A debate is currently underway in education. Should schools focus on cutting costs or should they invest in more technology access for the classroom and resource labs? Technology in schools helps students prepare for the 21st century workplace. For educators, technology can help them keep students engaged which catalyzes learning. Naturally, many education institutions aspire to have a PC for every student. To have technology fully integrated into the curriculum. However, making this vision a reality can be challenging. School budgets are under tremendous pressure. Teachers often don?t have the IT skills to set up computer labs and don?t have additional IT resources to help. When students do get access to computers, it may be hard for teachers to monitor their work and keep them focused on learning. Schools worldwide are looking for practical, affordable ways to attain their education goals but stay within their budget.
Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 Goes to the American Heartlands:
Located in the South Western corner of Iowa, The Tri-Center Community School serves the needs of more than 800 students from K-12. As a school administrator stated, their school is situated between corn and beans with a lot of farmland. Many of the school parents don?t know how to use computers. So, giving students that experience at school is critical for their future success. Tri-Center teachers and school leaders looked for a solution that gave them the biggest bang for their buck. Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 (WMS 2011) was the answer for them.
Affordable: By repurposing 6 year old Wyse terminals and outdated computers as network-connected thin clients, Tri- Center schools were able to make the most of their existing hardware investments saving considerable costs.
Easy to set up: With the support of a Microsoft partner, they were able to pop in the DVD, go through the basic install process, a make a few quick configuration choices and DONE. WMS 2011 fit right into their existing network, running both physically and virtually on servers they already had.
Empower teachers: From their own desk, teachers can easily monitor, interact and control student desktops keeping them on task.
A big hit with students: They love having a familiar, modern Windows experience at school, especially when it?s their own personalized Windows 7 session.
Watch the video below to hear more about Tri-Center Community School?s experience with WMS 2011:
Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 Makes a Difference in the Czech Republic
Similar to many schools worldwide, administrators and teachers from the Gymn�zium SO?, a secondary school about 40 kilometers outside of Prague in the Czech Republic, wanted to use technology in every aspect of learning as a means to help their students to be ready to compete in the job market. They also need a way to save on power and equipment costs, so they deployed WMS 2011 in their learning labs. The result:
- Gymn�zium SO? was able to reduce costs by 75%, overall.
- Annual power savings dropped by $1,000 which was very significant for them.
- Using WMS2011 in one of their labs, the school was able to provide 10 workstations for about $220 each, compared to $916 each for a traditional PC set up. Total savings of $690 per seat.
- In another lab, they were able to re-use seven year old computers and existing network equipment. Rather than throw them out or buy new hardware, they were able to provide a Windows 7 and Office 2010 experience on them. ?We deployed Office 2010 on Windows MultiPoint Server and it worked flawlessly, even on the old hardware and it was instantly available to all the stations?, according to Karel Klatovsky, the IT Teacher who managed the project.
- The WMS 2011 solution didn?t require additional training of their instructors avoiding those potential costs as well.
With their WMS 2011 deployment, the school can use the money it has saved on power, licensing and equipment to enhance students? educational experience.
Hear more details from teachers and students below:
Research Shows that Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 Delivers Proven Savings for Schools
Forrester Research recently completed a study examining the total economic impact (TEI) and potential return on investment (ROI) for WMS 2011 in emerging markets (PDF download). The data for the study was based on in-depth interviews with five learning institutions in five emerging markets across the globe. All of the participating schools made the decision to focus on increased access to technology for more students, trading off certain rich features only available on Windows 7 PCs.
The financial analysis and results show that education institutions who did select Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 can realize a 65% reduction in the overall costs resulting from a combination of hardware savings, significant decrease of labor and maintenance expenses and considerable energy use reductions. To learn how these savings were possible, click to read the full report.
Learn More:
As educators continue to debate how to cut costs without compromising education, WMS 2011 is a practical and affordable solution to this challenge. Please visit the Windows MultiPoint Server site to read more customer stories and see how WMS 2011 can help your school.
Megan Ewing Kristanna Loken Aubrey ODay Drew Barrymore Marley Shelton
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