Digital learning isn’t just a trend anymore – it’s become the backbone of academic and professional training all around the world. Here in the U.S., where schools and companies are locked in fierce competition and everyone’s clamoring for more flexibility, making sure both remote and in‑person exams stay honest is a top priority. That’s where solutions like SMOWL come in: Smowltech’s digital proctoring platform delivers rock‑solid oversight without compromising the student experience – or scalability for organizations.
Today we’re sitting down with Cosimo Lorenzo Guerriero, Head of Marketing at Smowltech, to dive into how they’re carving out a spot for SMOWL in the tough North American market, what hurdles they’ve already leapt over, and where he sees the future of digital proctoring headed.
Throughout our conversation, we’ll get Cosimo’s big‑picture strategy, the lessons he’s learned leading a global team, what makes SMOWL the only Moodle‑certified proctoring integration, and how they’re now fine‑tuning the experience for Blackboard by Anthology – as well as other popular platforms in U.S. education.
Let’s jump right in!
Cosimo, for our readers who are just getting into digital education, how would you describe digital proctoring today – and why is it becoming more essential to protect the integrity of exams, whether remote or in person?
To me, digital proctoring is first and foremost a guarantee of academic integrity.
It creates a bridge of trust between traditional campus settings and online learning environments.
Whether a student is taking an exam from their home in Arizona or in a hybrid classroom in Texas, digital proctoring acts as a “virtual witness” – verifying their identity, monitoring their behavior, and generating clear reports backed by objective evidence. It gives instructors and administrators the confidence to stand behind every grade, just as if they were physically in the room.
But it’s more than just surveillance. The goal is to strike the right balance between academic rigor and a smooth user experience.
That means keeping the tech as lightweight as possible – minimizing bandwidth usage and simplifying the setup – while also aligning with U.S. privacy and accessibility standards.
In short, digital proctoring ensures that every result reflects a student’s true knowledge, protects the reputation of educational institutions, and levels the playing field by making secure assessments accessible no matter where a student is or what device they’re using.
And Cosimo, if you had to sum it up in one sentence – what makes SMOWL stand out for educational institutions?
Smowltech stands out for its seamless integration and smart supervision across both remote and in-person settings—making sure every assessment truly reflects what a student knows.
It’s a real trust-builder that connects classrooms and online spaces with the same level of confidence, because at the heart of it, we’re addressing a deeply human need: making sure that no matter where a student is, their results reflect their real effort. And in the U.S., where the credibility of a certification can launch careers and open doors, that kind of trust is worth its weight in gold.
What were some of the initial challenges you faced when introducing a proctoring solution like SMOWL into such a mature market like the U.S.?
The first big hurdle was proving that we understood both international and local regulations. In Europe, we’re fully aligned with GDPR, but in the U.S., we had to dive deep into FERPA and ADA compliance. To do that, we ran audits with U.S.-based experts and adapted our terms of service accordingly.
Another challenge was that many IT teams were already used to long-standing providers.
The turning point for us was offering a certified integration with Moodle – which is the go-to LMS for many universities – and showing, through live demos, that our response times and support quality consistently exceeded expectations.
We’re now scaling that same approach across other LMS platforms, including custom-built environments.
You mentioned the Moodle certification – what exactly does that involve, and why is it such a big deal?
Getting the Moodle Certified Integration badge means that Smowltech has passed strict compatibility and security tests with the Moodle platform.
For eLearning admins, that’s a big reassurance: they know they can update Moodle without worrying about things breaking, they won’t need custom development or workarounds, and they’ll have full official support behind them.
That kind of peace of mind speeds up decision-making and lightens the load for IT teams, so they can focus more on driving real learning improvements.
Before the interview, you mentioned that you took part in Anthology Together in Las Vegas this year. What were your main goals, and what kind of feedback did you get?
Our main goal was to showcase our new integration with Blackboard Learn. At Anthology Together, we demonstrated how SMOWL can be installed in just a few minutes, how instructors can access reports directly within the Blackboard dashboard, and how students benefit from a seamless login experience thanks to Single Sign-On.
The feedback was pretty clear: people appreciated how easy it was to implement and the quality of the reporting. But more than anything, they asked us to expand our user tutorials and strengthen our support coverage in the Pacific Time Zone – which we’re already working on.
Bandwidth usage is a big concern in many parts of the U.S. Can you explain how SMOWL tackles that challenge?
From day one, we designed SMOWL with a lightweight architecture in mind. Instead of streaming continuous video, our system sends only the essential data packets needed to reliably reconstruct the testing environment. This drastically reduces network strain in areas with limited connectivity – like rural campuses on the West Coast or libraries in suburban communities – and makes it easier for students with low-cost broadband to access exams without lag or dropouts.
