Sprint 1 , 2, 3‐ Work Plan
SoftServe Academy is an innovative collaborative platform designed to transform the way professionals and students in the technology industry acquire and manage their knowledge. In an environment where continuous, autonomous learning has become essential, SoftServe Academy offers a comprehensive solution that bridges the gap between dispersed educational resources and specific learning needs. The platform stands out for its ability to create, assess, curate, organize, and share customized learning paths that are tailored to the specific requirements of the tech industry. Unlike simple resource lists, SoftServe Academy employs advanced algorithms to generate dynamic, personalized learning paths based on each user's level of prior knowledge, learning objectives, time availability, and content preferences.
Target audience:
- Software developers and programmers: Professionals looking to improve their technical skills and stay up to date with the latest technologies.
- Technology Students: College students and self-learners who want to access structured learning paths to complement their formal or self-taught education.
- Teachers and mentors: Educators who are looking for high-quality resources to integrate into their curricula and mentorship.
- Content curators: Professionals responsible for ensuring that the educational materials available on the platform are relevant, current, and of high quality.
Key features:
- Personalized learning paths: The platform generates educational itineraries that are unique to each user, thus optimizing their learning process.
- Curated content: Content curators ensure that educational materials are of high quality and aligned with the current demands of the tech sector.
- Progress tracking: Users can monitor their progress along learning paths, facilitating structured and efficient learning.
Technologies used:
SoftServe Academy is built with modern technologies, offering a smooth and engaging user interface. The backend of the platform is developed using Python, with frameworks such as Django, ensuring robust performance and scalability.
In short, SoftServe Academy is more than just an educational platform; It is an ecosystem that empowers technology professionals and students so that they can effectively acquire knowledge and stay ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving world.
This multidisciplinary team is made up of developers, testers, analysts and designers, who combine their technical and soft skills to achieve the objectives of the project, as well as the participation, guidance and mentoring of one of the company's workers such as:
- Leon Daniel Jaramillo Ramirez (product owner)
Skills: NVIDIA Omniverse - Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Experience:
Company: sofserve
Role: SoftServe Academy Mentor
Company: Eafit
Role: Professor
Company: University of Antioquia.
Roles: Route 2 Coordinator - ICT Mission 2022 - Professor - Consulting Engineer - Research Engineer
Company: secretary of Marinilla
Role: Secretary of Information Systems and Processes
Company: Tecnológico de Antioquia.
Role: Teacher.
Company: Universidad pedagógica y tecnológica de colombia.
Role: Full professor.
Company: IEB
Role: Software Developer
Company: ASDI
Role: Software Engineer
Company: Universidad Nacional de Colombia
Role: Intern
The work team is composed of the following students:
- Esteban Vergara Giraldo (Developer, Architect)
Techniques: Python, C++, Java, Web development, SQL, PowerApps. Soft skills: Leadership, Assertive communication, Teamwork, Adaptability.
- Miguel Ángel Cock Cano (Tester)
Techniques: C, Python, JavaScript, GO. Soft skills: Adaptability, Teamwork, Positivity.
- Jonathan Betancur Espinosa (Developer, Scrum Master)
Techniques: JavaScript, Web Development, Python, PHP, SQL. Soft skills: Good communication, Responsible, Teamwork, Adaptability.
Experience:
Company: psyedu.
Role: Web Developer.
I was in charge of the creation and maintenance of the website of a small company
that offers psychological care services.
Company: Acacia SAS.
Role: Analyst and software developer.
Research and application of AI in the creation of a chatbot suitable for the needs
of the business.
- Moises David Arrieta Hernandez (Analyst)
Techniques: JavaScript, Web Development, Python, SQL. Soft skills: Adaptability, Responsible, Teamwork, Patience.
- Pablo Baez Santamaria (Designer-Scrum master)
Techniques: Flutterflow, Python, Figma, PowerApps. Soft skills: Leadership, Assertive communication, Organizational approach, Teamwork.
