Stone Update – BETT 2014 by Stone Group

UPDATE

BETT 2014

COMPUTING IN THE CURRICULUM ARE YOU READY? PAGE 04

SIS WHOLE SCHOOL ICT

PAGE 06

THE 3 Rs RECYCLING, REPAIR AND REFURB

PAGE 12

STONE LEARNING DEVICES

PAGE 22

marketing@stonegroup.co.uk stonegroup.co.uk @StoneComputers

CONTENTS COVER STORIES

Computing in the Curriculum How ready are you?

SIS –Whole School ICT Get the right infrastructure for your school

Recycling, Repair, Refurb Manage your unwanted IT equipment

Learning Devices Our latest notebooks, desktops and tablets

FEATURES

From the Editor Introduction to our new look magazine for BETT

In the staffroom Opinions on Computing from UK educators

Open Badges Introduction to the new currency of learning

Philips Selection of quality monitors for education

Q&A with Johnny Ball Thoughts on ed tech for 2014

EduGeek The IT professionals’ life line

Meet Our Team Nuri Bodur - Stone Payment Solutions

Eastbrook School Case Study Enrich the learning environment

The Power of Touch Grab student attention with interactive screens

New Mills Case Study Support computing with new infrastructure

iiyama Wide range of education monitors

Colne Community School Go green with total lifecycle management

Computing in the Curriculum How ready are you?

Recycling, Repair, Refurb

Manage your unwanted IT equipment

Badge the UK

Open Badges

Introduction to the new currency of learning

Q&A with Johnny Ball

Thoughts on ed tech for 2014

STONE SOLUTIONS SIS - Whole School ICT Get the right infrastructure for your school

06 12

Recycling, Repair, Refurb Manage your unwanted IT equipment

Payment Solutions Our student and staff BYOD schemes

Learning Devices Our latest notebooks, desktops and tablets

Servers Simplified The Stone and Kingston bespoke offering

Learning Devices

Our latest notebooks, desktops and tablets

FROM THE

EDITOR

marketing@stonegroup.co.uk stonegroup.co.uk @StoneComputers

This year at BETT, we’re creating a number of innovative areas on our stand for visitors to come and engage with our team. From having a sneak peak at our latest learning devices, chatting about future ICT plans to discussing any digital concerns that they may have. In keeping with times of curriculum rejuvenation, you may have noticed that we too have given our Update magazine a face lift and a little nip and tuck here and there. We hope our newly designed and smaller magazine fits into your lifestyle, and bag, a little better than before. We know how precious time can be, so, with a new design comes our lovely new digital version online, www.stoneupdate.co.uk. You can now keep up to date with all the latest tech news in education on any device from all editions as and when suits you. Not only this, instead of cramming everything into our magazine we’re letting you know throughout the articles when there’s some online bonus material, so you get all the information you require. As normal, we’ll discuss popular topics within education and when you want it to, will direct you to a multitude of online reference sites to help better your knowledge and understanding of that subject. There’ll be useful site suggestions, customer testimonials and even some insightful videos to watch.

View more about Stone at BETT 2014 http://bit.ly/WDpxdD

ONLINE EDITION

www.stoneupdate.co.uk

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Back to BETT, we’re creating a number of exciting spaces within the stand for visitors to come and see, listen and experience a number of topics causing a stir out there in the education scene. To answer any specific 2014-centric challenges, we’ve devised four holistic themes that carry across all areas on our stand to help you through the other side of the changes: Computing Curriculum Whole School ICT Open Badges Digital Leaders In this BETT edition you can see how to prepare yourself and others for the impending Computing curriculum with exciting ideas (08 Open Badges) and see what other educators’ (05) and Johnny Ball (14) think about this change. With a new Computing curriculum fast approaching and strong emphasis on content creation, we look into providing you with the right bespoke infrastructure (06) and learning devices (22) capable of completing these essential computing tasks. Don’t let your school fall behind. See how New Mills School updated its infrastructure in preparation for changes to the National Curriculum (30). We hope you like the new look edition, and as always we love to hear from readers to keep the conversations going.

Daley Robinson, Group Marketing Director 08448 22 11 22 marketing@stonegroup.co.uk

Current and past editions of UPDATE are available to read online at any time on your favourite device. Whenever you see these icons, go online for bonus content using the QR code or the web link.

SEMINAR TIMES

VIDEO CLIP

CASE STUDY

ONLINE CONTENT

UPDATE

COMPUTING IN THE CURRICULUM EQUIPPING STUDENTS WITH SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE The technology industry is growing at a rate of 5.7%, providing an abundance of opportunities for students to gain workplace relevant skills. Recent research from IDC says that a staggering 90% of UK jobs by 2015 will require computer skills. It’s important to arm students with the necessary skills they need and to teach computing disciplines with long term value to equip them for the future. The Department for Education (DfE) has recently recognised the importance of computing in the curriculum, not only for the economic future of the UK, but to also enrich students’ lives and skill set and allow them to play an active role in a digitally led world. Which is why, from 2014, Computing will become part of the national curriculum across the UK. Computing and ICT – what’s the difference? According to a recent report endorsed by Microsoft and Google, Computer Science teaches students how to be an effective creator of computational tools (e.g. coding and programming) whilst ICT focuses on how to use them.

http://blogs.msdn.com/

04 stonegroup.co.uk

Computing is about far more than just ‘computers as a technology’. And as suggested by Computer Scientist Edsger Dijkstra, “Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.” Computing in the curriculum – why is it so important? In a recent Microsoft conference, Simon Peyton Jones, Chair of the Computing at School Group (CAS) brought forward that for too long the curriculum in schools has been heavily focused on how to use IT as opposed to regarding computing as its own discipline. Computing can no longer be seen as a ‘geek’s game’ as it’s a fundamental component to enhance and develop workplace relevant skills for students’ future employment opportunities*.

