Video produced by Influence Media.
Few sectors were hit harder by the Covid-19 pandemic than education.
Schools across the UK experienced the largest disruption to education in history. Now, with rising inflation and recruitment levels at an all-time low, schools are also dealing with tight budgets and overstretched staff.
Whilst some of these issues are systemic there is no question that digital solutions are required to improve the situation for teachers and students alike.
Companies like C4DI based startup Cloud Design Box, are aiming to provide that.
Founded by Tony Phillips, they deliver fully integrated intranets that “automate learning spaces for schools” and improve communication throughout. Their product can also be used in businesses to facilitate communication and productivity.
After starting in the C4DI co-working space they have continued to grow. We interviewed CEO Tony about what their product can do for schools and how internal comms is changing for organisations of all kinds.
A toolbox in the cloud
Microsoft 365 has some powerful tools in its broad suite of software. Cloud Design Box use these to their advantage to create bespoke intranets and internal communications platforms.
Prior to setting up the company, Tony specialised in designing Microsoft SharePoint sites which facilitate internal comms. There’s a huge amount of capability with the platform but maintaining it and getting the best out of it can be time consuming and requires specialist knowledge.
CDB aim to make SharePoint "more accessible, enjoyable, and user-friendly". It began after Tony and COO Darren Hemming, decided to create a product which included both the design and integration of SharePoint systems. This would “automate classes, subjects, departments, and more by connecting to the school's management system.”
“We took it to BETT which is the world's largest education technology trade show, and it was a hit with people there.” The global EdTech market, which is valued at somewhere between $100 to 125 billion dollars, presented a great business opportunity for these Hull based specialists.
But they don’t just work with schools. Their product can also work in a business setting making it “really simple to communicate with everybody in your organisation.” In fact, they work with several medium to large sized businesses.
“Companies can save time, and email traffic by creating a streamlined communication platform for all their employees to share news, information, stories, and promote values and incentives that are happening inside the organisation.”
They also offer training alongside the product. “We're a Microsoft global training partner. We offer CPD sessions for staff so they can gain MIE badges. We also provide support, and user adoption services. The idea is to get schools and businesses using 365 well.” It’s a valuable companion service to a suite that is used across enterprise.
Class disruption
There’s no question that its most exciting and necessary application is in education. With a recent government report indicating almost three quarters of teachers said their workload was unacceptable, many would say the sector is in crisis. It’s possible that technology could at least ease the pressure.
Through their product CDB hope to make it easier “for the teachers to just turn up and teach,” Tony says. “We've created a solution that does all the complicated stuff in the background. And we provide them with the training and support to use it well.”
Tony acknowledges the impact that the pandemic had on his company. “Everybody needed our solution at that time.”
“There has been a significant increase in digital adoption in schools since the pandemic. With the shift to remote and hybrid learning, many schools have had to quickly adapt and implement technology to ensure that students can continue to learn.” But even before Covid-19 closed schools across the country, and forced the classroom online, they’ve been working “with schools to accelerate digital transformation.”
As time goes on the addition of new technology to learning will only increase and accelerate.
“As technology evolves, such as with the recent iteration of AI, teachers have an ever-changing selection of EdTech tools to enhance learning both inside and outside of the classroom.”
Digital transformation is an overwhelmingly positive step, but Tony recognises the difficulty schools face in encouraging user adoption. “It's difficult if you've used a traditional system for many years to switch over to something completely different. So, what we specialise in is helping them with that user adoption journey.”
Ultimately, keeping in step with technological change is for their benefit and “during the pandemic, the schools that had our solution, were way ahead of the curve, because they had all the tools ready to deliver remote teaching and learning to everybody at home.”
“When we first started, a build for a single school took two weeks. Now, it takes a few hours.”
Growing and scaling in Hull
Even before they were helping schools overcome the challenges facing them during the pandemic, Cloud Design Box was growing.
Since 2020, they’ve continued to grow year on year. They now have a team of around 20 people, which includes software engineers, consultants, sales and admin staff.
“We’ve got a great team now. We've grown our team, not just from the technical side, but we've also got trainers, who make sure people get good usage out of it. As well as consultants who talk people through the strategy side of things and onboard them.”
This is all in response to a growing client base. “We've got over 450 customers now. Mainly schools, but a few businesses as well. We work in loads of different industries – really anyone who needs an intranet.”
The product has a broad appeal and can be replicated with greater ease as time goes on. Scalability is now the focus, Tony says. “We're trying to make everything scalable so we can take on large, multi-academy trusts and districts, in the UK and internationally, quickly, and easily. When we first started, a build for a single school took two weeks. Now, it takes a few hours. So, we've streamlined everything, but we've improved the quality as well.”
With their growth came the need to set up their own base. The progression of Tony’s company is like that of many companies who set up in C4DI.
Making good use of the network
“We originally started downstairs in the co-working area. That's where we took on our first employee. As we grew, we needed our own space so we moved upstairs.”
It’s a familiar story and one we’ve heard several times as we’ve interviewed various startups, companies, and founders in the C4DI ecosystem.
It’s been a gradual but steady progression for Tony, who’s benefited not only from the business network within C4DI but also the community of smaller service providers there. Over the years they’ve partnered with Mattix Design, TH3 Design, Influence Media and former member Bloom Creative.
For startups, this access to a wider network of suppliers is a game changer. “At C4DI you can operate as a much bigger business, without employing people for roles that can be done by others.”
Then there’s the business opportunities. “Through the C4DI Network, we've managed to meet a number of companies who use our products such as Arco and Sewell.”
The future and the adoption of AI
There’s room for growth here as more and more businesses adopt a hybrid work model and cloud-based platforms and processes.
Tony says they’re “excited to see how Microsoft tools are facilitating a move towards a hybrid workforce that values employee well-being and embraces data analytics and AI.”
It’s perhaps unsurprising that when it comes to new developments in internal communications, that particular area of tech makes an appearance. “We anticipate [AI] becoming a standard feature in company intranets in the coming year. Microsoft's investment in Open AI is further driving innovation, with plans to launch co-pilot solutions that enhance communication and streamline workflows.”
And it will pop up in education too. “We are currently engaging in discussions with the Microsoft engineering teams on the safe and effective use of AI in education and look forward to the positive impact it will have on the future of learning.”
They’re not leaving education behind. There is an enormous amount of progress to be made here. “Our vision for the company is to expand across the UK education sector but also internationally as well, particularly with multi-academy trusts – groups of schools run a bit like a business.”
“We find our products need to change to meet market demand so that's something we're working on at the moment. We’re moving all of our services into the cloud. This is better for our customers and more reliable, offering them more features.
“About 40% of our customers are using our new cloud provisioning service and we're rolling it out further.”
It’s clear the current issues in education are far broader but partnering with technology and learning how to use it to our advantage will be essential for the future of schools. Cloud Design Box have a big part to play in that.