WHY STONE? INFRASTRUCTURE PAYMENT SOLUTIONS SUPPORT RECYCLING HARDWARE
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES?
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES? Today, more and more schools are converting to academies, allowing them to experience the benefits of adapting to change and take advantage of the power and control they have in how they deliver education to young people. By converting to an academy, you can have greater freedom over how you use your budget to best benefit your students. However, with this new-found freedom comes a requirement to ensure that funds are invested wisely. You’re looking for innovation and something to engage students whilst getting best value for money. Opting out of local authority provided services means a robust service and support offering is more important than ever. Our approach You can partner with one of the leading technology providers in the UK safe in the knowledge that with our own in-house team the support offering is second to none. The service and support we’re renowned for on end user devices doesn’t just stop there. We also offer great support and solutions for a multitude of other areas too. We can provide a bespoke ICT package across the board for your institution that goes hand in hand with your vision for ICT; seeking to complement your existing team to deliver a high quality service and support offering that’s relevant to you. All academies large and small We work with academies of all sizes to bring you innovative solutions that enable your students to get the best out of your ICT investment. You’ll learn more about how we’ve helped out many academies within this brochure, highlighting the depth and breadth of our service and solutions portfolio. Take a look at our extensive range of services and see why we’re already the ICT provider of choice for hundreds of academies in the UK.
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CONTENTS WHY STONE?
02
INTRODUCTION
02
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES?
04
PAYMENT SOLUTIONS
18
BYOD/EMPLOYEE BENEFIT SCHEMES
19
@CCESSABILITY
20
SUPPORT STONE SUPPORT
INFRASTRUCTURE
STONE INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES
06
WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE
07
SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE
08
USER INFRASTRUCTURE
10
RECOVERY INFRASTRUCTURE
12
OPERATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE
13
PRINT INFRASTRUCTURE
14
AV SOLUTIONS
15
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
16
TRAINING
17
22 23
06
RECYCLING
24
HARDWARE
26
STONE MOBILE DEVICES
26
CLASSMATE 3
28
STONE DESKTOPS
30
TALKTECHTEACH
32
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES? | 03
WHY STONE? OVER 23 YEARS EXPERIENCE Proudly serving the UK education sector with cost effective, high quality hardware and associated services.
INDUSTRY LEADING, UK-BASED TECHNICAL HELPDESK Staffed by helpful, qualified technical engineers.
RELIABLE HARDWARE – CUSTOM BUILT & CONFIGURED UK assembled devices in our state-of-the-art 100,000 sq ft ISOaccredited production facility.
BELT AND BRACES APPROACH TO DATA SECURITY Full encryption solutions, in addition to the use of Blancco data destruction software as standard on every PC.
OUR OWN FIELD ENGINEERS Highly skilled, fully DBS checked and employed by us.
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We’re a UK specialist in the supply of IT hardware and associated solutions to the education sector.
IN-HOUSE STONE INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES TEAM To provide a full infrastructure solution, from front end devices to supporting back end architecture.
FLEXIBLE WARRANTIES With everything from 12 month RTB right through to 5 year next business day on-site warranty.
DEDICATED NAMED ACCOUNT MANAGERS To ensure you get the personalised service relevant to your individual organisation’s needs.
The ‘3 Rs’ Repairs, Recycling and Refurbished Devices providing a total lifecycle management service for IT hardware.
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES? | 05
STONE INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES With the explosion of data, we’ve witnessed a big increase in educational institutions wanting to leverage our experience to provide them with a resilient and future proof network. That’s why we formed Stone Infrastructure Services. Our Infrastructure Services Team provides value-added IT consultancy, based on over two decades of education sector experience. Spanning design, implementation, knowledge transfer and personalised support, the team focuses on providing best value all the way from the device to the data centre. We work across the entire IT stack and have a supreme selection of technology partners to provide education specific solutions. You can read more about these specialist areas further in this brochure.
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Our Infrastructure Services Team allows us to provide a greater depth of resources for everything from a new server or disaster recovery solution, to a whole academy infrastructure. Working with you we can help to provide the right solutions to match your vision for technology in the classroom. To talk to our Stone Infrastructure Services Team contact us on 08448 22 11 22 or email marketing@stonegroup.co.uk
INFRASTRUCTURE
WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE Wireless networking is the foundation you need to improve education through ICT. When it comes to enabling anytime, anywhere access for your students or staff it’s essential you have the right network backbone to fulfil your needs. With a solid wireless infrastructure comes more productive and confident users. It’s imperative that you have a wireless network infrastructure to cope with truly mobile learning and working. Wireless has moved on leaps and bounds in the last couple of years, with new innovative solutions providing seamless connectivity experiences across the whole computing continuum.
