Ergo one of three global finalists for prestigious Microsoft education partner of the year award

Only three partners shortlisted from 4,400 submissions

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Denis Meade and John Purdy, Ergo

In association with Ergo

Ergo has been named a global finalist in the Microsoft 2021 education partner of the year award, one of only three Microsoft partners selected from 4,400 submissions. The nomination brings international recognition to Ergo’s pioneering work in the sector, particularly around the deployment of Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Power Platform into third level institutions, including University College Cork, NUI Galway and Waterford Institute of Technology.

Ergo also caught the judges’ attention for a desktop refurbishment project that saw Ergo CEO, John Purdy, hand over nearly 100 laptops to his old school, Coláiste Eoin in Finglas, Dublin. The initiative is part of Ergo’s Corporate Social Responsibility mission, which prioritises sustainability and closing the digital divide.

John Purdy commented: “We are delighted to be recognised for our work in education, not just the leading-edge technologies we deploy to advance pedagogical practices, but for our ongoing commitment to sustainability and social equality – two issues embedded in the culture of the company.”

Denis Meade, partner development lead for Microsoft Ireland, said: “Microsoft is very active in Ireland’s education sector and Ergo is one of our most trusted partners. We can rely on them for excellence in innovation and implementation around educational solutions based on our technology.”

Working closely with its sister company Micromail, one of Ireland’s leading software licensing consultancies, Ergo propositions major on value as well as technical excellence. Micromail is the exclusive supplier of both Microsoft licensing and Microsoft Azure (OCRE framework) to higher and further education clients of the HEAnet, Ireland’s National Education and Research Network.

Recent Ergo education projects were also about speed, coming up with a timely response to Covid-19 and lockdown, enabling thousands of Irish students, lecturers and administrators to work remotely using Microsoft solutions. In the case of University of Limerick, access to services was delivered with AVD through a VPN solution, allowing secure connection to the campus network and physical machines located in offices and labs. Ergo also developed a Covid-19 Power App for University College Cork, used by students and staff to self-check for symptoms and generate a campus pass for on-site attendance.

Ergo’s AVD, Power Platform, Dynamics 365 and Adoption and Change Management offerings have been used by 16 Irish Education and Training Boards as well as nine leading third level institutions. “Education is an increasingly important sector for Ergo and Ireland as a country,” said John Purdy. “We are proud to be recognised by Microsoft for delivering world-class solutions.”