Saba enables Contact North to deliver interactive education

Saba Software
News Release

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REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.- The premier people management software and services provider, today announced that Contact North/Contact Nord, Northern Ontario's sole distance education and training network, is using Saba Centra to deliver online programs and courses provided by 14 education partners to 90 Access Centers located in small, remote communities across Northern Ontario. By using Saba Centra, Contact North/Contact Nord is able to provide even the most remote locations with interactive, online instruction -- enabling students to advance their education without having to leave their community.

Contact North/Contact Nord serves as the vital link between Northern Ontario's educational institutions -- universities, colleges and school boards -- and its residents. Students access Saba Centra from one of 90 Access Center locations, where an instructor from a local educational institution conducts a live, online session with students located at multiple Access Centers. Because the Access Centers can be located in very remote regions with limited bandwidth -- in some cases a single phone line -- it is important that Contact North/Contact Nord have a solution like Saba Centra that is able to support a mix of high and low bandwidth connectivity. Today students and teachers interact in an online classroom setting that is easy to use and includes the ability to share applications, markup and make notes on a whiteboard as well as participate in group surveys.

"Saba Centra has helped Contact North bring online education programs to thousands of students in Northern Ontario, removing the requirement to relocate for school," said Lois Tobin, director, Learning Technology at Contact North/Contact Nord. "By enabling engaging, virtual classroom environments, our students are as comfortable using Saba Centra as they are learning in a traditional classroom setting and enjoy the added benefits of building their technology skills and creating friendships across the north."

Contact North/Contact Nord also provides its network for a literacy program located in Northern Ontario that has connected students in the region with students located in Australia. Because the Saba Centra system is reliable enough to handle any connection, students in this program were able to interact with each other in real-time to gain a sense of a new, exciting location and its culture without leaving their classroom.

"Whether it's connecting from a remote village in Northern Ontario to a classroom in Australia, or connecting with a work colleague located in another country, Saba Centra has proven itself as a user-friendly solution that can bring people together to learn and share information regardless of an organization's size or location," said Gabi Schindler, chief marketing officer for Saba. "It's exciting to see how Contact North/Contact Nord is using Saba to bring students together from remote locations in Northern Ontario to continue to enhance their education and build a rich community of students within the region."

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