Award-Winning Internet Services for Primary and Secondary Schools 2015
Contents 4. The Exa story 6. Internet for schools 8. SurfProtect 10. Multi-award winning customer service 12. Budgeting for internet services 14. What does your school need? Give them an internet service as dedicated as their teachers. The 100mb uncontended line is making an incredible difference to every aspect of our school Caroline Barry, Director IT Systems, St Leonards-Mayfield School, East Sussex
Our Story Exa Education was founded in 2003. In the years that have followed, we have grown to become the UK s leading independent Internet Service Provider to schools. We deploy a high capacity Juniper based core network. This next generation network provides a significant capability boost and substantial speed increases to our services. The first school leaves Leeds Learning Network to become an Exa customer; nine years later, we provide services to approximately 40% of schools in the area. We become an Independent Schools specialist. PupilMail, our email system developed specifically for young students, is launched. We are contracted to provide internet services to over 95% of the initial Free Schools. The first version of our content filtering system, SurfProtect is launched. By 2014 it is employed by thousands of schools across the country. We collectively move the first schools away from local authority control, providing them with a superior connectivity and content filtering control in the process. In this year, over 130 schools became Exa customers. We deploy the next generation internet protocol - IPV6 - across our network. Our early adoption ensures that our network will be largely unaffected by the change in years to follow. With a continuous focus on ensuring that our customers receive the best connectivity, care and internet solutions available, we have created multiaward winning services that are now employed by schools nationwide. From our SurfProtect content filtering system - which secures thousands of schools connectivity every day, to our network tool; ExaBGP, used by such globally recognised companies as Facebook and Microsoft, over the years we have developed pioneering software and deployed hundreds of enhancements to the way our internet services work for schools. This dedication to innovation ensures that as an Exa Education customer you will always receive the most effective internet services available. More than 180 schools in one area choose Exa, contributing to the closure of the region s dated broadband consortia. Due to the onset of academies, there is a huge increase of enquiries to Exa. We celebrate our tenth birthday. We create Exa Proxy. We also introduce ICAP to our filtering service, enabling schools to offer filtering policies through Active Directory s. More than 900 schools move to Exa. Exa increases staff numbers to ensure that our multi-award winning customer service continues. In March alone we migrate over 500 more schools to an Exa connection. to be continued...
Internet for Schools With over eleven years experience providing award-winning internet solutions to schools, we understand the criteria that is important to you. From broadband connectivity and content filtering to website and email hosting, we can supply the perfect provision for every school. As an authentic ISP and a member of the Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA), we are dedicated to providing you with the fast, reliable connectivity services you require. As we run our own network, we are able to ensure that our service remains uncongested. This means that each school receives a dedicated connection and its speed is assured - enabling the internet to run consistently and reliably throughout the day. Today, the internet is an integral tool in any classroom, it delivers immeasurable benefits to the students and teachers alike, however any content accessed must be appropriate. Our SurfProtect Cloud content filtering system is inclusive with all connectivity services, and its easy-to-use control panel and extensive features work to provide complete security for your school. We have helped thousands of schools transition from their existing internet provision to an Exa Education service. Our team of engineers make the migration process as simple as possible and are available to help at every step of the way.
SurfProtect R SurfProtect is a flexible, real-time, web content filtering system. Designed from conception to place control in the hands of the customer, it provides our schools with the ability to completely customise the websites accessible through their internet connection. Available in three varieties: SurfProtect Cloud Our most popular filtering system, included with all Exa Education connections. SurfProtect Proxy Not using Exa Education as your ISP? - No problem, SurfProtect Proxy enables you to still enjoy the extensive benefits of our filtering system. SurfProtect Fusion Allowing an even deeper level of control, Fusion works with award-winning firewalls Fortinet & NetASQ to enable individual user filtering and reporting. This enables us to supply and support schools with the ability to both block restricted content and be aware of when, where and who has requested the site(s). Whichever way you utilise SurfProtect, as a cloud-based solution it filters the content accessed on your internet service by analysing the web page requests as they leave your network. This network level filtering means that your school s connectivity is always protected, regardless of how it is accessed. This is particularly useful for the increasing take up of tablets and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) schemes. Administered by a web-based control panel which is easy-touse yet packed with extensive features, you can easily tailor the filtering to suit your schools e-safety policy.
