Academic Software’s Finnish subsidiary Ilona IT secures €46 million framework agreement

Academic Software celebrates a major milestone as its Finnish subsidiary Ilona IT wins a €46 million national framework agreement to deliver software and cloud services to Finland’s higher education institutions. The contract runs for two years with two optional one-year extensions (2+1+1), further strengthening Academic Software’s European footprint.

Who is Ilona IT?

Ilona IT is Finland’s market leader in educational software and digitalisation services for higher education. Acquired by Academic Software in October 2023, it forms the foundation of the group’s Nordic expansion.

With over 20 years of expertise, Ilona combines deep ICT knowledge with a strong understanding of higher education needs. As part of Academic Software, it benefits from a European platform serving more than 2,500 institutions across Europe and the UK.

What is Softatukku?

Softatukku is a comprehensive procurement service tailored to higher education, integrating software and cloud procurement, licence management and expert support into one streamlined solution.

It enables institutions to centrally and transparently procure both competitively tendered and non-tendered software in full compliance with procurement regulations, without launching separate tenders for each need.

Key benefits of Softatukku include:

• Centralised and transparent software and cloud procurement
• Structured licence lifecycle management and renewals
• Expert guidance on licensing models and cost optimisation
• Reduced administrative workload
• Consolidated reporting and electronic invoicing
• Ongoing advisory and support services
• Careful consideration of data protection and GDPR requirements

By simplifying complex procurement processes, Softatukku allows universities to focus on education and research.

European strength, local expertise

Academic Software serves more than 2,500 institutions and over 1.3 million users across Europe and the UK. Its platform provides access to 1,500+ software titles, cloud services and virtualisation solutions, alongside innovative tools such as advanced deployment platforms, AIM (Application Installation Manager) and Mila, a GDPR-compliant AI solution for education.

The combination of European scale and local expertise creates unique value: Ilona’s clients gain access to international infrastructure and solutions, while Academic Software strengthens its European operations with Ilona’s licensing expertise and deep knowledge of the Nordic higher education market.

A Strategic Milestone

Winning this €46 million tender is a strong vote of confidence from the Finnish higher education community. It confirms Ilona IT’s leadership in Finland and reinforces Academic Software’s ambition to remain Europe’s leading platform for educational software procurement and deployment, building a more efficient and future-proof digital ecosystem for higher education.