“Stone’s expertise meant the installation was quick and painless. It takes literally seconds to download
There are a variety of next generation wireless systems out there, with innovative vendors always offering something new. By understanding how you want to enable mobile learning, we can work with you to recommend the best vendors to support your vision. With the recent introduction of the wireless standard 802.11ac, we’ve taken our wireless offering to new levels. In delivering this, we’re able to bring a faster and more scalable wireless solution to our customers. Orleans Park School, an academy in Twickenham, Middlesex, didn’t have a wireless network before we recently installed an 802.11ac solution. Using this, they’ve been able to take learning beyond the classroom and anywhere on-site. Our skilled wireless team are on hand to visit you and appraise your individual requirements. As always, you can be guaranteed the same supreme level of support, regardless of technology.
a video clip or music file to support a lesson. We now have an uncontended, 100Mb internet connection. It’s really quick to connect, and moving from classroom to corridor and beyond, nobody notices the cell changes or a drop in availability. “Our Sixth-Form centre opens in September and new students will be able to access their course
With our DBS checked field engineers coming out and performing site surveys, installing your next generation wireless infrastructure and carrying out any ongoing support requirements – you can be assured that the personal safety of you and your students is always at the heart of everything we do.
materials, learning aids and engage with their teachers via the network. It’s incredibly fast, downloading files in
Vendors we work with:
seconds. Learning is no longer classroom based here, it can be anywhere on-site, with no awkward bandwidth downtime.” - PETER RICHARDSON, SENIOR IT TECHNICIAN, ORLEANS PARK SCHOOL
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES? | 07
SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE We believe that IT solutions should be simple, reliable and provide a solid platform of tools and resources on which academies can thrive. Stone School Infrastructure (SI) is a core infrastructure appliance designed specifically for schools, encompassing a state-of-the-art hardware platform, virtualisation to provide resilience and efficiency, and supporting applications, tools and resources. Through our unique expertise we have been able to develop a solution that takes cutting edge technologies and optimises them for use in schools. One SI box can effectively replace 3 servers and a SAN (Storage Area Network), leaving behind this traditional architecture to introduce new features such as: —
Storage Tiering: Your SI system will promote most frequently used data to the fastest available media. This could be a current science project or a list of revision resources that will be in high demand at exam time.
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High Performance: Uncontended connectivity.
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Compact form factor: 2 server nodes, 12 drive bays.
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INFRASTRUCTURE
SI reflects the design principals of our entire solutions portfolio: —
Simplicity: Wherever possible, our Solutions Architects avoid unnecessary complexity, saving costs for both the initial investment and ongoing support. SI ensures optimum performance for the applications that schools need, without unnecessary overheads.
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Flexibility: SI is designed to be flexible and agile, allowing you to easily accommodate strategic change as your organisation grows and technology and learning evolves.
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Future-proof: SI is completely scalable. It’s able to expand and grow whilst maintaining high levels of performance and remaining cost effective.
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Safety: Safety and security is of paramount importance to any learning environment. SI combines a blended approach to security with many layers of protection without putting constraints on users and their creativity.
SI and Virtualisation As a technology, virtualisation is finally reaching the masses. Why? It’s a network based technology – whether desktop, server or storage – that can make a demonstrable difference not only to the return on your IT investment, but also on your ability to create a next generation learning environment. Our experts have proven track records working on large virtualisation implementations, and can be that technical helping hand to bring the benefits of virtualisation to your SI solution. Server Virtualisation Server virtualisation is a key way in which you can minimise the operating costs of your estate whilst simplifying resilience and network availability in the event of an issue. By making use of the latest Intel® Xeon® processing technology, you can reduce the number of physical servers you have in operation and run multiple virtual servers on each physical box. Modern management software from the likes of Microsoft and VMware make creating, deploying and managing virtual servers a breeze and give you all the tools you’ll need to keep your systems running in the event of a technical problem. Storage Virtualisation By virtualising the storage in your SI appliance, you can perform common tasks associated with your network maintenance in a more efficient way. Archiving, backup and recovery are made easier by masking the complexity of the hardware profile. Storage virtualisation is also a great way to reduce hardware required.
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES? | 09
USER INFRASTRUCTURE Reducing the capital cost of workstations, along with associated support costs, is a key objective for many educational organisations. With the majority of day-to-day tasks in a modern classroom being low-level computing, often there isn’t the need for end user access to fat client devices. We can help you assess the user need, and decide which configuration can deliver you efficiency and cost saving improvements without impacting on your network’s reliability and performance. Stone User Infrastructure (UI) is not only a great way to reduce costs, but also to simplify network administration and make your IT stack greener along the way. If budget is an issue, virtualisation of your user infrastructure can relieve you of the need to upgrade your PCs, as the server has all the processing power. UI also allows you to centrally manage all of your assets and applications, so if a particular program needs to be installed on every PC in the school, you can do so with the touch of a button. For academy trusts, we have experience in deploying full user infrastructures across multiple campuses, all conveniently managed in a central location.
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INFRASTRUCTURE Vendors we work with:
UI is perfect for institutions with multiple sites, those with staff or students that require remote access, or academies looking to deploy a BYOD scheme. It can combine both Terminal Services and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure to deliver a solution perfect for your requirements. Terminal Services supports more users with less processing requirements, perfect for day-to-day admin tasks and low-level computing. VDI supports less users with higher processing requirements, and is more suited to running resource intensive applications and streaming video. Our experts will assess your requirements and recommend the solution which is right for your institution. We can design and deliver a combined solution of Terminal Services and VDI, allowing you to get the most out of your technology without compromising on costs or simplicity.
