarily to be acquired. While everyone is enjoying the convenience of the mobile internet, many business people are thinking about how the mobile Internet can be applied to the business sector. One day, when people forget to move and learn the proper noun, mobile learning is ripe when they unconsciously apply and practice mobile learning.

Cloud based Mobile Learning SaaS Platform

Charles: Combining mobile learning with cloud computing, specifically, what products and services do you offer your customers?

Liu Fung-ji: In short, what the Czech drive does is to learn the SaaS platform for Mobile learning. For enterprise customers, we offer MP (Mobileplatform), the mobile learning platform. For educational institutions, we provide IAP (Instantacademyplatform), the instant online mobile learning platform, that is, as long as the educational institutions have the will to move to learn, do not need to do any work, can immediately realize their students ' mobile learning.

Charles: What are the advantages of a mobile learning SaaS platform built on cloud computing?

Liu Fung-ji: From the customer's point of view, Mobile learning SaaS platform is fast, without early input, no risk, low cost, in addition, because it is based on cloud computing, so the flexibility is very large. Using traditional IT system construction method to do mobile learning platform, need to talk about demand, buy a server, buy software, buy a database, and then develop, deploy, this series of steps for non IT industry people, too professional, and may be three months after the development of the platform and the customer's own initial imagination is different. The SaaS model does not have to worry about that. We can provide 100 accounts, the customer casually let their students trial, and can be 100 people this year, 1000 people next year. 100 people use the money that pays 100 people first, this greatly reduces the risk of the customer.

Compared with the mobile learning platform of other vendors, our platform has three characteristics--fit all terminals, micro courses, measurable traceability. We can give students a ranking of learning, for example, we have an index to track each learner, including his participation in the enterprise learning enthusiasm, test results, learning speed, and then packaged a number. This number is public, if you are in the No. 900 place in 1000 people, you naturally can not sit still, who do not want to rank.

Although our mobile Learning SaaS platform is not entirely based on the needs of our customers, as compared to the mobile learning platforms built with traditional IT systems, a modest customization is possible, for example, depending on the needs of the customer, the client can be customized.

Charles Peak: You provide cloud space for customers to do storage, resources put in there to ensure that it is safe?

Liu Fung-ji: This is a particularly important question that almost every customer will ask. First, we have legal contracts. Second, we have a security mechanism to ensure the security of data storage. For example, while the physical storage of data is not in the hands of customers, the management of the database is fully owned by the customer. For example, when we distribute the data and deliver it offsite, we have security control over the transmission mechanism. For example, data to the local terminal, in addition to watching online, we have a special protection technology to ensure that the download to the local courseware is safe.

Security is a big topic in cloud computing, and all cloud computing faces the same problem, a process of building credibility. Therefore, I always think that the first person in history to put money into the bank is great, he was given a piece of paper he dared to give money to others. In fact, the system also faces security problems. Server in the computer room, the computer room by the IT administrator management, that can ensure that the data in the server will not be copied?

Charles: If the customer has a E platform before, and now use your mobile learning platform, learning how the data docking?

Liu Fung-ji: There are basically three kinds of programs, one is the mobile learning as a separate project. For example, enterprises to do pre-job training for a class of people, or to train some employees not covered by E, such as sales, the mobile learning as a separate business module or business functions to publish. For example, educational institutions used E, but for this year's new students want to use mobile learning, the new student approach, the 2000 freshmen in the Mobile Learning project. The second is E and mobile learning mix. For example, mobile learning as a supplement to E. Here is a technology that involves data integration. We have done this case, but the level of integration required by the customer is different. Three is the substitution. I think the current mobile learning has basically achieved most of the traditional e functions, including the support of PCs, most of the work on the E platform can be done on the mobile learning platform. So it is a good plan to integrate the data with the student information and provide a new experience for the students. Specifically what kind of scheme, or according to the customer's actual situation to decide.

Charles: With your mobile learning platform, do you have any statistics on the learning effect?

Liu Fung-ji: Generally three months or so, we will do a survey from the student side, including the learning form, playback effect, application scenarios and other satisfaction. Survey results show that more than 90% of users are very recognized in this form, some students retain the reason is the use of customary problems, and some people do not really need to learn mobile phones.

To provide customers with a variety of value-added services

Charles: Before you do the mobile learning platform is to do resources, now if the customer needs, you will also provide micro-video services?

Liu Fung-ji: Course development and video production is one of our strengths, and it's a lot more than a mobile learning platform. And a lot of enterprise customers want to move learning platform when the first reaction is no content, unlike educational institutions, how much also a bit of the accumulation of courses. Customers want to buy us this "plate", but there is no "food" can be installed, we usually have three suggestions for him, first, even if there is no material, but there will be some ppt, even if the original lectures used in the original text materials, provided to us, through simple processing and adaptation, we can help him quickly into the curriculum. This imports the lowest cost and does not have to wait for a long time. Second, if you have a budget, and if there is a need, we can also help to do customized courses for a specific business problem. Third, we also provide some public courses, we work with a number of content providers, such as Youku, such as some foreign content providers, they also develop a number of public courses, including previously accumulated some courses, if the customer interested in these courses can be directly used.

We do not advise customers to buy a library to do mobile learning, such as buying 2000 courses to allow employees to go home to pick, but to suggest that the enterprise set up a good position to receive training, one weeks to learn a few times, a long time to learn about the content and number of courses to do in mind. Then according to this request can prepare three months of volume, part of the public curriculum, part of the original material adaptation of the course, so that can be run. And, as we help them adapt the material, we will also teach the adaptation method to the client, telling them that even a PPT can be adapted into a very good courseware.