Introducing computing into the curriculum helps to equip students with the ability to solve problems, design systems and programs and understand the power, influence and limitations of both human and technological intelligence. Computing is a skill that empowers and is a powerful tool for students to be competent with and use to their best advantage for future success. Those who have these skills are better able to conceptualise and understand computer-based technology and thus become better equipped to function in a modern, 21st Century society. What do you think? With Computing in the curriculum fast becoming the next big thing in education we chat to some of the UK’s educational ICT leaders and teachers to find out what they think about this impending change.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE NEW COMPUTING CURRICULUM?

MAILBOX

more digitally literate and by “Pupils are becoming increasingly ation, do they really need to the time they reach Secondary educ n software applications? I’d argue know learn how to use a suite of well to ICT is what’s needed. not and a cross curricular approach give pupils a better understanding “The new Computing curriculum will a young age pupils can learn of how computers actually work. At and Bee Bots and as their ers the basics by programming Roam games, apps and websites. te crea can they s, understanding grow own app or game? Who wouldn’t want to create their difficult for a lot of our pupils though. “Computing is no doubt going to prove wasn’t seen previously within ICT. that It’s a science, an academic discipline be an impossible task will it and ess succ There is no easy route to like computers.” to try and engage all pupils in thinking Sam Wood School ICT Co-ordinator, Fountains High

“The new computing cur riculum is striking both dread and fear into teachers up and down England. ‘Two sid es of A4... is that it?’, ‘Where are the QCA units to go with it?’ , ‘Algorithms – if I don’t know what they are, how am I supposed to teach them?’ “However, this is not the case in the London Borou gh of Havering, where the School Improv ement Service have bee n working with publishers Rising Stars to develop Switched on Computing to provide schools with hig h-quality teaching materi als that will help teachers deliver the new Programme of Study for computing with ease and confidence. Wri tten for the new curricu lum, Switched on Computing offers creativ e units using the latest software in a format that is designed for tea chers of all levels of exp erience to pick up and use. The 36 units cov er the new Programme of Study for computing, including pro gramming and comput ational thinking. It delivers clear progressio n of skills from Year 1 to Year 6. Supports teachers of all levels of experience with softwa re demos and detailed step-by-step pla nning and embeds e-S afety to ensure safe and responsible use of technology too.” Dave Smith @haveringict Computing and ICT Ad visor, Havering School Impro vement Servic

“Having received the new curriculum for Comp uting, I’d say I was fairly unce rtain about the changes brought in. Change isn’t easy and the new curriculu m is ver y different to the one that we’re used to. My initial thoughts were what funding is available to support the chan ges? We’ll have to invest in teacher tra ining to ensure we’re equipped with the right skills and confidence to tea ch the children and also buy new sof tware to go alongside it. In addit ion to this, because the new curriculum is focused on content creation as opposed to using programmes, we wo uld have to build in word processing les sons to make sure that pupils are not lac king in essential IT skills when they leave primary school. This puts additional pressures on the timetable. Teachers are good at finding ways to make things excitin g, so focusing on making lessons diff erent will be important to motiva te pupils. The children will enjoy this change as they like to create thin gs and watch the results, such as codin g, which makes objects move.” Sally Oxley Head Teacher, Ox

hey First School

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UPDATE

Stone Infrastructure Services Whole School ICT Recognising the importance of Computer Science for the economic future of the UK, the DfE has included it within the 2014 curriculum. The technology industry is growing at a rate of 5.7%. As a nation, the UK only produces 7,500 Computer Science graduates a year, compared to over 30,000 in India or China and 40,000 a year in Poland*. It’s never been more important for the UK to empower students with the correct and necessary digital skills for a world where almost every industry requires IT skills due to global adoption of the internet, websites, IT programs and apps.

With such modifications to the curriculum, it’s important for educators to understand why this change is happening and up-skill teachers in time. In addition to this, there’s a large amount of importance placed on Whole School ICT. Ensuring that schools are equipped with the right IT infrastructure will be fundamental in allowing them to embrace Computing successfully. But, understandably, with change comes uncertainty, which is where we step in. Our in-house Stone Infrastructure Services (SIS) portfolio is the result of over 23 years experience in the education sector, combined with valued customer relationships. This means you truly get a diverse, evolutionary solutions portfolio that goes hand-in-hand with changes to the curriculum and the Digital Leaders movement. Our in-house specialised SIS Team are here to support teachers, head teachers and IT technicians with the implementation of computing into the classroom. Provide staff and students with the crucial technology and infrastructure that allows them to take hold of their digital destiny both inside and outside the classroom. The new Computing curriculum will teach a fundamental understanding of computing that will enable students to be educated creators of technology. The next generation of innovators capable

If you’d like to talk to one of our Stone Infrastructure Services Team then call us on 08448 22 11 22 or e-mail marketing@stonegroup.co.uk

stonegroup.co.uk

http://blogs.msdn.com

BETT 2014

of designing new computers and programs to boost our economy and improve the quality of life for everyone. Make sure your school’s infrastructure supports this. What makes us different? 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. Innovative portfolio Complementing proven best of breed solutions with the very latest disruptive technology. Highly qualified specialists With industry leading certifications across Microsoft, VMware and Citrix. Consultative design Meaning you get a bespoke solution that’s right for you. PRINCE2 project management End-to-end project delivery to stay on time and to budget. Customer-led solutions Vertical-specific and built on 23 years experience in public sector and education.