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES?  |  11
RECOVERY INFRASTRUCTURE ICT is fundamental to education and as such there is a dependency on data. Class projects, lesson plans and vital student information are stored and accessed on a daily basis. Losing access to this data would have a massive effect on the entire institution – impacting teaching, learning and the day-to-day tasks that keep the institution running. It’s therefore vital to have an infrastructure in place to back up this data and recover it effectively in the event that it’s lost.
Traditionally, institutions have often relied on backing up manually to tape, which can be time-consuming and also risky if the tapes are on-site in the event of a disaster. Recently, more and more organisations are turning to cloud solutions to safely back up their data off-site. Recovery Infrastructure (RI) is a simple, highly compatible solution that uses a disc-to-disc to cloud back up model, bringing you peace of mind that your data is backed up securely and can be easily recovered should the worst happen.
Benefits of RI for Academies: —— Low total cost of ownership - we’ll help you to decide how regularly you want back ups to be carried out and how much storage you require, meaning you pay according to your requirements. —— Simplicity - the back-up process is entirely automated and easy to monitor and manage via built-in reporting tools. —— Data security - Data backed up to the cloud is held securely in our Tier 3 rated UK-based data centres which comply with relevant Data Protection Act requirements. —— Expandability – should your data or back up requirements grow, our solution can scale up to meet high capacity storage requirements.
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INFRASTRUCTURE
OPERATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE In an effort to reduce costs and increase efficiency, many academies in a trust have pooled resources. This not only increases the buying power of the academies but also enables them to centralise services for easier administration and more cost effective management. Centralising the IT infrastructure of institutions within an academy trust is a logical step in this process. Deploying IT solutions on a trust-wide basis reduces internal support costs as well as allowing the institutions involved to take advantage of trust-wide IT procurement strategies. With this in mind, we’ve developed Operational Infrastructure (OI); a solution that enables the management of IT assets on multiple sites through a simple, ‘single pane of glass’ interface. OI enables you to monitor and manage physical and virtual servers across the estate, in addition to managing other Stone infrastructure solutions you may have deployed, such as User Infrastructure and Recovery Infrastructure, from a central location. You can also deploy and manage software and applications on a trust-wide basis. Included in the cost of OI is formal training and an operational readiness handover specific to the system from the specialist implementing it, allowing you to equip your IT staff with the skills they need to manage a multi-site network.
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES? | 13
PRINT INFRASTRUCTURE With an acute need to reduce overall costs and use existing resources as effectively as possible, printing remains a pain-point for many institutions. Despite drives towards the ‘paperless office’ and leading edge document management systems, there’s still a requirement for most departments to produce and manage documents on a daily basis. Managed Print Services (MPS) as a key driver to solve these issues has only in recent times made it onto the agenda of senior leadership teams. By taking a strategic approach to print, organisations can typically reduce their total document cost by 20 to 30%, as well as improving the quality of service to all users and the resilience of the printing equipment on-site.
To find out how we can work together to provide you with an effective managed print strategy contact us on 08448 22 11 22 or email marketing@stonegroup.co.uk
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Our role as the MPS provider is to handle everything; inclusive of toner supply and replacement, servicing of the equipment, fleet management, meter readings, consolidated billing, comprehensive management reporting and the collection and recycling of the devices at our in-house Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF). We work to provide you with an effective managed print solution that’s designed to help save time, reduce costs and improve efficiency.
INFRASTRUCTURE
AV SOLUTIONS No modern classroom is complete without a reliable, high-quality audio visual implementation. We have a highly skilled team of AV specialists who set out to ensure that your academy will achieve AV excellence, removing the confusion around acronyms and making it more about what you’re trying to achieve. Whether it be digital signage, video walls or interactive displays, we’re here to provide you with the most current and innovative AV solutions to suit your needs. We can incorporate cutting edge technology including 4K, LED, and augmented reality devices to future proof the classroom environment, helping you to teach and students to learn in a more engaging way. With accredited installers and pro partner pricing we can deliver well known teaching brands such as Promethean and SMART, whilst ensuring you have the most up-to-date advice. We’ve done work for thousands of schools including Tibshelf School, Stockport Grammar School, Thomas Lane School and Northview School in Sunderland, to provide them with the very latest AV solutions.
recognised that the reliability of technology is key to achieving this so needed to implement a complete AV and ICT solution. As always, our approach is consultative, so we’ll work
“Essentially, we were looking for a technology partner that had deep insight into the education environment and could guide us on what was needed not only for today but also for tomorrow, future proofing our investment. Having already used Stone products and being subject to their first rate service, I knew they would be a serious contender. I’m really pleased with the installation and the teachers and children are overjoyed with the outcome. Due to the nature of the children, they react better to audio visual aided learning and are engaged for longer so to teach interactively in this way with such advanced state-of-the-art AV kit means progress can only be made.” GAVIN KERSHAW, ICT MANAGER
Northview School was opened in September 2012 and with a brand new school came a brand new technology installation. Northview realised that as well as PCs and laptops, they would need a custom designed AV solution throughout the school to enrich the learning environment and assist in the development of its pupils. The school
NORTHVIEW SCHOOL
with you to make sure you get the right solution for your learning environment.
