Pearson is \u2018the world\u2019s leading learning company\u2019. With over 45,000 staff, it provides digital content and learning experiences, assessments and qualifications to almost 200 countries worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Pearson works with educational institutions, employers and governments worldwide to provide educational content, courses assessments and qualifications. In the UK, it\u2019s best known as the parent of exam board Edexcel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The global learning market is worth around \u00a35tn today, and forecast to reach \u00a37tn by 2030. It\u2019s also changing constantly and rapidly, driven by advances in technology. As one of the world leaders, Pearson is always evolving, too, as it seeks to drive shareholder value, create sustainable growth and contribute to a more equitable world. In particular, it\u2019s pursuing a digital-first approach, using AI-based content that\u2019s easier for learners to locate and consume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For 15 years, Pearson has relied on Acora to provide consistent, reliable second-line (desktop) end user support in this turbulent environment, through our Flexible Support service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flexible Support is exactly that: access to our expertise when you need it, for as long as you need it. Clients benefit from rapid deployment, with our reliable, experienced staff working on-site or remotely. Our second-line support for Pearson covers desktops, laptops, mobile devices, server room hardware and AV equipment, plus VIP support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flexible Support contract periods are negotiated individually and clients pay only for the time we work; there are no fixed charges or hidden extras. It\u2019s the ideal solution for addressing peaks in demand and staff absences, backfilling vacancies and adding resources on specific projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Pearson, we\u2019ve evolved a bespoke model on a rolling 12-month contract. In recent years, we\u2019ve allocated seven staff on a \u2018six-plus-one\u2019 basis: All permanently on-site, the 7th<\/sup> head is the built-in cover resilience to protect capacity through planned or unplanned absence, and charged for only if and when someone is absent. This enables assurance of resource in the event of absence and also increased capacity to Pearson at no additional cost when there is no absence within the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOther companies we\u2019ve worked with would just send someone in to cover, but it\u2019s really inefficient for Pearson: they don\u2019t know us or our systems, and it takes half the day just getting them logged in,\u201d<\/em> says Regional Desk Side IT Manager for EMEA, Taqi Zaidi, who\u2019s been our contact at Pearson for all 15 years. \u201cWith Acora, we don\u2019t have that problem: the person is always skilled-up and fully familiar with us, so we don\u2019t lose productivity. That reliability and flexibility is really important. There\u2019s always someone available when we need them: we\u2019ve never had to call and ask.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the past 15 years, our relationship with Pearson has grown into a genuine partnership. \u201cI see Acora people as part of the family. I never differentiate between them and our own staff; when we migrated from Google to Office 365, they took part in our internal training and learned everything our own full-time people did,\u201d<\/em> says Taqi. \u201cWe\u2019ve had maybe 100 different Acora engineers working with us over the years and they\u2019ve all loved it here; in fact, none of them wanted to leave!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ben Whitehead, our Head of Project & Support Services, has managed the account since the very start. Taqi points to that continuity as another key element in the relationship\u2019s success. \u201cIt\u2019s great working with Ben; he understands exactly what we need, and he\u2019ll put someone forward to work with us only when he\u2019s satisfied they meet our requirements,\u201d<\/em> he says. \u201cWhenever we have issues to address or difficult decisions to make, I can call him 24\/7 and know it will be actioned quickly. That really builds trust.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nPART OF THE FAMILY<\/h3>\n\n\n\n