Our offering includes: • • • • • • •

Cloud Services Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Server Infrastructure Storage Audio Visual Managed Services and Support Managed Print

See what our customers are up to... New Mills School

The School has totally overhauled its PC and wireless environment to create more flexible opportunities for an enhanced learning experience for students. • Installed 600 high performance Stone desktop PCs with five-year warranty • Implemented an Aerohive wireless system • Introduced BYOD throughout the premises

North View School

Enhances SEN learning experience with interactive AV screens.

• Interactive lessons • Inspiring learning space suitable for all ages • Full aural and visual experience in the classroom • Increased teachers skills to produce exciting lessons • Improved staff training opportunities • Helped to engage parents in their children’s learning and progress

Hatch End School

Provide students with an outstanding ICT experience to develop their digital skills - meeting the demands of the new Computing curriculum and preparing them for the ‘world of work’. • • • • •

Refreshed server estate Increased storage capacity Enabled Bring Your Own Device Automated the back up solution Prepared the IT infrastructure to support computing in the new curriculum

Read more about these Case Studies http://bit.ly/19hBJx4

See all our Infrastructure Services online http://bit.ly/1iGh46C

UPDATE

Badge the UK

Open Badges

A new currency for learners Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve teamed up with DigitalMe at BETT 2014 to see how schools can give students the passport to employment using the Badge the UK scheme. With the focus of Computing in the new curriculum for 2014, we explore innovative and practical ways in which teachers can implement this into their lesson plans by looking at how Open Badges are changing the learning landscape. For more information: www.digitalme.co.uk @digitalme_ @BadgeTheUk 08 stonegroup.co.uk

BETT 2014

What are Open Badges? Open Badges are a new global standard to recognise skills & achievements and share across the web. They are radically changing the way we see qualifications; from abstract measures of knowledge towards a tool to connect talent with opportunities for employment, work experience and further education.

Like scouting badges, Open Badges communicate a digital skill or achievement but are displayed and shared over the Internet. They contain comprehensive data including: who has earned the badge, its criteria, learning evidence and who has endorsed it. Badges create a new currency for learners, empowering them to take their achievements with them across the web, opening up new opportunities for learning, jobs and fun!

Why use Open Badges? Computing Curriculum:

With imminent changes to the curriculum, introducing Open Badges is a fantastic way to capture digital skills not previously recognised through formal qualifications and empower students to take control of their own destiny in a world where IT skills have never been more important.

Passport to Employment:

Open Badges help link students to future employers. By allowing employers to see their online digital portfolio that showcases a wealth of essential digital skills, they can better their future job prospects. All the information online is packaged within a tiny badge image file that can be displayed via online CVs and social networking sites. This allows you to recognise learning like never before; in the classroom, at out of school clubs or at home. They help recognise the learning missed by traditional qualifications.

What does it involve? Introducing Open Badges to your school allows students to take control of their own learning.

They will have the opportunity to create their own badge projects. From designing the digital badge, creating the badge award criteria, project completion, right through until itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shared over the web. 09

UPDATE

Open Badges at BETT 2014

By allowing visitors to experience Open Badges for themselves, we hope to provide practical ways to teach the new Computing curriculum and offer inspiration for the classroom.

This year, on our stand we have a whole section dedicated to Open Badges, split into two exciting learning and working spaces.

We’ve teamed up with DigitalMe and are giving visitors the opportunity to learn a new digital skill on the stand and earn their own BETT badge. There’ll be a number of badge activities throughout the day to choose from and a Digital Leaders Team earning their own reporter badges via #DLTV!

Live at the show… #DLTV

Visitor Activity Hub

• The unofficial BETT Media Team meet our Digital Leaders TV crew

• Talk to Badge the UK about that day’s Open Badge activities

• See live interviews, editing and media publishing in action

• Earn your own Open Badge as you learn a new digital skill

• Understand how you can use Open Badges in your classroom

• Get inspiration for teaching Computing • Start your Open Badge journey

• View the Badge the UK showcase

Start Your Open Badge Journey Introducing Open Badges to your school allows students to take control of their own learning. For more information: www.digitalme.co.uk @digitalme_ @BadgeTheUk 10 stonegroup.co.uk

DigitalMe is a non-profit organisation helping to reimagine learning by enabling students to gain recognition for all their skills and achievements. The DigitalMe Team can work with you to design your own learning adventures with Open Badges and can support you each step of the way on your journey, from developing your initial idea to creating a global badge solution. You can access their free design canvas to start designing your badges today, join them at an event or book the team to help you develop your idea or technical solution.

RECYCLING, REPAIR, REFURB Lifecycle Management Go green and help manage the lifecycle of your devices... Our entire range of devices, professional services, solutions and software offerings all reflect our ethical stance towards the environment. With the ever increasing need for more organisations to become environmentally responsible, we’ve put together the 3 Rs to allow you to do just this.