Charles: Enterprises or educational institutions, if they want to convert the original courseware, do you also provide this service?

Liu Fung-ji: Completely available, this conversion of the tool or software is not very complex.

Charles PK: Do you have any other services besides?

Liu Fung-ji: Yes, we offer a variety of value-added services. For example, the operation, because many foreign clients will say can buy your platform, but I do nothing, courseware collation, preparation, upload, distribution and so on are you to do, I will wait to see the report. For such customers, we will send people into their company, for them to do the peace platform operation related things. These are value-added services, but our business model is based on the platform. Just a few other services, such as course design, are not only profitable, but can also bring new customers.

Look forward to the next 3-5 years of eruption

Charles Peak: Customers are also satisfied with the students are satisfied, but mobile learning is still more difficult to promote the cause of what is it?

Liu Fung-ji: Search Mobile Learning on Baidu, probably the first three pages are hard to find a decent company, which shows that mobile learning providers are very few. Mobile Internet is already very hot for us, but I think this "heat" to all people, and then from the cognitive level into action also need a process, this is the lag effect of new technology. But I'm proud to say that the spring of cloud computing has come, and the awakening of customer awareness is more effective than the propaganda and education of the manufacturers.

Charles: You are members of the cloud base, participate in the cloud base in such a system, for your development is not a certain role in promoting?

Liu Fung-ji: The cloud base uses the base-and-fund approach to invest, hatch, and support the cloud industry chain. The fund is relatively easy to understand, is the wind investment to support industry development. The base model is relatively new in China, and the biggest feature of this model is the aggregation effect. For example, our base will provide public services, our front desk, conference rooms, buses, canteens, IT infrastructure and so on are all base. In this way, companies like us who are in the base can only concentrate on doing our business and don't have to think about other issues at all, which is crucial to a growing company. On the other hand, the aggregation effect in the industrial cluster, cloud base has distributed in the cloud computing industry chain more than 10 have independent intellectual property rights of High-tech companies, products and services cover a number of aspects of cloud computing, forming a complete cloud computing industry chain. Therefore, in doing some projects, we bundle together to form a combined effect. Cognitive transformation is a signal of market demand change, so I firmly believe that by the end of this year, there will be some iconic customers.

Charles PK: What are the plans and prospects for the company's next development?

Liu Fung-ji: Mobile learning has brought about a new form of education, learning and training, not only in the device itself, but also in the changes in the learning content brought about by the device changes, and I think there is a lot of market opportunities. We use SaaS and cloud computing as a way to keep our customers low cost and fast access, and I firmly believe that things that are cheap and fast must have a strong vitality. We have to do is desperately in the conditions, there are resources under the environment, in the market early exerting force, early formation pattern, early formation method, and then early into the customer's vision, so I am very optimistic about our development. There is a saying, the company three years to lay the groundwork, three years on the steps, three years to become mature. The Czech Republic power is just at the end of the first three years, we have a basic grasp of customer needs and product basic characteristics, with the popularization and maturity of technology, the next 3-5 years, up to five years, we will definitely explode.

Character Impressions

The people of the Czech Republic struggle to create positive changes for the world

Beijing Report/Sinorama reporter Pan

"In the Czech Republic, we are brothers and sisters, although we are from apart, but we do not study your identity, do not discuss your qualifications, do not value your past ability." Maybe you should ask, what do we need here? We tell you loudly: passion, momentum, constant learning and endless positive energy! "As a new member, at first, you may feel that our communication is different from the previous company, even a little ' dazed ', this feeling is not unique to you, each new partner will be like this, but please remember the way we advocate-----anytime communication, always happy to work! "Our competitors are likely to imitate our products, but they cannot copy our family atmosphere, our passion for work and the constant flow of innovative ideas." Each of us has our own dream, we are together to help each other, work together is to achieve each of our dreams. And our common dream is to use our hands for the world to create positive changes! ”......

In the Czech Republic power, the reporter found a very appealing employee handbook, after reading will involuntarily excited, with a "for the world to create positive change" and the impulse to work.

"I think what makes me proud is not my product, but my team." During the interview, Liu Fung-ji chief operating officer repeatedly reiterated his view that: he is proud of the founder team, he and CEO Shanyang have the same values, including the attitude towards money, family attitude, social justice and so on, which is an important cornerstone of the company's development. The second is the staff team. In the Czech Republic dynamic, there is no strict hierarchy, cumbersome system, and some just work and work partner's dedication and enthusiasm, strong team strength, "anytime and anywhere communication, happy to work" is the Czech people's work style. It is reported that in the company is still doing courseware production business to join the majority of colleagues are still active in the Czech Republic dynamic of various jobs. "Not how high our salary is, but because we have the warmth of home, learning and development and common goals." "Investors again. Investors invest because they are optimistic about the development prospects of mobile learning, Ceecou products and business models, rather than the Czech Republic as a means of making money. "The entry of capital gives us a better platform to inject new energy into our cause." ”

Liu Fung-ji a warm slogan for his team-to be happy every day to do our favorite things with the people I like best. Happy, doing is also meaningful things, combined with these two points, in the "Create a positive change for the world" of the Dream, the Czech people in mobile learning this road will certainly be able to go more smoothly.

Article Source: "China Distance Education" (information) 2013 4th reprint Please indicate source author: organize/print reporter Pan

(editor: Heritage)