Schools are now able to enjoy cost savings and enhanced online security as the benefits of JANET Certificate Service are extended to local and unitary authorities.
SSL certificates for schools, which normally cost £90 or more, are currently available FREE to the JANET community, with local authorities and RBCs now able to make certificate requests on the schools’ behalf. The enhanced system now enables a school to verify a certificate request, made by their local authority, making the process much simpler and quicker to administer.
This could result in estimated savings of over £3million for the school sector over the three-year lifespan of the certificates.
One of the participants in a successful pilot of the new offering, Staffordshire County Council, estimates the total savings that will be made over the next three years is almost £50,000. “We started using the JANET Certificate Service last year and I would recommend it to any local authority, says Dave Ernest, Business Strategy Manager of Staffordshire Learning Technologies “the online portal makes for easy management with the advantage that they are completely free of charge”
As well as cost savings, Dave recognises additional benefits of the JANET Certificate Service. “Security for users is improved and good user practice is encouraged, as there is no bypassing browser security messages; relationships between the local authority, RBC and schools are improved; and the authority has a better knowledge of the certificates currently being used within its area of control.”
The JANET Certificate Service remains hugely successful, with over 12,000 certificates – an increase of over 3,000 in the last quarter – now issued to over 500 subscriber organisations. The service has received very positive feedback from users and its use across the education and research community will continue as more and more organisations take advantage of the facility.
To find out more and to register for JANET Certificate Service, please visit http://www.ja.net/jcs
