Rob Abel, Ed.D. | January 2022

"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves." —William Shakespeare

IMS Global is Rebranding to 1EdTech in 2022

Many of you may have already heard this exciting news. This year, we are transitioning to a new brand to better capture the essence of our groundbreaking community and add even greater energy to our cause as the need continues to grow around the world.

Yes, the IMS Global brand is well known and greatly respected among those involved in standards development. Not to mention the IMS community is (and has been) growing at an impressive rate.

However, in 2018 the IMS Board of Directors concluded that the name, IMS Global Consortium, was not reflecting the primary value that the organization provides. Namely, our value is helping the educational and learning technology ecosystem converge toward the future through the leadership and collaboration of dedicated end-user and supplier organizations. And that not only the name but the overall messaging and positioning of the organization needed a refresh.

Thus, in 2022 we are transitioning to a new brand: 1EdTech.

The new name and the brand messaging reflect both our aspirations and the value we are already providing to the worldwide education technology sector.

1EdTech signifies a united commitment to achieving an open and inclusive education technology ecosystem that serves the needs of every learner, every educational institution, and every edtech supplier. This united ecosystem is owned by all education participants and stakeholders, enabling both public and private good. Together we are accelerating educational innovation to lift every learner.

We are purposely communicating the brand transition gradually. IMS members have been providing feedback on the rebranding strategy since it began in earnest towards the end of 2018. But we are still listening for input as we talk with our many partners worldwide. In 1EdTech, just as in IMS Global, the community shapes the organization.

Over the first half of 2022, you will see incremental updates to the website that reflect messaging that is more aligned with 1EdTech, and, yes, there will be an update to the logos and other brand imagery as we go. We will be highlighting stories that help all stakeholders understand better how our members are creating the future of education by shaping an edtech ecosystem that powers learner potential. I will be creating blog posts every couple of weeks to provide some perspective on the new brand.

I hope you will be able to join us as we celebrate the new brand at Learning Impact 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee, from 13-16 June! Be on the lookout for registration opening soon.