Total Solutions - Edition 2, 2022

From The CEO

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Kia ora, I hope you all are safe and well.

With the end of the year looming, we are busily preparing for the craziness of Term 4 and the end of year break. In this coming holiday break, a huge number of our schools undertake changes to their ICT environments. Our Account Executive team is busy working alongside our clients, assisting with their procurement needs, and ensuring project planning is well underway. I cannot emphasise enough that now is the time to act to ensure such projects are signed off and ready to go. These days with cloud-based technologies a lot of the preparation can be completed seamlessly during the term time, so there will be minimal interruption over the break. This, however, cannot happen if things are left too late.

In this edition of Total Solutions, we are covering PA/Bell Systems that many schools have procured or are moving to. The technology and smarts delivered by these new systems really are ground-breaking compared to the antiquated intercom systems of the past.

I also want to highlight our efforts of late, now having three sets of students join New Era for a 6-week

internship programme. The students have found the programme to be very beneficial not just around working as a tech in an ICT company, but we have ensured we provided them with an interview/induction process and mock exit interviews. We believe providing them with the fundamentals in how to operate in a business (e.g. turning up on time) is critical for their career.

All the best and have a great Term 4!

Greg

Greg Strachan

OVERVIEW

May

Te Tai Tokerau Principal’s Association ConferencePaihia

Otago Principal’s Association (NOPA) Conference

events, Whangarei, Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch, Nelson

InterfaceXpo - Christchurch, Taupo and Auckland

Secondary Principals Association NZ (SPANZ) Conference, Queenstown

This conference is always a highlight for the team. The beautiful location,

workshops, and

famous New Era dinner made the conference one

August

November • August is a busy month for us! We enjoyed getting to catch up with our existing customers and building relationships with other schools.

NZ Association of Principals of Catholic Secondary Schools (NAPCSS)

Central North Island Secondary Principals Association (CNISPA) Conference, Rotorua

Te Akatea Maori Principals Association Conference, Auckland

NZ Area Schools Association (NZASA) Conference, Christchurch

Independent Schools of NZ (ISNZ) Conference, Wellington

School Business Managers Conference Mount Maunganui

July

We love the excitement when awarding our prize winner.

A Solution For Every School

New Era Technology has managed service agreements to suit schools that need a little bit of help or schools that want us to do everything.

New Era Technology has delivered ICT assistance and services to schools in New Zealand for over 25 years. Our team of technicians and education experts ensure our customers get the best technical skills and advice available. Our managed service agreements can cater to those with in-house ICT departments that want assurance of backup when required, schools that need an additional hand throughout the year, and schools that want someone to look after their ICT for them.

AS YOU NEED IT

ICT Support

ICT Strategy Procurement

HANDS ON SUPPORT

Your backup in case things go wrong.

As you need engineering time

As you need strategic planning

As you need service desk

Access to security and BYOD services.

A helping hand throughout the year.

Regular on-site visits

Strategic planning Regular technician support Service desk support.

Let us do the heavy lifting.

Fulltime technician on-site Annual strategic plan

Service desk support Included project hours.

Find out what managed service plan is right for your school.

Contact us on 0800 438 428 or visit neweratech.com/nz/school-itservices/

5 Signs it’s Time to Outsource Your School’s ICT

Have you considered outsourcing your school’s IT?

Outsourcing your school’s IT services come with various advantages an in-house team may not be able to compete with. Read the below signs and see if it applies to your school. If it does, it may be time to look at outsourcing options for your school’s IT needs.

There is a Lack of Expertise in the Team

With more technology being implemented at schools, it can be difficult for an in-house IT team to keep up.

Eventually, even the most capable in-house technician or team will encounter an ICT problem they cannot solve alone. This rise in technology may demand a more diverse skill set that you cannot compensate for with internal hires. Outsourcing your IT needs in this situation is a great way to ensure you have all the help you need to continue growing without worrying about hiring the right people and taking on additional costs.

As an IT service provider, New Era Technology has a vast skill set for everything IT-related in the education market. When complex issues arise, they can be handled quickly and proficiently by an expert IT technician. Access to not just one but a team of experienced IT consultants means your problem will always be resolved promptly.