RECYCLING

We’re proud to be the only UK IT hardware manufacturer to operate our own in-house recycling and refurbishment facility (fully licensed by the Environment Agency). We have the ability to collect, recycle and recover your redundant IT equipment and have process controls in place to ensure your data remains protected. Here’s how we do it: • Data security as standard – our IT Disposal services are certified by ADISA to Distinction level and ISO 27001 • Compliance support – we help with navigating the legislative framework with consultancy services based on ICO best practice • Treatment & Blancco data wiping – all data erasure, both on-site and off-site, is undertaken to CESG HMG IA Standard No. 5 • Physical data destruction – we have our own in-house shredding capability • Efficient service – all the way from our online request systems to specified collection times • Secure transportation – we have our own vehicles which are tracked and manned by security screened staff • Zero Landfill Policy – we’re an Environment Agency Approved Authorised Treatment Centre – breaking down non-reusable products into their constituent parts

REPAIR

Do you have a faulty product that’s beyond the end of its warranty guarantee? Unsure of what to do? It may still make economic sense to have it repaired – ultimately saving you money. Here’s how: • Multiple vendor accreditations – we’re one of a few organisations accredited as both a Samsung Service Centre and Toshiba Authorised Service Provider • Efficient service – 5 day turnaround repair for your devices • Secure collection – you get total peace of mind that return to base collections are tagged and tracked • Highly skilled technicians – all accredited to CompTia A+ standard, who can undertake costsensitive repairs on any out of warranty PC – regardless of the brand

Get in touch with us and let us help extend the life of your IT hardware.

We positively encourage our customers to come to our HQ to visit our recycling centre and see the processes in action. Get in touch to find out how.

REFURB

We can help bring a new lease of life to your redundant IT equipment with our in-house refurbishing facility. Each device that comes in through our recycling facility has its data fully wiped and managed to ISO 27001 standards so you can be rest assured of the highest quality. Here’s a bit more about our offering: • Socially responsible – devices are repurposed through UK-focused and global social projects such as Microsoft Get Online @ Home and IT Schools Africa • Microsoft Registered Refurbisher – we’re part of an approved, elite network • Encorepc.co.uk – access to low cost second user PCs and tablets through our consumer brand, giving you the opportunity to roll out devices that will be perfect for daily computing tasks • Bespoke customer portals - giving your staff the opportunity to buy your organisation’s data wiped, end-of-life IT hardware

Encore PC www.encorepc.co.uk

ADISA seminar at BETT 2014: An Introduction to Data Protection and IT Asset Disposal http://bit.ly/19V5tAA P.34 Take a look at how Colne Community School used our Lifecycle Management Services http://bit.ly/1hz7uoi

UPDATE

“If a lesson does not have that attraction, then go the extra mile that makes it so”

Q&A

JOHNNY BALL

Back by popular demand, we’re delighted to have TV personality and education evangelist Johnny Ball on our stand for the second year running. We check back with him to hear his thoughts on technology in education for 2014: You were on the Stone stand last year, it was great to have you there, how did you find the show? I thought the Stone stand was outstanding and from what I could see, among the very best in this huge educational show. I loved that they wanted to do ‘something extra’ like have the live Hackathon area with developers creating learning apps live on the stand. They also allowed me to say exactly what I felt about today’s education. That freedom was a breath of fresh air to me, as it seldom happens. You’re back again this year on the Stone stand C102, what are you hoping to bring to UK teachers and IT decision makers that visit? Someone said that education can be delivered in three ways – tell them; better is to show them; even better still is to get them to do it, as that is by far the most memorable experience. Computers are a far better way of showing how, and if well delivered, experiencing something via the vast scope of computers can be on a par with doing it. But it is still good teaching that completes the delivery system. The Government are going ahead with the new Computing curriculum this year, which focuses more on content creation – what are your thoughts on this? Learning to code or programme, can be ideal for young people just as music training, or learning the nuances of a sport or skill like driving. Their developing minds, from mid-primary upwards, are capable of absorbing methodology so well. Becoming a ‘geek’ and totally absorbed in an activity in one’s teens is quite natural to young people – and the skills of creating through computing are no exception as they will suit many young people down to the ground, and could well reveal a promising career path. But it will not suit or even be valid to all students. We are all animals and our basic instincts and inherent character are not radically changed by technology.

Johnny Ball at BETT 2014: Building An Aptitude for Maths http://bit.ly/19V5tAA

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What do you think is important when it comes to using technology in the classroom and how can students and teachers embrace this? The first card to play in teaching is always for the teacher to show enthusiasm for the wonders that they are going to reveal and teach to those in their charge. If the enthusiasm is there, the scope of IT is limitless. When I wrote my TV shows in the 70/80s, with a TV production team to back me up, I felt that no subject was off limits, thanks to the power of TV. Now that power (via ever improving educational systems and models) is in the hands of every teacher in every classroom. Research by the UK Council of Professors and Heads of Computing predict that demand for IT professionals will increase by 15% in the next 8 years. How can schools encourage students to develop their IT skills further? To demonstrate their confidence, a teacher must be totally at home with their teaching tools. That needs to come down through the IT Educational Resource Production Companies, via schools’ heads of computing. A competent Head of Computing is today an absolute essential for every single school. A brilliant Head of Computing can open up the whole world of IT and its required skills to so many students, and in a whole variety of ways, enhancing teaching right across the board. You’re a motivational speaker and very passionate about children’s education, what would be your top tips to motivate today’s students in the classroom? Be confident and even eager to deliver today’s lessons as though you had an Oscar winning script and a subject that you were certain would have an essential attraction to your class. If the lesson does not have that attraction, then go the extra mile to find some angle that makes it so. Confidence and love of your subject, though not always having immediate effect, will eventually get through to your kids.