Vendors we work with:
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES? | 15
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY Assistive Technology is the term used for products which give someone with a disability a level of independence and enable them to carry out day-to-day tasks such as communication, learning, working and living with as few limitations as possible. It can take a variety of forms including specialised equipment, hardware, software or systems. Due to the importance of special educational needs across all areas, we aim to bring the most suitable and up-to-date technology available to the education sector. We’re continuously expanding our product range and service portfolio to help cater for a wide range of disabilities. Such disabilities may include: —
Dyslexia
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Dyspraxia
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Dyscalculia
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Visual impairments
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Hearing impairments
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Other mobility disabilities
Bespoke solutions are created to ensure that the specific needs of each individual are met. In order to achieve this, we assist in facilitating one-to-one guidance, consultancy services and training in addition to the core assistive technology solutions. Pre-installation on products ensures that they can be fully utilised straight out of the box and help to reduce the administration burden on your staff.
If you’d like to find out more about Assistive Technologies and how we could help you, contact our dedicated sales team on 08448 22 11 22 or email marketing@stonegroup.co.uk
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INFRASTRUCTURE
TRAINING Investing in the right training for your staff offers an opportunity to make a real impact on your students and the continued professional development of your staff. Our service offers training solutions specifically designed for your staff and their individual needs, tailored to help achieve your institution’s vision. Here are a few areas in which we can help you: —
Network admin – administrator training on the management of a network and how to keep learning critical systems running without the need for constant intervention from third parties or managed service providers.
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Operator push button – providing support to staff with a particular focus on the core skills and applications that are needed for using key software or network systems.
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Pedagogy – training staff on how to teach using new and existing software in order to develop more creative ways of using it.
Our training solutions operate on a day rate basis, so whether you have one staff member in training or eight the costs are still the same*. Training sessions can also take place within your own environment, which will allow for staff to train using the same ICT as they would on a daily basis. In our experience using the application software on your own network makes training more relevant and increases the chances of getting it to ‘stick’. *For some training, maximum group sizes will apply.
To find out more about the training solutions we can offer, contact our sales team today on 08448 22 11 22 or email marketing@stonegroup.co.uk
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES? | 17
PAYMENT SOLUTIONS With the education sector facing constant budget constraints, academies may find it more difficult to keep up with fast moving IT trends and often find themselves stuck in a rut. This makes it difficult for institutions to satisfy a new tech-savvy generation of workers and learners, who require an anytime, anywhere approach to meet their new work/life balance. Payment schemes alleviate these restrictions, by reducing the need for IT refreshes and lowering technology investment costs to liberate budgets for alternative resources. Leaving staff and students with outdated technology is avoidable and it needn’t be the case nowadays. We have our own Payment Solutions Team to help make your decisions easy and straightforward. They’re on hand to break down the contractual jargon and assist you in finding a solution to help reduce the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) associated with your technology investments. We’ve created a number of schemes for both staff and students that allow the user to take advantage of the latest technology with great cost savings. We’re able to offer the following Payment Solutions: — Operating Lease —
Staff BYOD Scheme (Page 19)
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Employee Benefit Scheme (Page 19)
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@ccessAbility 1:1 Pupil Scheme (Page 20)
How we do this? Every customer has a different requirement, which is why we take the time to understand your needs to ensure that the right Payment Solutions package is created for you. We provide: — Initial consultation —
Analysis of individual circumstances
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A range of suitable leasing solutions
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Implementation of the best solution for your budget to ensure that you reach your IT objectives
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PAYMENT SOLUTIONS
BYOD / EMPLOYEE BENEFIT SCHEMES With the consumerisation of ICT, organisations are under increasing pressure to improve employees’ access to ICT against a backdrop of budgetary uncertainty. In a recent large-scale survey on BYOD, 66% of employees surveyed expressed a desire to use their own device at work*. With this in mind, salary sacrifice schemes such as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and our Employee Benefit Scheme are becoming more popular. We’re able to offer peace of mind with our fully managed and supported services. Employees will see vast savings on high street prices on the device of their choice. The schemes save money for the organisation and can promote engagement between staff and institution; resulting in a content workforce. No credit checks or upfront costs mean that employees can enjoy the latest technology without any hassle. BYOD Scheme With a shift in recent times to more flexible working patterns, we’ve witnessed a significant blurring of the lines between work life and home life. As a result, employees find it more convenient to have a single device on which to manage all elements of their lives. Using the latest technology promotes skills transfer into your organisation improving productivity and workforce collaboration. 50% of IT Managers believe that BYOD increases productivity in the workplace*. With small monthly payments from their salary, employees will be able to enjoy the latest technology with up to 60% savings on high street costs.
Employee Benefit Scheme As budgets are valuable, institutions are seeking new ways to replace the pay rise. By implementing this scheme, employees can be rewarded by choosing a device to use at work or home. Payments are simply made each month through their salary. Likewise, our Employee Benefit Scheme can help employees save up to 40% on high street pricing. Not only can the scheme increase productivity and motivation to the workforce but it also allows the institution to save 8.2% employer’s NIC. Which products are available through these schemes? Your employees will be able to select from a wide range of devices, including; Stone, Samsung, Acer, Toshiba and Apple. Help is at hand We’ll work with you every step of the way to ensure that the implementation of our Staff BYOD or Employee Benefit Scheme into your organisation runs smoothly and is hassle free. * www.nowsourcing.co.uk
If you’d like more information simply get in touch and contact James Gunson or Nuri Bodur on 0844 22 11 22 or email marketing@stonegroup.co.uk
As an organisation you’ll benefit too. Because the device is predominately used for work, our unique tax efficient scheme allows institutions to save up to 13.8% employer’s NIC.
