>> from Seattle WASHINGTON. It's the Q covering AWS Imagine brought to you by Amazon Web service is >> Hey, welcome back. You're writing Jeffrey here with the Cube. We're in downtown >> Seattle. It aws Imagine. Edie you. It's a brand new show. Actually, this is the second year were here last year to really is part of public sector on Really addressing education and education is K through 12. It's higher education. It's community college. It's that and so much border. We're really excited to have our next guest. The company's been in the space for a long time, are really driving a lot of digital transformation internally as well as with their customers. And we have Andrew Gilfillan. He is the VP of product management for Pearson. Andrew, great to see you. >> Great to be here. Thanks for having me. >> All right. So give us the kind of quick over on Pearson for people who aren't familiar with the country. >> S O Pearson's a global education company operating in 70 countries around the world. And our mission is really to help people progress their lives through learning. >> Now things are changing up. Change it up a little bit. You're here he had a big announcement earlier today during the keynote Yes, about a new product called Rebel Pearson Rebel Pearson Rebels been around for a little while, so give us the background and what's changed now, >> right? So Rebel first launched in 2014. So it's now been around for a little more than five years on. And really, it's at the forefront of our transformation to digital course materials. Revels intended. Thio replaced the traditional tax book and give students the opportunity to have a fully digital interactive learning experience where they can read practice, study anywhere, >> anytime. So it's basically an app that integrates all the different types of material that they're going to use in their kind of day to day. In the actual engagement with that class. >> Eso it incorporates all of their course materials, so their readings, their assignments, they can access it through their computer or through mobile app, which is which is great because it enables them to learn anywhere. We know that students are on the go lots of priorities they're squeezing in their course, you know, their course work while there juggling jobs, families, activity is everything else. So it's pretty >> interesting because you talk about it being pretty mobile, heavy, mobile centric because that's one of the big attributes of mobile. Right? We check our phones were in line at the grocery store and you get a couple of minutes here in a couple minutes here, as opposed to when used to sit down at the computer. And I've kind of dedicated attention span. So you're seeing that on the education side with the kids in the way they actually engage with their with their curricula? >> Absolutely. I mean, we have to meet students where they are way have to bring learning to them so they can learn on their terms >> and is a workout. I mean, old school people like me, like Come on, you guys, let's sit down and concentrate for 20 minutes. 30 minutes on a particular topic. Yeah, it works for >> that. It does. And actually, what we know from research is that students actually learn better. When material is broken down into smaller chunks, the rebel is able to break the material down into smaller pieces. I'm really optimize the learning, provide immediate feedback for them, and soon can kind of stop pick up where they left off later down the road. You know, if they were studying during a break at their job right now and they're gonna pick back up when they get home, they can do that. >> Interesting. Okay, So that what is the Lexx? I have to do this. What's the opportunity? How did this come about in the first place? And then you guys do >> s so we're super excited to be able to partner with Amazon again. Our goal is Thio really make learning more engaging and more convenient for more learners. And the partnership with Amazon to bring the rebel skill for Alexa is another step in that direction. Eso, Alexa really enable students too engaged in their learning on their own terms. We had one student who tested the skill for us while it was in development who was juggling a family taking a full course load and had a full time job. And she used Alexa toe listen to her reading while she was preparing meals for her, for her family on it was a great way to really show that Alexa made possible her to fit her course. Bergin, when she had time to do it. >> So it's really just connecting her Alexa device at home in tow. Her her her revel account. >> Yeah, So the link your rebel account with your with your Alexa with your Amazon Alexa a count, and it allows you to stay up to date on when your assignments or do it allows. You listen to the tax. You can change devices and pick up where you left off on a new device >> in a different location at a different time. So how many different kind of actions will do >> so their number of commands? It's really focused on audio playback on understanding when your assignments are due being able to play sort of, you know what, you what the current assignment is or to know when the next assignment is due. Right? So it's still really focused on sort of the key activities that a student's gonna participate in when they're engaging with their with their rebel product. >> Okay, And do you see just isn't open up your product manager, you know, kind of a whole new host of of potential capabilities. Using voice is an interface versus >> yeah, eso eso I mean, we know that students air mobile. We know that the sort of current generation of students what we call the eye Jen's grew up in a world where Internets always been a thing. And so we really want to take advantage of all of the tools that are out there to deliver more engaging experiences, right, and and to really be able to reach Maur learners in really positive ways, >> right? And then who's your customer? Your customer usually like the school, the school entity, >> So that's a great question. Eso Historically, our customer really was The student is the end user. The educator ultimately chose what, uh, what they used or what they expected this student to use. Increasingly, Pierson's transforming and really looking at institutions as customers as well. And so we have tears of customers. It's It's the institution. It's Theo educator, and it's the student, and we have to meet the needs of all three of those things. One of the great things about Revel is not only do we believe that it drives better outcomes for the student, but it allows us to deliver a better product at a more affordable price, >> right? Do you find that the engagement with the application because it still basically the same application under the cover significantly is significantly different with a voice interaction around. If you have enough data yet, yeah, I think I >> think it's too early to tell. I mean, certainly were optimistic about the promise of voice being a part of the experience. It's not going to be the whole experience but will be an important part of the experience. And it will really enable more flexibility for students to use the tool in a variety of ways. >> It's just interesting to me with the whole voice thing that you get e mails old people like us get e mails telling you what you should ask your voice. You should ask Alexei, Have you thought about asking like something more than just turn on the radio with the weather? It's only a joke, >> you know, it's it's amazing. I think when you watch students interact with these tools, it's so natural and so intuitive for them. They've grown up with mobile devices. They've grown up with the Internet, they've grown up sort of with a new paradigm, and they expect that they're learning experiences, air gonna adapt in those ways and in sort of the ways that they're adopting, >> right? So last question. Here we're here. It it Just imagine, obviously, Theresa's super passionate about this area. Andrews super passionate about this area. What's it meant for you guys? How's Amazon been? Our AWS is a partner, you know, still kind of early days for them in this type of area. But clearly there's a lot of resource is being put behind. >> Yes, eso Amazon has been a great partner and Alexa the rebel skill for Alexis, sort of our new launch. But we've partnered with Amazon. Andi used Amazon Web service is underpinning Ah, lot of a lot of our product experiences, including Revel So they've been a great partner. And I think this is an example of just extending that one more step. And we look forward to be ableto, you know, look even further to see how we can work together to improve learning for students. >> I love a 200 year old company using voice. That's right. All right, Andrew. Well, thanks for taking a few minutes out of your way and congratulations. And look forward, Thio toe watching it progressively get more data coming out of that thing. Thank you. All right. He's an drum. Jeff, you're watching the key. Where eight of us. Imagine, in downtown Seattle. Thanks for watching.