The twist is that its main goal is to reach out to students instead of customers. It is a distinct group with very specific needs. Unfortunately, the technological adoption rate is slow, perhaps because it is a cumbersome industry with a lot of baggage. That notion is changing, though. With technology, education doesn't have to end at the classroom door.
Familiarity is important.
The universal acceptance of the Internet and, indeed, its saturation in the lives of students, teachers and administrators makes it likely that they will embrace it as an educational tool. This potential may be realized by revolutionary Internet-based access to, and management of, educational materials. The good news is that governments, especially on the federal level, are making more money available to hook schools to the Internet for both teaching and administration. The Internet shows signs of transforming the educational realm, but progress is slow. Only 20 percent of the educational institutions surveyed by InternetWeek for the Transformation Of The Enterprise study say they are operating an extranet or an Internet-based supply chain network.