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES? | 19
@CCESSABILITY Exclusively from Stone, @cessAbility is the first truly hassle-free parental contribution scheme for pupils. We work with you to put together a bespoke package that goes hand in hand with your vision for ICT. Anytime, anywhere learning With dramatic changes in learning and teaching styles, an anytime, anywhere approach is required. Educational establishments are demanding flexible and mobile learning solutions. With @cessAbility, students are able to access broad, interactive learning resources as and when needed and at their own pace. Students can also take advantage of the freedom and mobility that this solution brings – transforming any space into a learning environment. @ccessAbility scheme Unlike other schemes, @ccessAbility from Stone is vendor independent. As a Microsoft Gold Partner, Google Education Partner and Apple Authorised Reseller we can work closely with you to introduce technology to suit your needs. This means we can provide the devices that fit best with your teaching and learning methods, all wrapped with Stone’s unique advice, service and ongoing support. We’ve had the pleasure of helping many educational institutions to achieve their ICT visions through our @ccessAbility scheme and none more so than Southborough High School in Kingston-Upon-Thames.
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By empowering students with the choice of when and how to use ICT, Southborough has been able to facilitate independent student learning and metacognition. IT skills for life Research carried out by leading analyst firm IDC states that in the future 90% of jobs will require computer skills. Therefore, having access to a mobile device at school and at home will give your pupils the best possible chance of success in their chosen careers. Our @ccessAbility scheme offers greater learning device options for pupils, reduces the need for large capital ICT expenditure and minimises the headaches associated with increased administration. @ccessAbility enables parents to contribute financially to the devices on a monthly basis, meaning less upfront payment for you and high quality personalised learning for students. With @ccessAbility, you can realise all the benefits to teaching and learning associated with 1:1 access without the resource headache.
Call our dedicated finance team for more information on 08448 22 11 22 or email marketing@stonegroup.co.uk
PAYMENT SOLUTIONS
“Stone Group has provided us with a bespoke solution which is right for us. The technology we have deployed has succeeded in engaging our students in new ways, and enabled us to work towards empowering independent student learning. We want our students to carry around their school IT experience in their pocket.” CRAIG WICKING, DEPUTY HEAD SOUTHBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES? | 21
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SUPPORT
SUPPORT We’ve got over 23 years experience supporting the networks of a wide variety of educational establishments, from single-form primary schools right the way up to large multi-site universities. Despite the budgetary challenges that many educational institutions face, it’s still important to have the right support at hand. With less money available but increasingly more innovative ICT needed at the forefront of education, you need to make sure you and your students are using these resources in the right way. There are often time challenges associated with limited resources, but highly available systems are still expected by students, teachers and senior leadership teams alike. With an increased ICT provision you need to make sure the correct systems and support are available and on hand when needed – but with restricted personnel, time is short and thus high availability proves challenging. Our support operates in a way to suit you. Whether it’s dovetailing in to supplement your internal team on an ad-hoc basis, or fully outsourced 24/7 support with pro-active monitoring, we can be your pillar when it comes to high performing networks. We can provide: UK-based service help desk Our dedicated Support Team are fully integrated at Stone headquarters, meaning you get the friendly, efficient and personalised service you deserve. Trained engineers You can be assured that whenever you need help, our fully trained support team will offer you quality assistance. Dedicated service manager Specifically available to answer any questions or discuss any concerns you may have. Progress co-ordination department This will ensure that our stated delivery time will be more rigid, and you are less likely to experience delayed delivery times. 99% success rates: —— Support desk phone answered by a real person within 12 seconds —— Response by email / web / voice within 1 hour —— Next Business Day Hardware Fix by skilled engineer
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES? | 23
RECYCLING With the ever-increasing need for institutions to become environmentally responsible, we aim to provide new ways to allow you to achieve this. Our entire range of devices, professional services, solutions and software all reflect our ethical stance towards the environment.
Repair: Increasing the life of your IT hardware Even if a product is out of warranty, it may still make economic sense to have it repaired. Our highly skilled team of on-site repair engineers can undertake cost-sensitive repairs on any out of warranty PC, whatever the brand.
This is why we focus on the ‘3 Rs’ to provide you with a total lifecycle management service for IT hardware – Repairs, Recycling and Refurb.
—— Get in touch with us to let us know about your issue. —— We’ll make arrangements for collection/return at your convenience.
ISO 27001 Registered
Information Security Management
repair.centre@stonegroup.co.uk
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RECYCLING
Recycling: Doing our bit for the environment We’re proud to be one of the only UK IT hardware configurators to operate its own in-house recycling and refurbishment facility (fully licensed by the Environment Agency). —— ADISA Certified – distinction against the enhanced ADISA 2013 ITAD Standard – positioning us at the top of the market as the only hardware configurator globally to have achieved this exclusive status. —— Blancco Data Destruction – we use industry leading Blancco data erasure software on all PCs and laptops, offering you piece of mind and the ability to perform your own Communications Electronics Security Group (CESG) approved end of life data erasures at the point when your equipment is decommissioned.
