I've talk a lot about the Microsoft Learning Gateway and have just implemented it into the largest school in Europe (this school is massive).

I use this image below in my presentation and it shows from the end-user to the back-end of the Microsoft Learning Gateway.

Any stakeholder from the educational organistation can access the information with the site users any device, whether its a laptop or tablet to a mobile phone.

The bottom step is the operating system.  All the product have got to be installed on a Microsoft OS.

The next step is in two sections, front-end and back-end.  The left is the front end and has products such as SharePoint, Exchange, Office Communications Server, Live Meeting and at the bottom you have ISA which is the security for internet access.

The back-end includes Active Directory, SQL and other features required.

The arrows coming down from the top are other products that are not Microsoft products.   If your a SharePoint developer you will know you can add webparts into the the web application and these arrow are the same.  Many schools have other none Microsoft products installed such as a timetabling system that can be bolted onto the system using the .net framwork or just a pageview.