Your School is Growing

When your school is growing, and you are taking on more students, hiring additional internal help can be timeconsuming as well as costly. On the other hand, an IT service provider can readily provide the expertise and perspective needed to ensure your school’s ICT infrastructure can support its growth. Managed service providers also provide guidance on ways to leverage existing or new technology to grow bigger and faster.

Whether New Era is strategising with you as a co-navigator or providing you with relevant ICT support and services, our team can look after your ICT hassles, so your school’s staff can focus on teaching and learning.

You Need Flexible Support

With an in-house IT team, getting the level of support you may need and at any time you need can be hard.

IT service providers, like New Era, provide customers with multiple contacts and a remote helpdesk, so if you run into a problem, there will always be someone to speak to. Also, with a service contract in place, schools have the flexibility to add or reduce support levels according to their changing needs and budgets.

You are Not Getting Your Money’s Worth

We understand that schools have tight budgets, and therefore it is important that school leaders find ways to maintain a high level of ICT support for staff and students while controlling the costs of doing so. When hiring internal technical staff, it is not just the salaries that cost, but also Kiwisaver contributions, management time, professional development, sick leave, and the additional cost of recruitment to replace team members who leave. Also, if a problem occurs that your in-house staff cannot resolve, you may need to outsource anyway. Using an ICT service provider covers these costs with the added benefit of providing expert support on all things ICT related; this results in a more cost-effective and efficient solution.

You are Concerned About Security

With cyber-attacks on the rise, the safety of your school’s network and computer systems should be a priority. An IT services company should provide you and your staff with online security training, email security advice, and antivirus solutions for your computers. They will also help with data recovery if the worst happens and your security is breached.

With years of experience in cyber security support, remote monitoring and maintenance, New Era Technology can help ensure your network security is up to standards. New Era Technology has various managed service plans to fit your school’s budget. Talk to us today about how your school can start saving on ICT costs and seeing increased efficiencies with your ICT.

Find a plan that works for your school

Contact us on 0800 438 428 or neweratech.com/contact-us/

Case Study

Invercargill Middle School www.middle.school.nz

About the School

Invercargill Middle School is situated in the heart of Invercargill and is one of the oldest schools in the area. With just under 150 students from years 0–6, the school has a proud history and tradition of providing quality education.

Summary

With an aging bell system that meant teachers had to manually connect to Bluetooth speakers and remember to play the bell, Invercargill Middle School decided it was time to install an upgraded bell system that could be integrated with PA functions for a more efficient system.

Challenge

Before New Era, Invercargill Middle School used Bluetooth speakers as their bells. Although students loved having music played as their bells, the Bluetooth speakers were not practical. Sarah Reed, Principal of Invercargill Middle School, says speakers had to be charged regularly, teachers had to connect to the speakers from their devices manually and had to keep an eye on the time to know when to play the music. Even then, the music was not heard everywhere around the school, so each room had to have one. Other issues were that it was difficult to hear when kids were outdoors and ongoing connectivity issues with the speakers.

A Flexible Solution

Paging and Bell System

Invercargill Middle school decided it was time for an upgrade, so they reached out when they saw that New Era helped schools with PA and bell systems. Speaking to New Era’s Account Executives, Invercargill Middle School knew they needed support beyond just the speakers and chose New Era as their partner to assist with some of their ICT support. The managed service for Invercargill Middle School included full remote support and an assigned Account Executive that could help them with any ICT-related queries.

Invercargill Middle School brought their bell system issues to New Era’s Account Executives, and the discussion for a new system began.

The school’s leadership team wanted to modernise its bell system, including integrating a PA system so they could efficiently address individual classrooms or the entire school. The new solution needed to be flexible and customisable to meet the school’s needs today and for years to come.

New Era recommended the 2N speakers and paging system. This IP-based paging system allows important information and messages to be broadcast everywhere, at any time, and with an easy-to-use central control interface.

Instead of manually downloading songs and then playing them via a Bluetooth speaker, the 2N interface manages the bell schedule. Music can be automatically scheduled and played anywhere in the school, at any time. In addition, the system can trigger lockdown and alarms - a function the school never had before.

