Sophos announced that it was selected by Yorkshire and Humber Grid for Learning (YHGfL) to provide 11,000 schools in Yorkshire and Humber with protection from viruses and other malicious threats.
The company said in the first instance three-quarters of the schools in the consortium’s area (encompassing 65,000 computers) will be protected by Sophos’s endpoint security offerings, which is expected to expand early next year.
YHGfL is a regional broadband consortium, with twelve local authority members representing 275 secondary schools, 86 special schools, 30 nurseries and 1,657 primary schools and their partners in learning.
The consortium provides broadband connections to schools in the region, and range of services, including curriculum support, e-safety guidance and continuing professional development workshops.
Yorkshire and Humber Grid for Learning chief executive Phil Moore said rollout is already underway and their job is now to work with schools and the individual authorities to ensure everything goes smoothly.
"YHGfL’s aim is to become the regional centre for excellence and innovation in eLearning. Along with the other nine Regional Broadband Consortia (RBCs), YHGfL was originally set up to meet the Government target of connecting all schools in the region to broadband," Moore said.
"Having accomplished that task, we’re now turning our attention to how we can add value to the region by becoming a strategic partner to the Government and to relevant Government agencies."