Experience:
Company: Threshold Experts
Role: Digital Product Quality Manager
Verify the quality of digital products in the company
The proposed system stands out for its ability to innovate and differentiate itself in the market. Here's how these features and functions answer key questions about target market alignment:
Innovation and differentiation of products/services:
The platform offers several features that make it unique and valuable in the educational field, especially in the technology sector:
- Creating custom learning paths: This functionality allows users to design tailored learning paths, integrating external content such as videos and tutorials. Not only does this facilitate more relevant learning tailored to individual needs, but it also personalizes the user experience, thus differentiating it from other platforms that offer more generic solutions.
- Content curation by experts: Teachers, mentors, and curators can curate and organize educational resources, ensuring the quality and relevance of materials. This collaborative and selective approach ensures that users have access to the best resources, something that not all platforms offer.
Are they aligned with the needs of the target market?
The system is designed with the specific needs of users in the technology sector in mind, who demand flexible, personalized learning solutions that take advantage of the resources already available on the web:
- Adaptation to specific profiles: The platform not only offers tailored content, but also generates recommendations based on the user's profile and preferences, ensuring that learning is aligned with their objectives and level of knowledge.
- Focus on ease of use: With an interface developed in Django, the platform ensures a smooth and intuitive user experience, which is critical to attracting a target audience that values efficiency and usability.
The target market of our platform is mainly focused on technology students, covering a wide age range, from 10 to 50 years old. While the platform can be useful for all types of audiences, our initial focus is on technology, providing specialized content and personalized learning paths that cater to both young people in training and professionals in continuous development within the tech sector.
| Focus on technology | Ages |
|---|---|
| Young people in training - Professionals in continuous development | 10 years - more... |
TIC contribution to GDP: Approximately 2.9% of Colombia's GDP. TIC professionals: Represents an estimated number of 1.5 million people. Students in technology: Approximately 0.8 million students. Years 2023-2024
Graph showing the projected growth of the digital education market in Colombia from 2024 to 2034, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.5%. The market size is expected to grow from 6.5 billion USD in 2024 to 25.3 billion USD in 2034. This growth reflects the growing adoption of digital educational platforms and the transformation of learning models in the country.
Our main competitors in the online tech education market are Coursera, Udemy, Platzi, and edX. These platforms are widely recognized for offering courses in various areas of knowledge, especially in technology, and have a large user base.
- Strengths of competitors:
| Coursera | Udemy | edX | Platzi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coursera | Udemy | edX | platzi |
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 |
 |
 |
| coursera Offers high-quality courses in collaboration with prestigious universities, and awards internationally recognized certifications. | Udemy It has a wide variety of courses in multiple disciplines, accessible at competitive prices, and allows independent instructors to publish their own courses. | Similar to Coursera, it collaborates with renowned universities and offers specialized programs, including microdegrees and professional certificates. | platzi focuses on the Latin American market, offering content in Spanish and an active community that supports continuous learning. |
- Comparative weaknesses: None of these platforms offer the ability to automatically design learning paths based on user profile, preferences, and progress, as our platform does. While Coursera, Udemy, Platzi, and edX allow users to select courses, our solution excels at automatically personalizing learning paths, optimizing time and study resources for each user.
Project goals can be categorized into short-term and long-term goals, taking into account user stories, planned functionalities in sprints, and questions about clarity and consistency in goals.
Short-Term Goals (Sprints 1 and 2):
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Registration and Login: Implementation of the registration and login functionalities for both students and content managers.
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Content Management: Content updates, profile creation for content managers, and the functionality for uploading and monitoring resources.
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Clarity: Clearly defined objectives to establish a solid foundation of initial functionalities (registration, login, and content management) that are essential for users to start using the platform.
- Learning Path: Generation of adaptive and personalized learning paths for users (students and content managers).
- Content Consumption: Implementation of functionalities for users to consume and monitor content, with evaluation of progress and the creation of automatic paths based on learning.
- Consistency: This sprint focuses on building on the functionalities of Sprint 1, allowing users not only to access the content, but also to receive learning paths adjusted to their profile.