Multi-Award Winning Customer Service Good customer service is paramount to us. It is why this year we have nearly doubled our already award-winning customer service team. Being able to talk to someone when it matters is one of the most important services a company can offer. We don t have automated phone menu systems, holding queues, or overseas call centres. We simply answer the phone when it rings, and reply to an email when it is sent. We understand the importance of providing effective, accessible technical support when it is needed. That is why our team of highly trained technicians is available between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays. We understand that each problem should be looked at on an individual basis. We don t have scripted answers, or servers to send a programmed response. We treat each query with the care it deserves, and respond with a personalised answer. We understand that in times of frustration, immediate help is important. We aim to answer all calls within fifteen seconds and respond to all emails within thirty minutes, during office hours. Most recently awarded the ISPA 2014 Award for Best Business Customer Service, we are committed to maintaining these award-winning standards for complete customer satisfaction. So, if you need us, we re here. There is a reason why in 2013 over 99.5% of our customers renewed their contracts ISPA have now voted Exa Best Customer Service ISP twice in the past four years We don t tie people into long term contracts, we simply deliver on our promises and they want to stay
Budgeting For Internet Services Our typical primary school pays just 2,070 per year With such brilliant resources and educational opportunities now available online, it is important that your school s connectivity is able to sustain the increased usage associated with these year on year. However, such technological developments often come with increased cost implications. At Exa Education we have always worked hard to ensure that our schools are able to enjoy all that the internet has to offer, as it evolves, whilst remaining within their annual budgetary constraints. Assessing each school s size, resources and needs, we create a solution that is specifically tailored to meet their requirements - at a cost that meets ever-tightened budgets. We do not provide generic bundles, speeds that are not needed, or charge for future services - making sure that you don t pay a penny more than you need to. Our typical secondary school pays just 7,500 per year However, if your school s need changes at any point during the year and a higher connectivity speed or greater bandwidth is required, we will upgrade your service at the time you need it - regardless of the date of your contract renewal. All Exa Education services are available on a twelve month contract (with longer terms available if preferred), ensuring that you will never be tied to a provision that is no longer sufficient, or committed to a provider you are no longer satisfied with. With the average school saving thousands of pounds by migrating to Exa Education, and receiving an improved internet service and filtering system in return, you can securely budget for your internet services knowing that you are receiving value without compromising on quality. Since our formation in 2003, our connectivity and content filtering services have remained the same price enabling next year s budgets to be reliably planned
What does your school need? Content Filtering Connectivity There are many requirements placed upon a school s internet service provision and each school has its own unique need. No automated phone/queue systems At Exa Education we won t pigeon hole you into a predetermined package, rather we listen to your requirements and build a bespoke package which includes all the features you need. This means you won t be paying for services you don t require, keeping your costs down. Calls answered within 3 rings Support Award winning customer care Unlimited access to our in-house technical support team, available extended business hours No overseas call centres Parental reporting BT Install Other Services Website and Email Services Voice Over IP Fully configured security solutions Remote login to your school network by secure VPN
Exa Networks Limited 27-29 Mill Field Road Cottingley Business Park Bingley West Yorkshire BD16 1PY Email: education@exa.net.uk Phone: 0845 145 1234 Fax: 01274 911 855 Registered in England Company No. 04922037 VAT No. GB 829156509 Exa Networks, Exa Education, EEN, Exa s Education Network, PupilMail, ExaBGP and SurfProtect are registered trademarks of Exa Networks Limited, All other trademarks are acknowledged.