GOOGLE IS POISONING THE BLOOD OF OUR NATION
'''The Implications for EdTech of Google’s Market Share in Education
Summary'''
How Google has gained significant market share in both software and hardware
What Google's market position means for EdTech companies
In the past decade, Google has developed a strong foothold in education in both software and hardware.
Between 2012 and 2019, Google’s market share of laptops and tablets purchased for K-12 classrooms went from 5% to 60%. This rapid growth has made the Chromebook the #1 piece of hardware used by students.
On the software side, Google Classroom users doubled to 100M in the early months of the pandemic, and Google Suite for Education (now Google Workspace of Education), went from 90M users to 120M.
In light of Google's position, what are some of the implications for EdTech companies in general?
Below are some thoughts from educators and EdTech professionals about the implications of Google’s position in the EdTech space:
Integration with Google’s products is a fundamental expectation
Shared login credentials facilitate efficient learning
Google’s position reveals opportunities for other EdTechs
Interconnectivity opens a door for M&A consolidation
Integration with Google’s products is a fundamental expectation
At a fundamental level, some educators will only select EdTech products that integrate well with Google’s education products. Liz Miller, a 15-year educator and current communication manager at EdTech company GetSetup.io, says, "I passed up using lots of cool EdTech because it didn’t integrate with my Google Classroom and just made more work for me." She elaborated:
I have used Google Edtech for over 10 years in private schools, with private students, and corporate training sessions. Students usually know Google tools at least a bit, so their tech easily integrates across educational teams.
Tech, especially Edtech, should make life simpler. If it doesn’t, it’s not going to be successful. That means that EdTech companies trying to compete in the space need to make sure they are simplifying their offerings and not making them more complex. When the pandemic hit, I could seamlessly integrate Kahoot, Quizizz, and Edpuzzle. If companies want to benefit from Google’s hold, they should integrate with Google tech.
Liz Miller, Communication Manager at GetSetup.io
Jennifer Stringer, EdTech marketing consultant, added her thoughts:
PB
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