Long-Term Goals (Sprint 3 and Full Project):
- Progress and Assessment Tracking: Integration of interactive assessments and detailed tracking of user progress, ensuring that students receive personalized feedback.
- Feedback and Recommendations: Collecting feedback and generating additional recommendations based on user performance.
- Complete Platform: The long-term goal is to have a fully functional platform that allows users to record their progress, receive continuous feedback and personalized recommendations, and follow automated learning paths that dynamically adjust to their needs and performance.
- Long-Term Consistency: The platform must evolve to not only be useful on an individual level, but also scale towards wider use in the technology market, providing a comprehensive learning experience.
The short-term goals are aimed at building the foundations of the platform, ensuring that the basic functionalities (registration, login, content) are ready and tested.
Long-term goals focus on optimizing the user experience through adaptive learning paths, progress tracking, and interactive assessment, ensuring that the platform meets the standards and requirements of the target market.
| Year | Relevant Fact |
|---|---|
| 1993 | SoftServe is founded in Lviv, Ukraine, by three PhD students with a background in software development. The company focuses on tailor-made software solutions. |
| 2004 | SoftServe joins the Microsoft Partner Ecosystem, allowing it to collaborate closely with Microsoft and be recognized for its innovation in business analytics |
| 2013 | Begins significant expansion by opening offices in the United States, Poland, United Kingdom, Amsterdam, Sofia, and Stockholm, achieving $100 million in annual revenues. |
| 2015 | SoftServe opens its European headquarters in Lviv, Ukraine, and organizes an event in San Francisco to address the geopolitical situation in Ukraine. Chris Baker Named CEO, Succeeding Co-Founder Taras Kytsmey. |
| 2017 | SoftServe acquires Coders Center, a company based in Wrocław, Poland, as part of its expansion strategy in Europe. |
| 2020 | The company faces a ransomware attack, but manages to contain it quickly and restore most of its systems. SoftServe also implements new security policies to prevent future attacks. |
| 2023 | SoftServe is recognized as a Challenger in the Gartner Magic Quadrant™ for custom software development services worldwide, highlighting its ability to deliver innovative, high-quality solutions. |
This table provides an overview of the key milestones in SoftServe's evolution, highlighting its ability to grow, innovate, and respond to challenges in the competitive technology sector.
SoftServe's Mission and Vision
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Mission: SoftServe's mission is to drive innovation, quality, and speed in the development of technology solutions to meet the expectations of its customers and end users. SoftServe is dedicated to helping companies solve complex business problems, create industry-disrupting technology, and accelerate growth and innovation while optimizing operational efficiency.
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vision: SoftServe's vision is to be a global leader in technology solutions, fostering an environment of continuous learning and collaboration that enables its employees and customers to reach their full potential, using advanced technology to digitally transform businesses and societies.
Mission and Vision of Our Project
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Mission: The mission of our project is to offer a collaborative learning platform specialized in the technology industry, which allows students and professionals to create, customize and follow efficient learning paths, adapted to their individual needs and the demands of the technology market.
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Vision: Our vision is to become the leading platform for autonomous learning in the technology sector, recognized for its ability to personalize educational paths and empower continuous skill development in a dynamic and ever-evolving environment.
| SoftServe Values | Our Project Values |
|---|---|
| Continuous Innovation | Personalization |
| Quality | Accessibility |
| Collaboration | Content Quality |
| Continuous Learning | Collaboration and Community |
| Social Responsibility | Innovation |
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Depth and breadth of research: The EdTech market in Colombia has shown significant growth in recent years, driven by the pandemic and the need for digital solutions for education. This market is expected to continue expanding at a compound annual rate (CAGR) of 14.5% between 2024 and 2034. This positions Colombia as a key country in Latin America for the adoption of educational technologies, especially in the academic sector.
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Reliable and up-to-date sources: The data comes from recent market studies on the EdTech sector in Latin America and Colombia, highlighting investment in digital infrastructure and the interest of global companies such as Coursera, Udemy, and Platzi in this market.
