200 schools up in the cloud

Some 200 schools will get a brand-new, cloud-based learning system in the next three years with the help of a technology solution designed to deliver the education department’s online resource library to every school in the country, regardless of location and existing connectivity infrastructure.

In partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), the Philippine Business for Social Progress and the Philippine Development Foundation (PhilDev), the Philippine tech firm Xepto Computing recently launched XLS (Xepto Learning Systems), developed by some of the best computer engineers in the country.

Paco SA Sandejas, CEO of Xepto Computing, said the project is ‘‘a very unique learning solution that is reliable, easy to deploy and cost-efficient—something that suits the economic realities of the country.”

‘‘Most importantly, the system works amazingly well. Teachers and students love how their learning process is easy and enjoyable using appropriate tech,” Sandejas said at the recent launch of the project at the newly inaugurated campus of Taguig Science High School.

Xepto is the leading Southeast Asian developer and integrator of bespoke or custom-made cloud platforms for teaching and learning in developing countries. It is backed by Narra Venture Capital, which is heavily invested in semiconductors, information infrastructure and web services.

The company, which was set up in 2008, is led by Stanford engineers Sandejas and Mike Fung and advised by Dado Banatao of PhilDev.

The XLS system connects into DepEd’s Learning Management System (LMS), which is essentially a library of materials cleared for use by school teachers across the country. Collaboration among educators and learners is enabled, Sandejas said.

This set up is especially useful for schools that are still off the grid and have limited or no internet connectivity. Xepto and DepEd maintain access and manage the system remotely, eliminating the need to have a technician on site to do repairs or upgrades.