Watch Johnny in action at BETT 2013 http://bit.ly/13jUOu6

EduGeek launched in 2005 as an online peer support group aimed at helping technicians and network managers working within UK educational establishments find solutions to the rather unique problems they face on a day-to-day basis. Whilst there were several technical forums already on the internet, they only covered very narrow subject areas and none catered specifically for IT staff working in education, let alone some of the more unique requirements. This resulted in having to search across several sites attempting to collate enough information required to solve a single issue, which was not only time consuming but also unsuitable for schools. With this in mind EduGeek was created - a forum based community that focuses on having all of the major areas dealt with day-to-day in one single place. The forum covers topics such as hardware, software, planning, purchasing and everything in-between. And with little money to spare everything is absolutely free for members, a policy that still remains today.

It’s an ever-growing and vibrant community that helps thousands of IT professionals in their jobs every day; which can be attributed to a number of factors: •

The quantity of reliable ‘high end’ technical information which can be found within the forums.

•

The information, advice and help given on the site is useful not only to school technical staff, but teachers, school heads and many IT centric organisations and companies outside of the education sector.

•

The feeling ‘community’ members get - they go out of their way to not be a faceless entity and do this by holding free conferences and events throughout the year allowing members to meet face-to-face.

•

Established excellent relationships with industry leading companies including Microsoft and Stone. Ensuring that members get up to date information and contact with the people and companies who matter to them.

•

Making the forums a friendly and safe environment for all members. They have a team of moderators located throughout the globe who ensure the forums are free of profanity, spam and ‘trolling’.

•

Routed to founding principles so that everything they do for members remains free. Details are also kept private and confidential so you can be sure your details are never passed on to third parties.

EduGeek now has over 67,000 members and receives almost 23 million visits per year from around the globe, and we’re proud to sponsor their hardware forum.

111,981 Threads

1,022,123 Posts

67,644 Members

1,115 Active Members

If you work with IT in education this is a great way to source the answers you’re looking for and all without costing a penny.

See for yourself www.edugeek.net

Total managed device service... Your true 1:1 school solution You may have read about our BYOD schemes for staff and students over the last year or so. In addition to offering personalised learning and better performance, our BYOD schemes provide significantly better value than buying these devices outright. And what’s more, with our student BYOD schemes, you’re fully covered by warranty and insurance packages if anything goes wrong. You won’t find that offer on the high street! We’ve put together a couple of bundles which can help save you up to 25% compared to high street prices. Don’t forget, all our BYOD schemes are completely customisable so you can opt for a 12, 24 or 36 month contract term, allowing for lower monthly payments.

See what you can get!

Staff BYOD

Both our Student and Staff BYOD schemes allow you to tailor a whole-school program that best fits the school and its students. We can provide cost effective Staff BYOD programs to compliment student programs to enable staff to access the latest tech to enhance their understanding of how to use technology in the classroom and further benefit students and improve 1:1 learning.

iPAD MINI RETINA 16GB £9.57 PER MONTH*

24% CHEAPER THAN HIGH STREET** *

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iPAD AIR 16GB

£11.72 PER MONTH*

25% CHEAPER THAN HIGH STREET**

Based on a 24 month contract. Based on high street pricing from Apple Store (iPad) November 2013. Stone and high street pricing is device only and does not include insurance, warranty or case. Cost based on high rate tax payer.

***

Student BYOD

The Student BYOD scheme offers parents a cheaper way of acquiring IT to provide their children with access to anywhere, anytime learning. With these fantastic offers, classroom collaboration and IT skills can be further improved and developed.

Learn more http://bit.ly/1lYGoV5

See what you can get! Importance of insurance

iPAD AIR 16GB

iPAD MINI RETINA 16GB

1 year warranty^ 1 year insurance^ and case

11% CHEAPER THAN HIGH STREET**

7% CHEAPER THAN HIGH STREET**

ÂŁ37.28 PER MONTH*

Despite iPad being a big hit in the education market, a recent report shows that nearly 10% of iPad users are on the receiving end of an accident affected iPad in the first 12 months (SquareTrade, 2012). For this reason, our Student BYOD scheme comes with insurance included in the monthly cost to give you total peace of mind should anything happen to the device.

ÂŁ31.59 PER MONTH*

Up to 3 years insurance cover and manufacturer warranty dependent on length of contract. Based on a 12 month contract. Based on high street pricing from Apple Store (iPad) , Protectyourbubble.com (insurance) and InsightUK.com (case) November 2013. *** Based on a like for like basis when insurance/cases are purchased on the high street with the device; Stone prices are inclusive of full insurance/warranty wrap plus case. ^ *

UPDATE

MEET THE TEAM

“

PAYMENT SOLUTIONS

”

NURI BODUR

OUR PAYMENT SOLUTIONS TEAM PRIDE THEMSELVES ON TRANSPARENCY AND HONESTY

OUR PAYMENT SOLUTIONS TEAM ARE SPECIALISED IN OFFERING INNOVATIVE PACKAGES TO HELP YOUR BUDGET GO THAT LITTLE BIT FURTHER. THEY’RE ON HAND TO ADVISE AND GUIDE YOU TO GET THE PAYMENT SOLUTION IN PLACE THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU. AND BECAUSE GOOD SERVICE IS ABOUT GOOD PEOPLE, WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET SOME OF THE TEAM.