Refurb: Making the most of your redundant IT hardware We bring a new lease of life to redundant IT equipment through our Encore range of refurbished desktops, notebooks and tablets. Each device that comes through our facility has its data fully wiped using Blancco software and is managed to the ISO 27001 standard so you can rest assured of the highest quality. Encore gives you the opportunity to roll out devices that will be perfect for the majority of day-to-day computing tasks such as browsing the internet, word processing or working on spreadsheets. To see the full range of refurbished PCs visit us on the web.
—— Award Winning – in 2014 we were named Electrical and Electronic Recycler of the Year at the National Recycling Awards, demonstrating our dedication and commitment to leading the way in the recycling and waste management industry. If you have IT equipment that is broken, incomplete or too old for reuse, we have the ability to collect, recycle and recover the constituent materials.
recycling-enquiries@stonegroup.co.uk
www.encorepc.co.uk
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES? | 25
STONE MOBILE DEVICES We’re committed to offering excellent service and value for money which is why we continue to develop our own range of products to suit all needs.
As a result we’ve developed our range of mobile devices to make sure you’re kept up-to-date with the latest Intel® and Microsoft technologies.
Movement to mobile Mobile learning has seen a sharp rise with more and more academies adapting their IT solutions to accommodate this. By giving your students more access to IT anywhere anytime, there’s no doubt that you’ll reap the benefits of enhanced learning and productivity.
Take a look at some of the latest devices added to the family:
View our full range online
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PRODUCTS
NT310-H
N120
Boasting the latest 4th Gen Intel® Core™ processor, the NT310-H offers a host of features including Intel® HD 4000 Graphics, TPM as standard and additional security features in a slim chassis.
Bring mobile learning to life with this thin and light 11.6” laptop. Designed to compete with entry level devices, the N120 is capable of doing much more than a normal netbook.
Subject to rigorous heat and stress tests, the NT310-H chassis has been designed to withstand the particular pressures of academic use. Customisation options need only be limited to your imagination and you can be certain of a high performing and cost effective solution to match any requirements.
Powered by the latest Dual Core Intel® Celeron® processor, it has enough oomph to run full fat versions of Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro. This means you get the power and performance of a larger form factor notebook with the portability of a netbook. A robust and reliable device that’s small enough for the classroom but big enough for collaboration and creativity, the N120 provides you with the ability to do everything you want.
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Up to Windows 8.1 Pro
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Up to Intel® Core™ i7-4702MQ Processor
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Up to 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Memory
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Up to 1TB Hard Disk Drive or 500GB Solid State Drive
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15.6” HD LED Display
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Intel® HD Graphics 4000
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Blu-Ray, DVDRW or Optical Drive Blanking Plate to reduce costs and prevent damage
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2MP Webcam
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TPM 1.2 for increased data security
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High capacity battery for improved usage
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Up to 5 Year Warranty
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CC3/CC4 compatible with Stone DDU
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Up to Windows 8 Pro
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Up to Intel® Celeron® 1037U Dual Core Processor
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Up to 8GB DDR2 1600MHz Memory
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Up to 750GB Hard Disk Drive or 256GB Solid State Drive
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11.6” HD LCD display
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Optional external DVDRW
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1MP Webcam
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Multi-gesture touchpad for easy navigation and scrolling
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TPM as standard for increased data security
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Supports 64-bit operating systems
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Up to 5 Year Warranty
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CC3/CC4 compatible with Stone DDU
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES? | 27
CLASSMATE 3 Designed specifically with classroom life in mind, this semi-rugged 2-in-1 device delivers true flexibility, with one key touch transformation from mini-notebook to tablet. The Classmate 3 is drop tested to 70cm and resistant to vertically dropping fluid – giving peace of mind when enduring the trials and tribulations of daily academy life. Featuring the latest Intel® Atom™ processor, a 10-point touch screen, dual cameras and USB 3.0, the Classmate 3 is loaded with the latest tech. But it offers far more than just intuitive and robust hardware. Pre-packaged with a host of teaching and learning tools and applications, this 2-in-1 can make a big difference to your institution. —
Up to Windows 8.1 Pro
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Quad-Core Intel Atom Z3740D Processor
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2GB DDR3L Memory
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64GB eMMC Storage Device
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10.1" LCD screen with 10-point capacitive touch supporting finger and stylus control
Classroom management tools to keep students on task
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Intel HD Graphics
— Send/receive lesson content
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2MP front camera, 5MP rear camera
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Intel Anti-Theft Technology
Building critical thinking, communication and collaborative skills and problem solving —
Interactive content
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Collect, visualise and analyse data
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Assemble and organise information
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Create multimedia
— Monitor student screens — Administer assessments — Provide individualised learning opportunities Keep students and technology safe and secure — Manage access —
Deter theft
— Protect against malware
STONEGROUP.CO.UK
PRODUCTS
FREE BUNDLED EDUCATION-SPECIFIC SOFTWARE + E-Reader Interactive e-reader designed specifically for education
+ ArtRage Enables digital artwork unlocking creativity
+ Lab Camera Built-in camera based tools that enhance STEM curriculum
+ Media Camera Allows for multimedia creation and editing for project-based learning
+ SPARKvue Science application that collects and analyses data from sensors
+ Classroom Management Teacher/student collaboration software for the classroom
+ McAfee AntiVirus Plus Enforces safe and secure computing practices by proactively protecting student devices
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES? | 29
STONE DESKTOPS Whilst the benefits of mobile learning cannot be questioned, in many educational institutions the need for an IT suite is still present and desktop PCs still required. As an established configurator of high quality PCs we have our own range of desktops that can be built to suit your individual requirements. Our desktop cases are specifically designed with you in mind, with a commitment to putting ongoing service and support at the forefront of everything we do. All our PCs are custom built to ensure you get the right product to suit you and your students’ needs. Here’s some of the recent additions to the Stone desktop family.
