Ubiquitous Computing

Among users of all ages there is a clear shift towards computing ‘anywhere, anytime with any device’—where access is not confined to a particular time and place, and not dependent on a particular device. There are three key enablers of this:

• Wireless – any type of computer network that is not connected by cables of any kind. Learners are increasingly expecting access via wireless networks in schools and learning settings.
• Mobile devices - The available choices for staying connected while on the go are many — smart phones, netbooks, laptops, and a wide range of other devices access the Internet using cellular-based portable hotspots and mobile broadband cards, in addition to wi-fi that is increasingly available wherever people congregate.
  • Smartphone usage up 60%
  • Bizreport: Use of smartphones up 60%
• Private clouds - Cloud computing in all its forms offers wide ranging benefits for education in the form of software and hardware management, data-driven research, and flexibility of resources. Private clouds offer the promise of truly personalised computing environments, complete with all the tools and resources one needs, accessible via the Internet on a wide range of devices located anywhere.