In quick response to the Egyptian government's decision to suspend schools and universities for two weeks, as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Orange Egypt, the leading provider of integrated telecommunications services, and Avaya, a global communications and collaboration leader, have partnered to jointly enable all educational institutions in the country to implement remote learning initiatives. This follows the ongoing support by the two organizations for digital transformation and government-led innovation initiatives in Egypt and will serve to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the country's education sector. This initiative emphasizes Orange Egypt's keenness to support the educational system in Egypt and specially after suspending schools and universities for two weeks as a precautionary measure against the Coronavirus "COVID-19". On the other hand, Orange spares no effort to contribute to the development of Egyptian society in light of its social responsibility role towards Egyptian society and youth. Under the cooperation, Avaya Spaces application will be provided to all educational institutions, including schools and universities. Avaya Spaces, is a cloud meeting and team collaboration solution that integrates chat, voice, video, online meetings and content sharing. The platform being jointly offered by Orange Egypt and Avaya works on all Android and iOS smart devices and can also be securely accessed on personal computers and laptops via Chrome or Firefox browsers. It enables teachers and administrative staff to reliably communicate with parents, students and each other to minimize learning disruption amid the school closure. Using the app, students will be able to participate in virtual classrooms from any location, with the ability to download study materials and send assignments to teachers electronically. Parents too will benefit from the new offering as the app allows them to hold virtual meetings with professors, share inquiries and observations, and establish dedicated digital forums where they can engage with each other as well as with teachers, administrators, or staff in the educational institution. Highlighting the significance of his company's collaboration with global leading technology vendors such as Avaya, Mr. Hisham Mahran, Chief Enterprise Line of Business Officer, at Orange Egypt said, "It is clear that technology plays a pivotal role in our day to day lives and is an especially valuable tool in such challenging times. Our partnership with Avaya is another testament to Orange Egypt's commitment to supporting the digital transformation of key sectors in the country. The solution that we are jointly offering enables educational institutions to maintain the safety of students as their top priority, while ensuring minimum disruption to their education." "Orange Egypt has invested heavily in building an advanced network that serves as an enabler of business and today we are reaping the benefits of this investment. We will continue to engage with global technology leaders such as Avaya to deliver smart solutions that drive economic growth in Egypt, while fostering the wellbeing of society," he added. Ahmed Fayed – Country Manager for Egypt & Libya at Avaya said, "As a socially responsible organization, Avaya is deeply committed to providing technology for the good of humanity. In line with the recommendations made by the government to contain the spread of this pandemic, we are offering some of our premium communications and collaboration solutions for free to businesses and individuals in Egypt. We are proud to do so in collaboration with our strategic alliance partner, Orange Egypt, as they too have embraced their social obligations at the time of this crisis."
