STS Education: Edtech Products and Services for Modern Learning

STS Education

Marc Netka, Founder and CEO, STS EducationMarc Netka, Founder and CEO
Founded in 2001 by Marc Netka, STS Education has come a long way in providing curated technology for modern learning and helping K-12 schools, colleges, and universities across the U.S. create compelling educational experiences that ultimately enhance student success. The company saw its humble beginning in a garage selling refurbished PC hardware to schools. However, in 2010, STS started to pivot its operations toward becoming an all-spectrum integrated learning spaces provider. Since then, the company has witnessed exponential growth. They were named in the Inc. 500 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America in 2012 and 2013, and the Inc. 5000 in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Following is the conversation that CIO Applications had with Marc Netka, the founder and CEO of STS Education, to learn about the carefully selected assortment of products and the value proposition that they deliver.

What are some of the challenges existing today in the EdTech space?

Two major predicaments exist in the market today. Firstly, as schools have huge funds at their disposal, they struggle to choose the right solutions they need to be sustainable in the long term. As a result, senior leadership is hesitant to spend the money they need to ensure sustainability.

The second quandary is that when they are actually selecting a solution provider, the product delivery gets delayed from the vendor side due to supply chain issues.

We have been helping educational institutions solve these issues by improving teacher effectiveness and student outcomes.

Please elaborate on the solution that STS provides and the approach that you take.

The basis of our solution is the concept of The Golden Circle developed by Simon Sinek, who famously said, "people don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it." According to Sinek, most people communicate by starting with the "what" they do aspect and eventually work their way back to talk about "how" and "why" they do what they do.

In context, when it comes to our approach, we always look at the clients' needs to accomplish what they want. Every school has its own set of goals and challenges. We take the time to understand those specific needs by looking at the big picture and the individual pieces. By concentrating on the details, we ensure educators get exactly what they need.

As a company, we have been helping educational institutions solve these issues by improving teacher effectiveness and student outcomes

We begin with the planning, deployment, management, and maintenance of sustainable technology initiatives for educational institutions. We focus on understanding the trends and movements that can drive education initiatives to deliver the solutions accordingly. It is always about understanding the clients' vision is around technology and guiding them toward the best practices and solutions to create a successful solution for them.

Further, we are proud to be an HP Platinum Level Reseller, Lenovo Authorized Service Provider, Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher, and Promethean Platinum Level Reseller, and also the exclusive provider of Second-Life Hardware® to U.S. schools. Part of our success stems from working well with the manufacturers and managing the whole supply chain with our customers through stocking programs, last-mile delivery, and installation. We believe in bringing comprehensive solutions and not just selling products.

What differentiates STS from the other players in the EdTech space?

It is pretty simple. We have a point of view for the market, and that's where others lack. We are here to guide our customers based on the technology they need to put in their classrooms to make it better for teachers and students alike. We ensure that the solutions we provide are best for them and not essentially best for us.

We bring to the table a curated set of EdTech products and services for modern learning with a focus on integrating solutions based on each school's needs. We help schools create dynamic learning environments that facilitate learning outcomes and student success by emphasizing professional development, adoption, and assessment of those resources. We are guided by compassion and empathy for the education community and our STS family. That's one of the reasons we invest in the personal growth of our employees and nurture well-trained and motivated staff who are passionate about their work. We have reps who have been with us for over ten years and are highly dedicated to clients.

We value individual and team performance achieved through honesty and integrity in the spirit of mutual success. We continue to grow and push past the status quo by encouraging and rewarding new ideas and solutions.

We are also easily accessible; we return phone calls and emails promptly. Any customer can easily connect with me as well. These are the little things that made us successful.

What does the future hold for STS?

We have recently acquired Education Collaborators, a professional development company. We are amid two more acquisitions that will expand our footprint. The reason behind the acquisitions is that we want to be closer to the customers to understand their needs and provide a solution accordingly. After all, it is those who deliver value that thrives in the long run.

In a nutshell, we partner with clients to be long-term education technology consultants and solutions providers with a commitment to their student's academic excellence, and we will continue to do.

"Thank You!!! For whatever miracle you pulled off today!!! The Chromebooks, mice, and earbuds arrived around 1:00 EST, just while tons of our parents were at school. We are very appreciative of you working with us for our first attempt at this idea with our parents. I personally am disappointed we did not sell more, but I feel as word spreads from those who did order the package, we will have more for our next go around. (I think a chance of that in a few months!). Your diligence of your calls and emails have paid off!! Thank you so much!" — Jodie B. McKinley, Assistant to the Principal at Nagel Middle School, Cincinnati, OH.

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