SEE HOW SOME OF OUR CUSTOMERS USE PAYMENT SOLUTIONS:

Delamere Academy Develop student learning through @ccessAbility 1:1 scheme http://bit.ly/1d2ITET

Eastbrook School Enrich the learning environment with brand new infrastructure http://bit.ly/ICjmpY

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Barking Abbey School A new lease of life through Stone Payment Solutions http://bit.ly/1aitVK2

If you’d like more information contact: nuri.bodur@stonegroup.co.uk 08448 22 11 22

BETT 2014

WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF FINANCE EXPERIENCE BEHIND HIM, NURI IS ONE OF OUR OWN RESIDENT PAYMENT SOLUTIONS EXPERTS WHO BRINGS WITH HIM A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE TO HELP EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. WE CATCH UP WITH HIM TO GET THE LOWDOWN... So, Nuri, it’s great to have you on board with us at Stone. Tell us a little bit about what you were doing before you joined our team. Before joining Stone, I worked with Cisco Capital for 5 years and then moved away from there to set up and manage the retail team at De Lage Landen where one of our specific targets was the education market. I set up and implemented education funding policies to provide compliant operating leases and solutions for educational institutions that enabled them to have the IT equipment that they wanted instead of what budget dictated.

Why should education institutions opt for leasing/ payment schemes? By opting to take out a leasing scheme you can ensure technology is always up to date through lifecycle management and accelerate budgets to allow you to get the tech that you want instead of having to compromise. This means your students get access to the latest devices to ensure their learning potential is enhanced. Total repayment is also less than the total asset value and offers the flexibility to expand your IT estate when needed. There are significant benefits to be gained when looking at these schemes. For example, you can spread the cost over the useful life of the equipment and pay for the use of it, meaning you pay less than it’s actually worth whilst having the flexibility to upgrade as and when new technology develops. Giving you the ability to manage project expectations and provide the best technology for students to further develop their ICT skills and creativity.

What are your particular areas of specialism within the education space? I specialise in a number of education specific areas including asset lifecycle management which allows institutions to put leasing schemes in place and refresh their equipment every three years on a rolling basis. I also specialise in staff/student BYOD schemes, managed service and infrastructure solutions.

What are the benefits of introducing 1:1 schemes into schools? You have constant access to the latest technology rather than just within an IT lesson which enables students to greatly improve their ICT and literacy skills. Both of which are fundamental to success in later life and to gain workplace relevant skills. 1:1 schemes allow for increased student/teacher interaction and for more independent learning to take place anywhere, anytime.

What do you hope to bring to Stone? What are you looking to achieve? Stone Payment Solutions was put in place because of all the bad press and publicity surrounding leasing schemes in the industry. Leasing is a fantastic solution for purchasing IT assets and I want to make sure that customers are getting good value for money and sign up to compliant agreements. As a trusted advisor, we want to bring value add for customers and by managing this in-house we can ensure they get this. Through staff/student BYOD schemes I’d like to see 1:1 devices available for everyone without cost implications on the establishment.

Are there any common themes/issues you see within the education space? More often than not, I see a lot of mis-selling of solutions. Our Payment Solutions Team pride themselves on transparency and honesty so you know exactly what it is you’re committing yourself to.

What schemes are available through Stone Payment Solutions? We offer a wide variety of schemes including: managed service, staff/student BYOD, compliant operating leases, total lifecycle management and tailored payment solutions.

Any advice for those institutions thinking about different device schemes? Walk before you can run. Ensure your teachers have the tools and skills they need to get the most out your IT investment before launching to the entire school. A staff BYOD scheme not only provides staff with devices they want at reduced costs, but also has no impact on the school’s finances and allows them to be up to date with the latest tech and as ‘tech savvy’ as students are. Opting for a student BYOD scheme for a select number of year groups first ensures no excess strain on the infrastructure and gives you a manageable estate in the early days of implementation.

See our Payment Solutions http://bit.ly/18kzQOt

What do you see as the next big thing in education? Boundary-less learning through fully managed staff and student 1:1 schemes. All traditional ICT device funding can then be used to enhance the establishment’s infrastructure and further enhance the user experience.

UPDATE

Case Study Eastbrook School create enriched lifelong learning environment with brand new IT infrastructure Inclusive education is a step towards an inclusive society, where standard provision allows for a diversity of need. And for Eastbrook School, inclusivity is a fundamental component of student development. As an education provider, Eastbrook School values difference and aims to create an enriching learning environment which is beneficial to all of its students.