The automaticity of it is fantastic.”

improved the experience for teachers, students, and the wider community. Principal Reed stated that the new system has “been really useful.”

With a speaker in every classroom, staff room, office, and four or five outdoor horns for the playground, staff and students can hear the bell from anywhere on campus. Teachers no longer have to worry about checking the time to see when they have to play the bell. Instead, they can focus on teaching and have the bell automatically play when the class ends.

It is now easier than ever to send out communication during class time. With the new PA system, staff can make announcements to the whole school or specific zones. For example, a message for a student during lunchtime could be transmitted just to the outdoor area.

New Era’s Account Executive Kemp Reynolds also outlined that the kids have engaged with the new bell system.

“The song changes each term; you can hear the kids singing the songs at the end of interval,” said Reynolds.

The new PA and bell system has positively impacted the Invercargill Middle School community. It has been a great way to deliver significantly more communication functionality with less manual labour for the staff.

Easy Process, with a Big Impact

Once the decision had been made to get the new bell and PA system, the process was “seamless and easy,” said Principal Reed.

New Era worked in conjunction with electricians who installed the speakers and sound system company, Edwards, who configured the system remotely. The whole process took about a week to complete.

After the speakers were installed, New Era Account Executives trained the staff to use the system.

“The New Era team were good at answering questions and explaining how it all works and what would be best for what the school wanted to do,” commented Principal Reed.

Upgrading the paging and bell system has significantly

The system is easy to use and we really love it.”

Sarah Reed, Principal of Invercargill Middle School

Want to learn more about this project or solution?

Call us at 0800 438 428 or visit neweratech.com

Sarah Reed, Principal of Invercargill Middle School

Bell and Paging Systems: What Your School Needs to Know

Thinking of upgrading your paging and bell system?

Traditional Versus Modern Functionalities of a School Bell

System

When asked about the balance between traditional and contemporary functions of bell systems, Michael explained that even though IP paging and PA systems have evolved to meet modern education requirements, schools still see value in a classic school bell.

Instead, Michael encourages school leadership teams to not think about replacing the traditional bell but look at the extra value an IP paging and PA system brings.

“These systems can perform the function of a classic school bell but are modernised in a way where you can adjust what sound the bell will be. Some schools use music for the

bell, and the students decide what the music will be. For example, at one of my client schools, whichever whanau is winning in points gets to decide the song for the next term. Students must be in class before the song finishes.”

In addition to the basic bell, Michael outlines other critical considerations for schools, such as emergency paging and lockdown functionalities and VoIP integration.

“Modern systems enable schools to quickly alert everyone onsite to evacuate, stay inside (lockdown), or any other emergency (Tsunami, Tornado etc.),” Michael said.

“Where possible, we also like to integrate these systems with a VoIP phone solution. This makes it easy for staff to make announcements via a mobile app over the paging system and initiate lockdown/evacuation when they’re not

We interviewed New Era Technology NZ’s Solution Architect, Michael Askew about paging and bell systems for schools. Read below his insights and how they can help you when deciding whether to upgrade systems.

onsite. Benefits to The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) are that they are not tethered to a desk and do not need to get to the system to initiate a lockdown physically.”

Popularity of Systems and Technology

We asked Michael what systems or technology he has noticed becoming more popular in schools over the last 12 months.

“I find many schools are moving towards VoIP phone solutions in response to the copper network being phased out within New Zealand,” Michael said.

He also outlined that when New Era is having conversations around implementing VoIP systems and cloud-based Voice solutions with customers, it often ends up with a broader discussion, including IP Paging systems. Mainly due to the integration opportunities between IP Paging and VoIP systems.

In addition to VoIP, Michael highlighted that he is seeing trends towards more specialty labs for media as the requirements for these subjects are a fair bit higher than your average BYOD user.

Top Purchasing Considerations for Schools Looking to Install or Upgrade IP Paging and PA Systems

If you want to update your bell system, consider the following.

Scalability

Michael emphasised that scalability is vital when you are starting your planning.