Whatever your need we’ll help you to get the right mix of devices to match your wider teaching and learning objectives.
View our full range online
STONEGROUP.CO.UK
PRODUCTS
Stone All in One
NUC
Contemporary, stylish and touch enabled, this Windows 8 compatible PC is the ideal choice for those wanting a flexible solution. Allowing for the same bespoke configurations that you’ll find with our traditional desktop PCs, the Stone All in One is completely customisable.
Our smallest desktop PC yet at just 4” x 4”, the NUC combines an ultra-compact design with impressive performance, providing an ideal solution for the classroom.
Versatile by nature, the Stone All in One is an elegantly simple way to create a clutter free learning environment where space may be a challenge. —
Up to Windows 8 Pro
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Up to 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5 Processor featuring Intel® HD Graphics
With VESA mount capability, the NUC can be added on to the back of your existing monitors, making it a cost effective and space saving solution. There are 3 flavours of the NUC available, all of which can be customised to suit your requirements: the standard NUC, the NUC vPro™ and the NUC mSATA. —
Up to Windows 8 Pro
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3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i5-3427U in the NUC vPro™, up to 4th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-4250U Processor in the NUC and NUC mSATA featuring Intel® HD 5000 Graphics
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Available in 21.5” or 23.6” edge-to-edge design
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Up to 16GB DDR3 memory
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Optional DVD Super Multi Double Layer or Blu-Ray ODD support
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Up to 2 memory slots supporting a maximum of 16GB DDR3 Memory
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1.0MP HD webcam
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Stylish L-stand
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Sleek design
Up to 1TB Hard Disk Drive or 500GB Solid State Drive in the NUC, up to 120GB Solid State Drive in the NUC vPro™ and NUC mSATA
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Optional stand featuring height adjust, added security features and VESA mount functionality
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Kensington lock port security
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VESA mount included
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CC3/CC4 compatible with Stone DDU
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES? | 31
TABLETS We work alongside many academies to help improve their ICT efficiency and availability. We offer an end to end solution and help integrate this technology into an academy infrastructure. For us it’s not just about supplying hardware, but linking together technology and educational outcomes. We bring you a balance of knowledge and technical support to integrate tablet devices across disparate operating systems onto a
Windows based network to help you get the results you need. To ensure our customers achieve successful integration of tablets into the curriculum, we’ve teamed up with consultants Tablet Academy to deliver a three-stage, end-to-end program for tablets: TalkTechTeach.
FOR EDUCATORS
TALK
Vision and Planning To start with you’ll receive a free consultancy session with a Tablet Academy ed-tech specialist. They’ll come in and work with your Senior Leadership Team to develop a vision for effectively integrating tablets into the curriculum.
TECH iOS 7
Right Device, Right Learner Once you know what’s right for your establishment, you can choose from our broad and agnostic tablet range to find the perfect devices to support your vision. We can supply devices based on Android, Windows and iOS from vendors including: Samsung, Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Toshiba and Apple.
TEACH
Outcomes-focused adoption You’ve planned your strategy, you’ve received your devices; now you need to make sure the tablets are effectively integrated into learning. Tablet Academy offers a range of training to ensure students and teachers get the most out of tablets as learning devices. Training sessions include: bespoke inset training, student training, 1:1 teacher training and whole-school teacher training.
STONEGROUP.CO.UK
FOR TECHNICIANS TALK
Vision and Planning To start with you’ll receive a free consultancy session from a Stone Infrastructure Services expert on device management and infrastructure design. We’ll work with you and your technical team to ensure your wireless infrastructure is ready to support an influx of mobile devices.
TECH
Right Device, Right Learner Whether it’s installing a new wireless network or software to manage your new investment – we’re here to help. Using insight from our planning sessions, Stone Infrastructure Services can help you implement the tools you need to support the adoption of your new devices.
iOS 7
TEACH
Outcomes-focused adoption Following the implementation of both the tablets and any required infrastructure updates, we offer technician training. We’ll work with you to ensure that your network and tablets are fully optimised for productivity and security, ensuring your students and teachers get the most out of your investment.