BACKGROUND The school provides a stimulating environment filled with opportunities and a structure for students to develop talent and ability within a curriculum that promotes lifelong learning. With a relationship spanning over 10 years with Stone, the school now has over 300 Stone PCs within their 6 core suites of their ICT estate alongside a robust virtual infrastructure. SITUATION With an IT estate consisting of 10 year-old hardware that was not providing the learning environment for students and staff that the school required, Eastbrook saw this as an opportunity to completely refresh and modernise their outdated ICT infrastructure. Eastbrook School previously had an infrastructure based around Network Attached Storage (NAS) which was impacting the productivity levels of students and staff alike. And with the introduction of high definition media content into many curriculum areas, it was clear the school needed to act. It was evident at this point that the school needed to undertake two projects to support this change â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one to transform the server-side and another to completely refresh the outdated PCs. The school began to look at the cost of doing both projects at the same time, but with the budgets getting tighter and no guarantee of what funds

Similar stories to read

Delamere Academy http://bit.ly/1d2ITET

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Barking Abbey School http://bit.ly/1aitVK2

BETT 2014 would be available it soon became clear that doing both concurrently would prove impossible using capital purchases. Lee Allen, Network Manager at Eastbrook School, explains: “When I joined Eastbrook last year, my major requirement was to get the school’s ICT estate up to speed with modern technology as everything was seriously outdated. Without Stone’s Payment Solutions Team putting together an operating lease, we would have had to prioritise what we do first. It is possible our refresh programme could have taken a number of years to complete. For us, leasing provided a lower overall cost and meant we didn’t have to make a tough choice between the two projects.” SOLUTION Having used Stone before for other projects, Eastbrook were very pleased with the service and support they had received. The school were aware of the various payment solution schemes that Stone offered and so turned to them for advice and to find out how they could modernise their ICT estate without exhausting limited funds that were available. After speaking extensively with the Stone Payment Solutions Team about their options, the school were advised to take an operating lease over a three year period. This would mean they would not have to prioritise their projects and could put together a solution which would allow for the completion of both the front and back end project to deliver everything they needed. The leasing scheme that Stone introduced covered the end user hardware, meaning that the school had more flexibility and budget to complete the entire infrastructure project inclusive of front and back end hardware.

Commenting on this further, Allen explains: “After discussing our requirements with Stone, we realised that our best option, given the constraints on our budget, was to take out an operating lease. The fact that we could do this for our PCs was a big driver in our decision making process. We were able to successfully complete our entire infrastructure refresh and virtualisation project without having to compromise and wait until the following year to get front end hardware. We now know on an annual basis how much budget we need to set aside and with a 3 year plan in place we can make sure our system is continually updated so that students have access to the latest technology.” The school recognised that they needed to be able to run the latest industry-standard media editing software, particularly for students at Key Stages 4 and 5, to give them the best possible opportunity for success. The new server and storage solution, combined with the latest desktop PC technology, has now enabled the school to ensure a seamless computing experience even for pupils studying graphic design and media studies that are processing high definition media content. Eastbrook School has experienced many benefits from the VMware vSphere server virtualisation solution, including reduced server downtime and simpler network administration. And as such the school are now keen to explore a virtualised desktop solution so their students are able to gain anytime, anywhere access to the learning environment regardless of the device they are using. The Dothill storage solution that has made up part of the infrastructure refresh for Eastbrook has also given the

“Our continuing relationship with Stone is based not only on their ability to provide us with a modern learning environment and a complete IT infrastructure, but also on their service provision and the aftercare support. We’re keen to develop our relationship with Stone further and are already recommending them to other schools in the area. For us, Stone are most definitely our preferred supplier for the entire IT estate within the school.” LEE ALLEN, NETWORK MANAGER, EASTBROOK SCHOOL

school significant advantages by providing them with enough space to dynamically allocate space to certain projects. Where the previous storage solution for the school was taken up in a very short space of time, with Dothill the school are able to focus on how they allocate space and make it a central point for backup and recovery. The movement from a Network Attached Storage (NAS) solution to a Storage Area Network (SAN) provision has made vast improvements to the school’s infrastructure. Coupled with the implementation of the latest devices to the IT estate through Stone’s operating lease and entire end-to-end solution, Eastbrook are now able to achieve their aim of creating an enriching and stimulating learning environment for the lifelong learning of its students.

UPDATE

STONE LEARNING DEVICES Our range is always improving, providing you with the latest and greatest technology with your students’ needs and requirements in mind.

Introducing the brand new CLASSMATE 3 Essential for everyday computing Ideal for those wanting to use tablets in education and have them endure the natural trials and tribulations of daily school life. Smart to look at, easy to carry and a one key transform button that removes all boundaries of learning by taking this mini notebook into a detachable tablet in an instant.

ONE KEY TRANSFORM Go from mini notebook to detachable tablet in an instant.

NEW CAPACITIVE TOUCH Up to 10-point touch and built-in active digitizer. Ultimate flexibility in delivering classroom tasks.

NEW QUAD-CORE POWER The Latest Intel® Atom™ Processor delivers full Windows 8 experience while using only 3w of power. True all day computing.

TOUGH WHEN IT MATTERS MOST Designed specifically for classroom life, the semi-rugged Stone Classmate 3 is drop tested to 70cm. This means common drops from a pupil’s grip or off of a classroom table won’t result in a loss in productivity.

DON’T CRY OVER SPILT MILK Resistant to vertically dropping fluid giving peace of mind.

LOADED WITH THE LATEST TECH IPS-Pro HD screen, dual cameras, USB 3.0 and loads more.

Quad-core Intel® Atom™ Processor inside

Matt Brown Product Manager 08448 22 11 22 07799 532 333 matthew.brown@stonegroup.co.uk 22 stonegroup.co.uk

Quad-core Intel® Atom™ Processor

BETT 2014

Tough and rugged design

One key transform

GET HANDS ON AT BETT

Detachable tablet

10-point multi-touch

Full Windows 8 experience

Spill proof

For more on the New Classmate 3 visit http://bit.ly/1fjpPFJ

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Continued from Page 23

GET HANDS ON AT BETT

Matte screens for anti-glare and anti-reflection

Up to 16GB Memory

Subject to rigorous heat and stress tests

Moulded track pad High capacity battery

STONE NT310-H High performance with style Our Stone NT310-H, 25% thinner than the NT309, offers a host of features including the latest Intel® HD Graphics 4000, TPM as standard and additional security features in a slimmer chassis. The NT310-H chassis has been designed to withstand the particular pressures of academic use, from the daily removal from a laptop trolley – to the intensive graphics requirements of a design lab.