Hardware Replacement) program by N4L (Network 4 Learning),” Michael said.

Michael explained that many SIP speaker systems could be powered via your data network, saving a lot of money.

Can Your IT Provider Maintain the System?

Another consideration is if your IT provider can maintain the paging and PA system. Traditionally, it has been up to the property team to look after these systems. However, with the trend moving towards network-based solutions, it makes sense for IT to support and maintain these systems.

Misconceptions Schools Might Not Know About

We asked Michael to let us know the most significant misconceptions he hears regarding paging, bell and PA systems.

Fire Alarms

Michael stressed that IP paging and PA systems do not have fire alarms and that they cannot use the fire alarm speakers.

Zones

The systems can be set up to recognise zones throughout the school.

“The system can be used to play radio, and you can localise this to just certain speakers/zones if required. Some schools use speakers to complement certain spaces. For example, some have outdoor settings with native bird noises occurring occasionally, and others use it indoors for relaxing spaces with soothing music/sounds,” Michael explained.

Two-way Solutions

You want to be able to add, move or remove a speaker easily.”

One misconception is that the solutions are only one way. Michael outlined that some of the solutions do allow for two-way communication. An example is where the administration office can call a single classroom to talk, and someone can respond.

Leverage Existing Technology and Projects

“It’s a good idea to take advantage of the PoE switching that is being offered as a part of the Te Mana Tuhono (Network

Cost

A common sentiment is that these systems are costly. Michael told us that because the system is scalable, we can work on single speakers instead of taking everything offline simultaneously. Conversely, traditional speakers/bells can disrupt the entire system if one speaker goes down or gets stolen.

Michael added that there are also additional benefits that come with these speakers, such as integrations for students who are deaf.

“We can implement lighting with these systems that flicker to alert them that there is a lockdown/evacuation,” Michael highlighted.

The Best IP Paging and PA Systems

Michael explained that the best solution for your school depends on several factors. What the best solution is for one school may not suit another.

However, in New Zealand, the team are currently seeing lots of 2N speakers in conjunction with 3CX as a phone system. If not 3CX, the other phone solution is Microsoft Teams.

Verkada

Environmental Sensors

Talk to us today about how your school can increase your communication between staff and students.

The Verkada environmental sensor includes eight sensor readings that simultaneously measures air quality, temperature, humidity, motion, and noise at your school. In addition to monitoring a wide range of environmental changes, the sensor can detect vaping and smoking events. Schools can monitor vaping and smoking behaviour from the web-based platform.

Temperature PM2.5

Vape DetectionAir Quality Index

TVOCs HumidityNoise

Cloud Managed and Easy to Use

• Sensors come online and configure in minutes

• Secure remote access on any device, anywhere

Customise Sensors

• Users can quickly configure and customise sensors and alerts

• Choose what sensor data to monitor and display

• Receive real–time notifications if levels are detected outside of defined thresholds

New Era Technology can help you implement an effective paging and bell system at your school.

Motion

• Motion Detection, People Analytics, and Vehicle Analytics features, so teams can quickly search across the school

• Don’t have to manage and maintain devices like NVRs, DVRs, or servers

• Centralised management for seamless access vertically anywhere

• All cameras have built–in onboard storage

• Find, download, and share footage from any device

• Instantly share live footage via SMS and email

• Live, proactive alerting based on unusual activity

Automatic firmware updates keep systems secure

• No added equipment needed to support additional cameras

Prices in this brochure are valid as of 25/09/2022 and are subject to change. Errors and omissions excluded.

Give

Students and Teachers Peace

Mind

TruSens Air Purifiers use DuPont™ filtration to capture indoor airborne pollutants whilst the UV-C lamp kills germs and bacteria trapped in the filter. In fact, TruSens eliminates 99.99% of airborne coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2) in your indoor space.*

Model: Z1000AU

Room Coverage: 23sqm $200

Model: Z2000AU Room Coverage: 35sqm $360

We can help Phone: 0800 438 428 or visit neweratech.com

Model: Z3000AU Room Coverage: 70sqm $500

*Results from independent third-party testing using aerosolized airborne concentration of human coronavirus 229E over a two-hour period in a sealed 30m3 test chamber. HCoV-229e is a well established surrogate for SARS-Cov-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19).

neweratech.com

New Era’s BYOD Solution

Make purchasing of devices easy for your parents and students

Let us guide you on the products that are best for education, your school, your budget and for the best learning outcomes

We work with you to build a list of recommended devices for your school community to choose from.

