The digital transformation of HOGENT with Academic Software

HOGENT, with 17,500 students and 2,000 employees, is one of the largest universities of applied sciences in Belgium. With a focus on high-quality education and research, HOGENT sought to improve the use of digital tools by shifting from computer labs to personal devices (BYOD) and cloud-based software. Academic Software provided the solution with an easy-to-use platform that centralised the management of software, web applications, and cloud tools. This enabled all users, regardless of device or location, to easily access the necessary digital resources.

The challenge

Bart De Rouck, IT Director of HOGENT, explains: “We wanted to change the mindset, raise the digital skills of everyone here, and move away from the idea that ICT is just a helpdesk with ten people answering the phone all the time. We wanted to encourage digital transformation for everyone at the university.”

The shift from computer labs to BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and cloud-based software required a solution that would make the integration of digital tools easier and more flexible. HOGENT was looking for a way to centralise and manage the use of software and cloud applications so that both students and staff could easily access the right digital tools, regardless of their device or location.

The solution

HOGENT chose to collaborate with Academic Software, which helped them manage software licenses and implement digital tools on thousands of devices. Thanks to the Academic Software platform, all software, web, and cloud applications could be easily deployed on all users' devices. This made it possible for both students and staff to seamlessly access the digital tools they needed.

Results

The collaboration with Academic Software has helped HOGENT successfully implement its digital transformation. Thanks to the user-friendly platform from Academic Software, students and staff can now easily install, use, and maintain software on any device, anywhere.

The platform not only provides the right tools for everyday use, but the support from Academic Software's multilingual helpdesk is a key added value. The helpdesk can assist users via email, chat, or phone to solve issues, even outside regular school hours.

Bart De Rouck concludes: “It works, everyone is happy, and no one is uncertain about how to use digital tools in teaching and learning.”

With the help of Academic Software, HOGENT has created a new digital norm that enables both staff and students to work and learn more efficiently and flexibly. The collaboration not only solved the technical challenges but also contributed to increasing the digital skills of everyone within the university.