The Gilfus Education Group, a DC education consulting firm, has released a white paper titled "Intelligence Emerges from Enterprise Education Platform."

Group officials say the paper discusses the idea that a "new, cohesive platform" will be required to advance educational intelligence and promote greater student success.

"Over the last decade the education industry has experienced an incredible transformation in its use of computers, technology and the Internet. We have witnessed technology applications evolve from 'Exploratory' to 'Mission Critical' to 'Transformative,'" says Stephen Gilfus, president and CEO of the Gilfus Education Group.

Gilfus says the paper addresses "the current possibilities of transformational technologies for our educational institutions." In other words, he explains, the convergence of ERP and LMS technology into a single holistic platform "can, and will, increase individual and organizational intelligence, reduce total operational costs and improve institutional outcomes and student success."

Datatel, an enterprise software provider, will be the first to embrace the Enterprise Education Platform concept, Gilfus officials say, adding that they expect to see a consolidation of the education marketplace "prompted by the introduction of the Enterprise Education Platform."

The group has also submitted its white paper "Social Learning Buzz Masks Deeper Dimensions" to the National Educational Technology Plan being developed by the U.S. Department of Higher Education.

Earlier this month TMC (News - Alert) had the news that The Gilfus Education Group also described the white paper as addressing a problem characterized by group officials as "the many disadvantages faced by higher education institutions that concurrently manage and operate disparate learning management systems and enterprise resource planning systems."

The Enterprise Education Platform, as termed by Gilfus, "will result in easier collaboration among users, improved learning efficiencies, myriad cost savings throughout learning institutions, and a 360-degree view of constituents."