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The market is primarily segmented into two types of users: academic institutions and companies looking for training solutions for their employees. In addition, there is a remarkable growth in self-paced learning among individual consumers, which includes students, parents, and professionals looking to improve their skills.
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**The academic institution and enterprise segments have particular needs for learning management systems (LMS) and training platforms that adapt to hybrid and digital models. On the other hand, individual consumers require flexibility and personalization in learning paths.
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The main users in the Colombian EdTech market include students and professionals looking for technology training and skill development. Academic institutions and businesses are also important customers that require scalable technology solutions for corporate education and training.
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There is a growing demand for platforms that offer flexible and accessible learning, particularly through cloud-based technologies that enable access from any device and location. This reflects a preference for hybrid and digital education models in Colombia.
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The main competitors in the EdTech market in Colombia include global platforms such as Coursera, Udemy, edX, and Platzi, all focused on online education. These platforms offer a variety of courses and certifications, but none have an automatic focus on creating custom learning paths, which sets our project apart.
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While competitors are strong in offering a vast amount of content and partnerships with prestigious universities, one of their weaknesses is the lack of automatic personalization of educational paths, which is a differentiating point of our platform.
This research provides a detailed view of the target market, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges within the EdTech sector in Colombia and Latin America.
The platform distinguishes itself through innovation and a tailored approach to learning, particularly in the tech sector:
Custom Learning Paths: It enables users to create personalized learning experiences by integrating external content, such as videos and tutorials, enhancing relevance and personalization compared to more generic educational platforms.
Expert Content Curation: Educators and experts meticulously curate and organize learning materials to ensure quality and relevance, providing access to superior resources that many other platforms lack.
These features are aligned with the specific demands of the technology sector for flexible, customized learning solutions:
Targeted Adaptations: The system adapts content to fit individual profiles and preferences, aligning educational materials with users' objectives and knowledge levels.
User-Friendly Design: Developed with Django, the platform offers a smooth and intuitive interface, essential for engaging a tech-savvy audience that prioritizes usability and efficiency.
SoftServe Academy aims to improve its visibility and user engagement through a multi-channel marketing strategy tailored to the technology community. The following elements will be key:
Digital Marketing: Using SEO, pay-per-click campaigns, and social media platforms like LinkedIn, X, and Instagram to reach technology professionals and students.
Content Marketing: Offering informative webinars and blog posts that highlight the benefits of our personalized learning paths and the technology behind them.
Partnerships: Collaborate with technology companies, universities and influencers to co-create content and offer specialized learning modules.
An initial budget will be outlined to cover the costs of developing and launching SoftServe Academy, considering elements such as:
Personnel: Developers, content creators, marketing team, analyst, scrum master. Equipment: Servers, computers, and necessary software licenses. Marketing: Initial campaigns, SEO tools, and promotional materials.
| Role | Own Team Contribution | Other Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Developers (student) | $1,000,000 | $500,000 |
| Tester (student) | $1,000,000 | $500,000 |
| Scrum Master (student) | $1,000,000 | $500,000 |
| Analyst (student) | $1,000,000 | $500,000 |
| Marketing (student) | $1,000,000 | $500,000 |
| Total | $5,000,000 | $2,500,000 |
This table outlines the salary structure for the project team, where each student role is compensated at the minimum wage in Colombia, recognizing that the team members are students who have not yet obtained their university degrees. The "Own Team Contribution" column reflects the base salary provided by the entrepreneurial team, while "Other Sources" might include supplementary funds or external financial support.