Add individual devices or hardware packages to your school’s portal.

0800 number and hassle free finance available for parents.

Find out more at neweratech.com/nz/byod

Prices in this brochure are valid as of 25/09/2022 and are subject to change. Errors and omissions excluded.

The New Era Technology Model

The New Era Technology model of support puts staff and students at the centre. From on-site to remote support, timely and appropriate responses are what you need to get on with your key priorities including teaching and learning, and all the associated administration.

We also wrap these core services with critical support elements. These elements actively and proactively deal with anything further your school may require. From Account Executives who can help with planning, projects, and perspective, to Team Leaders, Engineers and Senior Technicians who help with escalations, troubleshooting and back-end support that keeps your network agile and robust.

Beyond this New Era is proud to support relevant associations, advocate with central agencies and create opportunities for schools to connect to help them leverage off a wider experience set throughout the country and the world.

All these elements combine into a service that is well beyond the technical day-to-day and reinforce a model of partnership and respect. We like to think of ourselves as not only school centric but student centric as well. Through our support and services, we want to give you the best chance to achieve all your learning and teaching outcomes.

Prices in this brochure are valid as of 25/09/2022 and are subject to change. Errors and omissions excluded.

New Era Technology, Techtorium And The MoE Launch Student Internship Project

New Era Technology, has recently completed the first round of a new student internship programme with the support of Techtorium and the Ministry of Education (MoE),

This internship provides year 12, 13 and 14 students experience in the IT industry while offering learning pathways through Techtorium. The programme’s first round launched in May with two students from Alfriston College and Green Bay High School. The students started a six-week-long internship in Auckland, where they were placed in one of New Era’s client schools: Waitakere College, Tongaroa College or St Mary’s College under the mentorship of a New Era Technology Desktop Network Support Technician.

Finding the link between IT education and the industry

After running internship programmes in the past, New Era believed that students would benefit from an internship that combined IT education and ICT industry experience. Margaret Moala, Head of Tertiary Pathways at Techtorium agreed and said that in the current secondary school community it was clear that students are missing the link between IT education and IT industry realities.

“Through the internship, our high school students can make that tangible connection between what is taught in the classroom space and how that knowledge and skills are applied in the industry – an experience beneficial to the development of these young people in the tech space present and future,” Moala said.

During the internship, students learned how technical services interact with users and gained knowledge of all aspects of IT – from networking and software, to setting up hardware devices. The aim was to equip students with a wide range of skills, so they understood what it takes to work in the ICT sector. Students gained skills in not only IT, but also soft skills such as problem-solving, communication, and time management.

Finding the right career pathways

This internship aimed to highlight potential ICT career pathways to a range of students by providing them with relevant skills and experience in the industry. According to Ashley Addy, New Era’s HR Coordinator, one of the students stated that they are leaning more toward a career in IT after completing the internship. Margaret Moala also outlined the benefits for groups of young people who may not have considered a career or further study in IT.

Students from the first round of our new internship program

“This IT education attained and directly tied with the New Era internship is a beneficial collaboration that will excite more young women, Māori, and Pasifika students to choose IT as further tertiary study options. The students will share these experiences with their families, friends, and peers at school, which is great for all parties invested. The students can see for themselves through the present internship experience how feasible and long-term it can be for them,” Moala said.

Ashley Addy stated that she could see changes in the students’ confidence over the course of the six weeks.

“It was a great experience getting to see the confidence boost from the students by the end of the internship. With newly learned skills, the internship cemented an IT career path for some students and for others who weren’t sure, they are now exploring the possibility,” Addy said.

One student said that Steve Kea, the New Era Technical Team Leader helped him realise that his soft skills are better than he thought, which has made him more confident.