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES? | 33
CASE STUDIES We’ve worked with over a 1000 schools and academies in the UK to help deliver their IT vision and ultimately improve the education experience for both teachers and pupils. Here are some of our greatest success stories:
ORLEANS PARK ACCELERATES LEARNING WITH THE LATEST 802.11ac WIRELESS Orleans Park is an Ofsted-rated ‘outstanding’ comprehensive school for 11-16 year olds, based on a 16-acre site in Twickenham, Middlesex. We’ve been working with the academy to consult, supply, implement and manage an all-new 802.11ac Cisco Meraki network across 70 classrooms.
The 802.11ac WiFi also works with IRIS Connect, Orleans Park’s chosen lesson observation technology, which films classroom activity for training and performance review. The IRIS camera now backs up over WiFi and can also be remotely viewed, or the video can be shared with the objective of improving lessons. Peter Richardson, Senior IT Technician says: “Stone’s
30 access points cover the site with ‘always on’ WiFi, including outdoor areas such as playing fields. Teachers are now able to take the register electronically during outdoor lessons and sync-up with the Orleans Park Capita SIMS database, which helps maintain as accurate a record of student attendance and achievement possible.
expertise meant the installation was quick and painless. It takes literally seconds to download a video clip or music file to support a lesson. We now have an uncontended, 100Mb internet connection. It’s really quick to connect, and moving from classroom to corridor and beyond, nobody notices the cell changes or a drop in availability.
SOUTHBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL ENABLES ANYTIME, ANYWHERE LEARNING WITH @CCESSABILITY Southborough High School’s aim is to facilitate independent student learning and metacognition and it sees technology as the best way to enhance the learning experience of its students. Metacognition is learners’ automatic awareness of their own knowledge and their ability to understand, control, and manipulate their own cognitive processes, skills important both at school and throughout life. Southborough therefore chose to work with us to deliver 1:1 learning through our @ccessAbility scheme.
the school, allowing pupils continual access to high performance technology that might normally be too expensive for families to pay for outright. Now students get to decide how and when to use ICT to enhance their own learning in subjects across the curriculum. For example, in PE and Drama, students can now film their performance and use this to critique and improve their own work. In languages, students can connect over Skype with others students at a partner school in Madrid. Craig Wicking, Deputy Head at Southborough High
Pupils could choose between a range of devices across iOS, or Windows platforms. Parents then make a monthly donation based on what they can afford and at the end of that period Southborough’s students can either make a final contribution and keep the device or return it to STONEGROUP.CO.UK
School, comments: “Stone Group has provided us with a bespoke solution which is right for us. The technology we have deployed has succeeded in engaging our students in new ways, and enabled us to work towards empowering independent student learning.”
TOTAL LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT SOLUTION FOR COLNE COMMUNITY SCHOOL & COLLEGE Colne Community School and College pride themselves on understanding and embracing the challenge of change, diversity and innovation. When it comes to ensuring that all their end of life IT kit is disposed of in a compliant and environmentally responsible way, Colne Community School and College take their responsibility very seriously. As part of this procedure, the academy is audited regularly on IT recycling processes.
With over 86 desktops, 40 laptops, 79 monitors and a multitude of other peripherals, the school contacted Stone with a recycling collection request. Within two days the collection date had been arranged for the following week. Julian Scotcher, Network Manager at Colne Community School and College, says: “Stone provide the total lifecycle management solution for ICT in the school - a complete service from sourcing and supplying hardware right through to the maintenance and disposal of the IT equipment. And
With a hefty amount of hardware to dispose of after a large summer refresh with new IT equipment, the academy needed a vendor they could trust to take away their redundant hardware and to assist with their goal for responsible recycling.
from past experiences we know that the value and support we get from them is second to none.”
HATCH END HIGH SCHOOL SUPPORTS THE COMPUTING CURRICULUM AND BYOD As a thriving, forward-looking school with ‘high performing dual specialist’ academy status, Hatch End High School provides outstanding quality, all round education for young people aged 11 - 18 and offers the highest possible inclusive provision for its community.
With BYOD emerging in education, we provided consultancy on the best solution and recommended an Aerohive wireless solution to support mobile devices brought into the school by staff and students.
Technology is integral to curriculum delivery; therefore we helped them totally overhaul their PC and wireless environment to create more flexible opportunities for an enhanced learning experience for its students.
High School says: “We chose Stone as they fit our criteria.
Matt Pearn, Technical Services Manager at Hatch End They are education specialists so understand our business and their absolute focus is on design. We are very impressed by Stone’s professionalism, quick support, fantastic products and competitive price.”
The school has now standardised its 600-strong PC environment onto Stone desktop PCs, custom built and optimised to run applications supporting the new Computing curriculum. All PCs came pre-packaged with the school’s custom image and security markings, saving the school valuable time and resource.
“When it came to thinking about a wireless solution, we found it to be a minefield with so many different options. We took Stone’s consultancy on this, as you need someone you trust and who’s opinion you value to help you make the right decision. We can now use wireless anywhere on grounds to enable flexibility when it comes to teaching and learning.”
WHY STONE FOR ACADEMIES? | 35
Granite One Hundred Acton Gate Stafford Staffordshire ST18 9AA Tel: 08448 22 11 22 Email: marketing@stonegroup.co.uk Twitter: @StoneComputers
stonegroup.co.uk