Fixed and Variable Operating Costs for SoftServe Academy
| Item | Description | Monthly Cost (COP) |
|---|---|---|
| Salaries | Fixed salaries for developers, tester, scrum master, analyst, marketing (student) | $5,000,000 |
| Services (Internet) | Essential Internet and other services | $1,000,000 |
| Marketing | Fixed costs for digital marketing campaigns | $5,000,000 |
https://www.epm.com.co/clientesyusuarios/servicio-al-cliente/informacion-sobre-tarifas.html https://www.marketingdigitalltv.com/precios-y-paquetes/
| Item | Description | Cost per Unit/Customer (COP) |
|---|---|---|
| Data Server | Cost for cloud data usage per user | $1,500 per user |
| Customer Support | Technical support and customer service | $2,000 per ticket |
| Marketing | Variable advertising and promotions | $500 per click |
Cost Description:
- Fixed Costs: These are recurrent expenses necessary for the basic operations of the platform, including the salaries for the operational team, essential internet services, software licenses, and a fixed marketing budget.
- Variable Costs: These costs are associated with the number of users and platform activity. Server costs increase with more active users, and support costs vary depending on the number of support tickets. Marketing expenses adjust based on active campaigns and user interaction.
| Product or Service | Price per Unit or Customer (COP) |
|---|---|
| Basic Access (Freemium) | Free |
| Premium Access (Monthly) | $75,000 |
| Premium Access (Annual) | $750,000 |
https://www.coursera.org/ https://www.edx.org/es https://platzi.com/
Service Descriptions:
- Basic Access (Freemium): Provides limited access to introductory courses and learning paths, allowing users to experience the platform at no cost. This tier includes advertisements, which generate revenue to support the free access.
- Premium Access (Monthly/Annual): Offers full access to all functionalities and advanced courses on the platform, ideal for users seeking a deeper, ad-free learning experience.
| Month | Estimated Sales | Revenue (COP) | Expenses (COP) | Total (COP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | 1,500,000 | 5,500,000 | -4,000,000 |
| 2 | 150 | 2,250,000 | 5,500,000 | -3,250,000 |
| 3 | 250 | 3,750,000 | 5,500,000 | -1,750,000 |
| 4 | 400 | 6,000,000 | 5,500,000 | 500,000 |
| 5 | 600 | 9,000,000 | 5,500,000 | 3,500,000 |
| 6 | 850 | 12,750,000 | 5,500,000 | 7,250,000 |
| 7 | 1100 | 16,500,000 | 5,500,000 | 11,000,000 |
| 8 | 1400 | 21,000,000 | 5,500,000 | 15,500,000 |
| 9 | 1800 | 27,000,000 | 5,500,000 | 21,500,000 |
| 10 | 2200 | 33,000,000 | 5,500,000 | 27,500,000 |
| 11 | 2600 | 39,000,000 | 5,500,000 | 33,500,000 |
| 12 | 3100 | 46,500,000 | 5,500,000 | 41,000,000 |
https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-colombia https://virtuemarketresearch.com/report/edtech-market
In the initial months, an initial loss is anticipated as a user base is built up. The breakeven point, where revenues equal expenses, is expected to be reached by the fourth month. From there on, a continuous increase in revenue is projected due to growth in the number of premium subscribers and enterprise clients.
To cover initial expenses and fund growth, the following financing sources will be considered:
Angel Investors: Capital contributions in exchange for a minority stake in the company. Startup Grants: Seeking specific grants for educational technology startups. Crowdfunding: Launching a campaign to attract small investors and committed users. These estimates are based on the previous operational costs and the defined pricing strategy, aiming to ensure the economic viability and scalability capacity of SoftServe Academy.
Realism and Detail of the Schedule:
- The project is divided into three main sprints, each with clearly defined completion dates. The sprints focus on key functionalities, which allows for a gradual and realistic delivery of the product.
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Key Dates:
- Sprint 1: Ends on September 11.
- Sprint 2: Ends on October 9.
- Sprint 3: Ends on November 6.
- Final Delivery: November 13.
- Each sprint has achievable goals, and the functionalities are logically grouped to ensure that the milestones are realistic and measurable within the assigned deadlines.
The key milestones are clearly identified, with deliverables defined for each sprint:
- Sprint 1: User registration and authentication, content management.
- Sprint 2: Learning path generation, content consumption, and progress tracking.
- Sprint 3: Interactive assessments, feedback, and additional recommendations.
The deadlines are realistic, as each sprint focuses on a manageable set of tasks, ensuring the feasibility of the objectives.
