Iqra Educare Partnership with Houston
Houston Technology Group is pleased to announce our partnership with Iqra Educare!
About Iqra:
Iqra Educare is an all-inclusive early childhood education centre based in Hamilton that provides holistic care for tamariki within the community that is based on Islamic beliefs and values. At Iqra, they provide an opportunity for migrant, refugee and local tamariki and their whānau to explore the concept of New Zealand, its bi-cultural history and acknowledgement of Māori as Tāngata Whenua, in an environment that also encourages a sense of belonging.
Since 2014, Iqra has been an all-inclusive community centre that is open to all seeking values-based education and care for preschool tamariki. Iqra Educare values each child’s family and cultural background and strives to develop ‘responsive, reciprocal relationships’ with whānau a community and the centre. Iqra endeavours to provide an environment that fosters warm relationships, where children and their families enjoy a sense of security and belonging.
Strategic Goals
Iqra Educare has a long-held strategic vision for the centre to grow a robust and comprehensive infrastructure. This vision will ensure this unique educational facility can expand in size along with the community's demand. It was clear that an IT strategy needed to be explored that could grow with the centre was necessary. This needed to be a partnership that shared Iqra’s drive for community spirit alongside a personable friendly team with years of industry experience. This is where Houston entered the picture.
Enter Houston
In the digital world, there are many aspects of information sharing and safety to be taken into account. Houston Technology Group identified many areas in Iqra’s systems that need to be addressed and strengthened.
With the sensitive data, Iqra holds a system must be in place to ensure it is protected from nefarious elements in the cyber world. This service agreement with Hoston has allowed the team of Iqra Educare to tap into their IT potential. We are looking forward to a long and expanding relationship between Iqra Educare and Houston Technology Group
Key Solutions Provided by Houston:
Deployment of Intune Endpoint Manager:
Devices now have BitLocker encryption enabled, authenticate with and are joined to the Microsoft Entra ID domain, ensuring centralized authority for authentication. Members accessing M365 resources outside of school are now required to complete an MFA challenge, securing access to data and email.Device Security
- Microsoft Defender Endpoint Protection
- Multifactor Authentication Deployment
- Automated Windows Update PatchingMobile Device Management
Enforces separation between work and personal profiles on Android and iPhones. Access to Iqra resources via personal profiles is denied, and MFA challenges are required for access outside the school network.
With endpoint security and compliance policies established, Iqra and Houston began focusing on enhancing staff knowledge and leveraging modern workplace tools available in their suite. These include:
MS Teams: Adoption as the primary platform for internal communication and video meetings.
Onedrive: Usage for storing personal data with up to 1TB of storage per user.:
Sharepoint Online: Facilitates collaboration and information access. A basic SharePoint team site has been created and linked to MS Teams, with plans to expand this platform to meet organizational requirements.
Power Automate: Introducing automation for organizational forms.
IQRA Educare has quickly transformed its IT landscape by adhering to best practice standards, securing devices, and embracing modern workplace features. This IT journey has established a solid foundation for further advancements, setting a benchmark for organizations like IQRA.
Partnership
The official signing of the partnership with Iqra’s board members and Houston Technology over cake signifies a shared commitment to education, community and our tamariki! It is exciting to see where the results of this partnership will lead Iqra educare and the work they do in the community.
Iqra Educare Board Members: Prof Asad Mohsin, BR Noor Sidik, Sr Noor-Un-Nissa, Sr Maria Sammons, Sr Karen Marsh (Apologies: Sr Aysha Zafar, Sr Hana Bouafif, Br Mubarik Ahmed)
Moving Forward
By providing education and care holistically to our whānau Iqra Educare can support each tamaiti in a values-based environment supporting the values and virtues of Islam. The past 10 years have shown Iqra to grow from strength to strength. Research undertaken by Iqra has seen two research papers published and a roll serge which means the waiting list has grown significantly.
Now with the added services of Houston Technology Group, Iqra can be reassured that as the Centre grows the digital data will be utilised to the full and kept safe from those who mean harm. All Iqra stakeholders can rest assured the agreement between HTG and Iqra will bring Iqra digitally into the twenty-first century.