Real-world experience delivered

As the IT service provider, New Era’s job was to provide a range of real-world experiences for the students. This includes interview experience, mentorship from a Desktop Network Support Technician, helping teach a range of hard and soft skills, providing a New Era uniform for students to wear to the internship, an exit interview, a certificate on completion, and contact information that students can use as a reference on their CV or to contact for future employment opportunities. Techtorium also provided the students with a free training programme for the duration of the most recent school holidays.

New Era Technology is committed to helping students discover new career pathways within the IT sector. After the success of the first term, New Era Technology, Techtorium and the MoE launched the second round in Term Three, this time expanding to nine students across five schools (Kelston Girls’ College, Green Bay High School, Alfriston College, Tangaroa College, De La Salle College).

Prices in this brochure are valid as of 25/09/2022 and are subject to change. Errors and omissions excluded.

$2,100.00

Apple iMac 24” AiO Desktop

The iMac has always harnessed the latest technology, and taken it further to make the ultimate all-in-one better and better. 24-inch iMac with Retina 4.5K display: Apple M1 chip with 8 core CPU and 8 core GPU, 256GB - Silver.

$1,475.00

Apple Macbook Air 13” (2020)

Apple M1 chip with 8 core CPU and 7 core GPU • 8GB RAM • 256GB SSD

• 13.3” LED Retina Display • macOS

Battery life: 15 Hours

Apple Macbook Air 13” (2022)

•Apple M2 chip with 8 core CPU and 8 core GPU • 8GB RAM • 256GB SSD

• 13.6” LED Retina Display • macOS

Battery life: 18 Hours

$490.00

Apple iPad 64GB 9th Gen

10.2” Retina Display • A13 Bionic Chip • 64GB Storage • Supports Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard • 8MP Rear and 12MP FaceTime HD Cameras

Battery life: 10 Hours

$255.00

Apple TV 4K 32GB

With an operating system called tvOS, innovative ways to connect to your screen, and a smart use of Siri to search for something to watch.

neweratech.com | 0800 438 42820 $1,810.00

HP Chromebook

Intel Celeron

2.8GHz

32GB eMMC Storage

Battery life: 12

Chrome

Acer

Intel Celeron

eMMC

Return

Base

Battery life: 12

Lenovo

Intel Celeron

Return

Battery life: 10

Prices in this brochure are

25/09/2022

Intel

Battery

to change.

omissions

How secure is your school?

Why does your school need to undertake an NSAE?

• New Zealand schools are being actively targeted by hackers and spammers.

• Minimise the liability of school leadership and Board of Trustees.

• Improve your school network security quickly and easily.

• Provide your staff with an understanding and some skills to help them prepare for cyber wthreats.

• Identify who in your team may need extra support and assistance in understanding their role in network security.

• Protect your school’s data and reputation.

Take our Network Security Assessment Exercise to find out Book your NSAE now

Prices in this brochure are valid as of 25/09/2022 and are subject to change. Errors and omissions excluded.

Cloud Transformation

Digitally transform your school with the Cloud

What is cloud transformation?

In simple terms, cloud transformation is the process of migrating a school’s software and files from local servers to the cloud. As a result, schools no longer need to maintain servers, thus saving money and time with the added advantage of allowing users to work anywhere, from any device. Further benefits are seen as IT staff have more time to focus on strategic priorities rather than day-to-day IT maintenance.

How does cloud-centric learning benefit your school?

When you switch to the cloud, you can make significant cost savings and reinvest them back into the school. There is no longer the need for a room full of on-premises servers, power protection, backup hardware and server software.

Historically, storing data was an expensive task. As storage capacity reached 100%, schools used to purchase new servers. Cloud services are more price efficient as most cloud providers only charge users for the capacity being used. In addition, many other expenses involved with maintaining a server room (such as cooling and maintenance) are eliminated with a cloud-based model.

Optimise your ICT budget by taking full advantage of the cloud services already funded by the Ministry of Education. With the Ministry funding Google and Microsoft Cloud platforms, schools get unlimited storage within fair use for free.