Importance and Coherence of the Established Milestones:
- Each sprint contains key milestones that are fundamental to the platform’s functionality:
- Sprint 1 lays the foundation of the system with registration and content management, which is essential for any platform user.
- Sprint 2 moves towards the automatic generation of learning paths, which is the project's main differentiator, ensuring the personalization of the learning experience.
- Sprint 3 adds an advanced level of functionality, with interactive assessments and recommendations, enhancing the user experience through continuous feedback.
- The milestones are coherent and well-aligned with the overall project objectives, focusing on fundamental features that allow the system to be functional from the first sprint.
Are they measurable and achievable?
- Yes, the established milestones are measurable, as each one focuses on specific functionalities (registration, learning path generation, assessments) that can be easily tested and validated at the end of each sprint.
- The division of tasks into sprints ensures that objectives can be progressively achieved, allowing the team to focus on specific developments without becoming overwhelmed by large deliverables.
The schedule and key milestones of the project are designed to be realistic, measurable, and achievable, ensuring a smooth and organized development process. Each sprint is aligned with the gradual implementation needs of the platform, starting with basic functionalities and moving towards more complex features such as automatic learning path generation and interactive assessments.
Comprehensive identification of potential risks:
- Flaws in the automatic generation of learning paths: The algorithm may not correctly personalize the learning paths, affecting the user experience.
- System overload: The system may not efficiently handle a high number of simultaneous users, which would cause slow response times or service outages.
- Security risks: Possible vulnerabilities in the handling of user data, such as the leakage of sensitive information.
Is the probability and impact of each risk assessed?:
- Automatic generation: Medium probability, high impact. If the routes are not adequate, users would lose interest.
- System overload: Low probability, high impact. User experience would be severely affected if the system becomes unstable.
- Data security: Low probability, high impact. A security breach would have severe consequences for user confidence.
Relevance and effectiveness of the proposed strategies:
- Improving the personalization algorithm: Implement constant testing and adjustments to the route generation algorithm to ensure its accuracy.
- Server optimization and scalability: Adopt a scalable cloud architecture that allows handling variable user loads without affecting performance.
- Security policies and data encryption: Implement two-factor authentication, data encryption, and constant vulnerability monitoring to protect user information.
Are there concrete action plans to mitigate the identified risks?:
- Algorithm improvement: Establish a roadmap to iterate and improve the algorithm through user feedback, ensuring the quality of the learning paths generated.
- System scalability: Implement periodic load tests and use cloud services such as AWS or Azure, which allow expanding server capacity on demand.
- Data security: Implement regular security audits, data encryption, and employee training on best practices in computer security.
With these mitigation strategies, it is possible to minimize the impacts of the risks and ensure that the system operates optimally even in adverse scenarios.
Based on the market analysis, SoftServe Academy is positioned well within a growing educational technology market. The platform’s unique ability to create personalized learning experiences addresses a clear need within the tech community.
Viability: The project is viable with realistic revenue projections and a clear path to profitability. Adjustments for Improvement: Continuous updates to learning algorithms and user interface improvements based on feedback can further enhance viability. Risk Consideration: While there are risks related to technology and market acceptance, these are manageable with the outlined contingency strategies. In conclusion, SoftServe Academy represents a promising opportunity to make a significant impact in the tech education sector, with a sustainable business model and a strategic approach to marketing and financial management.
https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-colombia https://virtuemarketresearch.com/report/edtech-market https://www.expertmarketresearch.com/reports/digital-education-market https://career.softserveinc.com/es/about/colombia https://about.coursera.org/ https://www.edx.org/es https://platzi.com/ https://www.udemy.com/es/ https://www.6wresearch.com/industry-report/colombia-digital-education-market https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/edutech-industry-analysis-in-latin-america https://www.marketdataforecast.com/ https://www.dane.gov.co/index.php/estadisticas-por-tema/tecnologia-e-innovacion/tecnologias-de-la-informacion-y-las-comunicaciones-tic