Case Study: Hokkaido University improves online learning with Microsoft Azure

Faculty of Engineering at Hokkaido University uses the cloud to improve online learning

Hokkaido University’s Faculty of Engineering needed a better way to support students studying abroad, since its Moodle-based e-learning system ran on-premises, had limited capacity, took nearly two weeks to prepare a course for online use, and raised security concerns. The university worked with Microsoft Corporation and partner Kodama Research Institute, using Azure Media Services, Azure Virtual Machines, Microsoft Cognitive Services, and Microsoft Translator to move the platform to the cloud.

With Microsoft Corporation, Hokkaido University automated video encoding, captions, and translation, cutting course preparation time from more than 13 days to a little over two hours and reducing video encoding time from six hours to two hours per course. The Azure-based system also expanded access across PC, Android, and iOS devices, improved scalability and security, and is expected to reduce human and infrastructure resource costs by 50% over five years.

Hokkaido University

Hironori Kakui

Technician