The result? Not only do students save on data and enjoy a smoother experience, but institutions also benefit from lower network infrastructure demands. It’s a win-win on both sides.
At the institutional level, what types of organizations are adopting SMOWL, and what use cases are you seeing?
Our client base is pretty diverse. We work with public and private universities, continuing education academies, and even corporations that need to certify their employees. For instance, there’s a college in Florida using SMOWL for technical certification exams – they combine digital proctoring for the written portions with in-person, assisted supervision in their labs.
Another recent example is an MBA program in Boston that uses SMOWL for group assessments, both remotely and during in-person sessions across distributed classrooms.
Beyond specific sectors, we’re also seeing growing interest from schools that serve students with accessibility needs. Because SMOWL is lightweight and adaptable, it supports universal access without adding technical barriers.
How does SMOWL ensure clear, objective evidence when reviewing a case – so there’s no room for confusion?
We design every report to tell a clear, straightforward story. Each alert comes with a timestamp, a precise screenshot, and a short automatic note describing the event – like a window switch or the user being absent. All of this is laid out in a visual timeline that supervisors can navigate with just a click.
This means instructors don’t need to scrub through hours of video. In just a few seconds per exam, they can validate anything they need – and if necessary, follow up with the student for an oral review or additional check. That kind of clarity drastically cuts down the time it takes to resolve issues and removes the guesswork that comes with poorly documented cases.
From a marketing perspective, what tactics have you found most effective for driving SMOWL adoption in the U.S.?
First off, educational inbound marketing has been key. We create content that speaks directly to the questions and concerns of decision-makers – publishing articles on LinkedIn, hosting sessions with real-world use cases, and partnering with eLearning associations to reach the right audiences.
At the same time, Smowltech focuses heavily on direct engagement: virtual meetups with IT leaders, hands-on training sessions for faculty and staff—so that from day one, the people making the decisions can actually see how Smowltech works, how it’s installed, and how exam reviews are done.
We’ve also launched a partner program with local integrators, which helps expand our regional reach and provides support in critical time zones. That local presence makes a big difference when it comes to building trust and speeding up implementation.
What role do you play in Smowltech’s growth?
(Cosimo laughs) I’d say my role is kind of like a “success facilitator”. I make sure our teams – marketing, product, support, and compliance – are all speaking the same language and working toward the same goals. We’ve built a strong data-driven culture where every campaign is tracked with clear metrics like CPL, CAC, and conversion rates. We meet weekly to review wins and fine-tune our strategies.
I also stay in close contact with key players in our niche. Their ideas, challenges, and experiences help shape our roadmap. That kind of direct feedback is what allows us to move quickly and support institutions in ways that really match their priorities.
Looking ahead, what innovations do you see coming to SMOWL, and where do you think digital proctoring is headed?
In the short term, we’re rolling out a refreshed analytics module. We’re also working on an upgraded authentication layer and a new report format to make evidence easier to access and review based on the feedback we’ve gathered.
Over the medium term, proctoring will become more “contextual” – adjusting how often and how deeply it monitors based on the student’s history and the exam’s complexity.
And looking way ahead, I envision an ecosystem where proctoring, blockchain, and virtual reality come together to create an immersive, tamper-proof, and truly global testing experience.
Final Thoughts
My conversation with Cosimo Lorenzo Guerriero highlights that digital proctoring is no longer just a technical add-on – it’s become a strategic cornerstone for any institution aiming to compete in today’s education market.
With a certified Moodle integration, native enhancements for Blackboard, and an architecture built to minimize bandwidth use, I believe SMOWL meets the high standards of reliability and user experience demanded by universities, corporate academies, and certification centers alike. It’s clear why Smowltech is growing and establishing itself as a solid, trustworthy solution.
Smowltech has successfully connected with decision-makers, built strong regional partnerships, and translated its technical strengths into tangible value: saving network infrastructure costs, cutting down incident review times and ensuring regulatory compliance.
At the same time, their social and environmental focus – by reducing travel and improving access in remote areas – shows a real commitment to sustainability and equal opportunity.
For readers, this story proves that adopting digital proctoring not only strengthens academic integrity but also becomes a brand differentiator and a driver of innovation. Leaders and organizations that position themselves as trusted, agile, and scalable services aligned with 21st-century education demands will always come out ahead in the long run.
And for business leaders, choosing solutions like SMOWL isn’t just about adopting technology – it’s about positioning themselves at the forefront of tomorrow’s education, building reputation, efficiency, and sustainability that translate into lasting competitive advantages.
“Every exam proctored with SMOWL is a step closer to barrier-free education, where trust and transparency become the best legacy for future generations”
— Cosimo Lorenzo Guerriero, Head of Marketing at Smowltech
Also Read: Supporting sustainability in education through proctoring
