Hitachi Solutions Europe and Encyclopaedia Britannica announce an exclusive deal to offer every Hitachi interactive whiteboard user a complimentary three-month trial of Britannica Online School Edition. Forged between the two highly regarded, global brands to boost Hitachi’s offering to education VARs and support further expansion into the EMEA* education markets, the partnership provides an exceptional e-learning package to help VARs close sales with new and existing customers.

Compatible with all Hitachi interactive whiteboards (IWBs) and accessible directly from within the latest StarBoard software version 9.2 via a pre-installed link, Encyclopaedia Britannica Online School Edition will be available initially in English with a translation tool for customers accessing the site from Spanish and Arabic-speaking countries. The award-winning, internationally recognised resource offers thousands of expertly written, fact-checked and professionally edited articles, educationally-mapped videos and animations, eye-catching illustrations and interactive games to support teaching and learning.

Free, one-to-one training will be provided to VARs by a dedicated team at Encyclopaedia Britannica, who will also be responsible for all content-related enquiries from customers post-installation. The team will also work closely with VARs on large-scale tenders and provide dedicated conference and exhibition support.

Tomohiro Uchida, Systems Engineer at Hitachi Software Engineering, comments: “Over the past three years, Hitachi has seen a massive demand for whiteboards throughout EMEA as this type of technology becomes standard for classrooms throughout the world. Partnering with such a highly regarded, global brand such as Encyclopaedia Britannica will immensely enhance Hitachi’s offering to the education market and provide education VARs with an unrivalled way to help open doors with both new and existing customers. With such a strong content offering now available with our boards, we urge any education VAR interested in this offer to get in touch soon to maximise sales in the lead up to the new academic year.”

Ian Grant, Managing Director of Encyclopaedia Britannica UK & EMEA, comments: “We are delighted to partner with Hitachi Solutions Europe to further extend our reach into the EMEA education market. By combining Hitachi’s interactive whiteboards with first-class digital content from Encyclopaedia Britannica, educationalists can now provide a new and unique learning experience for both themselves and their students.”

For further information about the partnership, please visit

www.hitachisoft-eu.com/en/customer_services/educators_resources/Encyclopaedia_Britannica1.php

or contact:

Encyclopaedia Britannica: Adam Bates, Tel: +44 (0) 7824 414 483 / e-mail: [email protected]

Hitachi: Tomohiro Uchida, Systems Engineer. Tel: 0207 246 6868 / e-mail: [email protected]

Media enquiries: Louise Peto or Jenny Jackson at Livewire Public Relations on 020 8339 7440 or e-mail [email protected].

Notes to editors:

*EMEA – this partnership will operate in the following territories:

·         UK

·         France

·         Italy

·         Spain

·         Denmark

·         Sweden

·         Norway

·         Malta

·         Turkey

·         Egypt

·         Greece

·         Cyprus

·         Lebanon

·         Israel

·         Jordan

·         India

·         South Africa

·         Macedonia

·         Ghana

·         Nigeria

·         Kenya

About Encyclopaedia Britannica Online School Edition:

Written and edited to the age-appropriate reading and knowledge levels, Britannica Online School Edition includes the “Britannica Learning Zone” which  incorporates fun and informative activities for early learners while addressing numeracy, literacy and ICT development; “Primary Britannica” which establishes basic research skills and inspires continuous discovery; “Britannica Student” which builds confidence and research skills and introduces the personal workspace; and “Encyclopaedia Britannica” for fast, detailed, up-to-date information for teachers and students 16 years and above.

Background on Encyclopaedia Britannica and Hitachi:

Encyclopaedia Britannica has been a leader in reference and education publishing since 1768. Britannica has been a pioneer in electronic publishing since the early 1980s. It publishes products which can be found in a variety of media, from the internet to mobile phones to books.

Britannica School Edition is a unique, up-to-date, online resource designed to satisfy the learning needs of school pupils and teachers. Text, illustrations, multimedia and interactive games are curriculum-specific and help make learning fun.  The secure search facility allows pupils to find what they are looking for quickly and safely with no risk of questionable online content – all in a language that they can understand.  Britannica Online - clear, current and correct – brings all the authority and scholarship of Encyclopaedia Britannica to the classroom.  

Hitachi Solutions Europe develops advanced interactive communications tools for education, including interactive whiteboards, plasma displays and tablets all powered by the company’s category-leading StarBoard software.

Over the past three years, Hitachi has seen a massive demand for whiteboards throughout EMEA as this type of technology becomes standard for classrooms throughout the world.