Improved scalability

Compared with scaling on-premise data server rooms, a cloud-based system helps to reduce costs associated with a school’s growth. A cloud system can grow alongside a school, no matter how many students it has or education facilities managed.

Community collaboration

Schools can collaborate and communicate far easier on a cloud-based model using various devices, communication channels and specially developed education platforms. The cloud allows for file-sharing across any device, so faculty no longer need a specific medium to collaborate or communicate with others.

Cloud software helps to:

• Support student communication

• Create teacher management portals

• Power remote learning virtual classrooms

Accessibility

Moving to the cloud enables data and information to be accessed anywhere with an internet connection. This means teachers and students can access files, documents, the latest software, and other learning resources from any work and personal device. This has proven advantageous during the pandemic as schools had to adjust to hybrid teaching.

Getting Smart with Education Technology

It makes good sense that schoolchildren should and learn with technology devices given the ubiquity of computing. But the devil is in the detail; only with expert assistance and support, technology becomes a useful and productive tool in the classroom, complementing rather than replacing traditional educational approaches.

That’s according to Tony Gilbert, New Era Technology Sales Director. “Technology can be powerful in accelerating and enriching teaching and learning. It is no replacement for relationships, core skills and behaviours, but adds depth to the learning experience while preparing children for a bright and productive future.”

Special–and surprisingly sophisticated–requirements

Like all tools, the crucial factor is in its use. That’s where New Era comes into the picture; anyone dipping a toe into the technology space quickly appreciates how complex it gets.

When equipping teams with IT, the challenges quickly multiply – and that’s as true for schools as it is for businesses, with the added complication of special security and access measures that must protect children and teachers from the darker sides of technology and internet usage. “The requirements are about as diverse as it gets. Education is a microcosm of the technologies that are used in society and industry, so we see a full spectrum of requests and deployments, some of which might undoubtedly surprise you.”

New Era supplies anything from laser cutters to 3D printers, advanced analytic software, design programmes and all the associated hardware and supporting infrastructure. “When you start considering the range and extent of the technology products many schools are equipping their learners with, you start getting a better appreciation of just how extensive the preparation for the real world gets,” adds Gilbert.

The power of a partner

He therefore says a key part of what New Era does is helping schools make good decisions that deliver lasting value. “We help choose technology that’s the right fit, and we make sure it works in the way that you expect it to, too.”

He says the best devices are built for the commercial environment, with HP’s Fortis for Education a preferred range. Produced specifically for schools, HP Fortis includes Windows laptops, Chromebooks, Desktops, Workstations, Displays and Printers, all built within four guiding principles:

• Durability: Designed and built tough and tested to higher standards.

• Clean and sanitise: Chassis, keyboard and display can be sanitized with commonly used household wipes.

• Collaborative learning: Multi-modal for classroom collaboration and learning everywhere.

• Connectivity: Bring your classroom with you and connect from almost anywhere.

HP’s education technology solutions are designed to deliver meaningful outcomes for students, schools and communities, helping today’s learners become tomorrow’s leaders. Gilbert says a long track record in New Zealand’s schools means he recommends Fortis for Education with confidence.

Prices in this brochure are valid as of 25/09/2022 and are subject to change. Errors and omissions excluded.

Tech Hacks

Here are some tech hacks to make your life a little easier:

Slideshow Mode Save your Powerpoint presentation in .PPS instead of .PPT. Your file will go into slideshow mode when you open it.

Scroll Sideways on a Web Page Press down on Shift then scroll on your mouse.

Download a Youtube Video Insert “ss”, after www. and before youtube.com.

Shrink an Excel File Saving an Excel file as an .XLSB will shrink the size by half or 75%.

Google Translator to Proofread Work Copy and paste your content into Google Translate and click on the Listen icon. It’ll narrate the entire text to you.

Printer Out of Black

the font color

Copy and Paste

Use Cmd

Ctrl

Voice Dictation

The voice dictation feature is available on both Microsoft Word and Google Docs. In Word, select the dictation option from the Home menu or press Windows key + H to see the dictation toolbar. In Google Docs, go to the Tools menu and select the voice typing option.

Powered by Intel® Celeron® N5100 &