FEATURES + Up to Windows 8.1 Pro + Up to 4th Generation Intel® Core® i7 Processor + Up to 16GB DDR3 Memory + 15.6” HD (1366x768) Slim 16:9 LED Display + Moulded trackpad making peeling off more difficult + TPM 1.2 for increased data security + High capacity battery for improved usage (Up to 6 Hours) + Optional blanking plate for optical drive, reducing costs and preventing damage + CC4 compatible with Stone DDU + Up to 5 Year On-site Warranty + Matching Chassis ID to the previous model for a uniform estate

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.

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Find out more on the Stone NT310-H http://bit.ly/1alrPXr

BETT 2014

STONE N120

FEATURES + Up to Windows 8.1 Pro + Featuring the latest Intel® Celeron® Processor + Up to 8GB DDR3 Memory + 11.6” HD LCD Display + Optional external DVD/RW + 1MP video camera + Multi-gesture touchpad for easy navigation and scrolling + TPM as standard for increased data security + Supports 64-bit operating systems

Essential for everyday computing Introducing the N120 – a classic and simple design with solid features for everyday use. This thin and light 11.6” laptop has been designed to compete with entry level devices and provides the capability of doing much more than a normal netbook. Powered by the latest Dual Core Intel® Celeron® Processor, it has enough oomph to run full fat versions of Windows 8.1. Meaning you get the power and performance of a larger form factor notebook with the portability of a netbook. So, where previous generation netbooks lacked the power necessary to do anything but the most basic of tasks, the N120 provides you with the ability to do everything you want.

Check out the features of the Stone N120 http://bit.ly/14uIFQk

11.6” HD LCD Display

GET HANDS ON AT BETT

1MP Video Camera

Optional external DVD/RW for optical drive

Continues on Page 26 Featuring the latest Dual Core Intel® Celeron® Processor

Up to 16GB of DDR3 Memory

UPDATE

1.0MP HD webcam Continued from Page 25

Desktops The advancement of technology is undoubtedly changing the face of educational environments, providing opportunities to give students a much more robust and complex learning environment. With that in mind, we’re always developing our range of desktop devices to bring you and your students the latest and greatest tech to enhance student productivity and engagement and build on their learning experience.

USB 3.0 x 2

Sleek design

STONE ALL IN ONE Versatile by nature, the Stone All in One is an elegantly simple way to create a clutter free learning environment where space is a challenge. An optional height adjust stand with added security features, front access USB ports and an optional keyboard and mouse further enhance the user experience. Contemporary and stylish, this Windows 8 compatible PC is the ideal choice for those wanting a flexible solution. Allowing for the same bespoke configurations you’ll find with our traditional desktop chassis, the device is completely customisable – meaning you get the all in one that’s right for you and your students.

Stone All in One

FEATURES

+ Up to Windows 8.1 Pro + Up to 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 Processor + Up to 32GB DDR3 + Up to 3TB Hard Drive or 1TB SSD + DVD/RW or Blu-ray + Intel® HD Graphics + 2 x USB 3.0 ports for future-proofed connectivity + 80+ Bronze 85% efficient power supply as standard + vPro and TPM optional + Optional space saving stand, for height adjust & cable management + Multiple connectivity and expansion options to suit your requirements + Front mounted card reader optional + Designed to save desk space with Front panel I/O raised for ease of use + Built for customisation and expansion + CC3/CC4 compatible with Stone DDU

Tool-less features

Find out more http://bit.ly/11T4ztC

26 stonegroup.co.uk

GET YOUR HANDS ON GET HANDS ON THISATAT STAND BETT C102

+ Tool-less access to internal components + Up to two hard drives for new and improved configuration options + Tool-less installation of 3.5” hard drive for ease of assembly and servicing + Supports an additional 2.5” tool-less drive bay for HDD or SSD for storage or performance needs + Thumb screws allowing you to access internal components easily and quickly if needed

BETT 2014

Stone USFF

GET HANDS ON AT BETT

Tool-less chassis for easy upgrades

Can stand vertically or horizontally

Low profile expansion ports for discrete graphics and audio

Slimline optical drive

Up to 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 Processor

STONE USFF Lightweight and compact, this desktop PC has an ultra small form horizontal or vertical tower orientation designed for versatility and optimal desk space saving. This ultra small PC is built to order to meet your specific requirements, including multiple connectivity and expansion options to suit your needs, for improved productivity and power management. What’s more, the Stone Ultra Small Form Factor now comes with a tool-less chassis as standard. Tool-less capability has become a key factor for many organisations and so in our continued effort to develop our existing product range, we’ve created a tool-less design for our most popular desktop chassis.

Paul Boucherat Product Manager 08448 22 11 22 paul.boucherat@stonegroup.co.uk

FEATURES

+ Up to Windows 8.1 Pro + 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i5 4570 featuring Intel® HD Graphics + Up to 32GB DDR3 + Up to 3TB Hard Drive or 1TB SSD + DVD/RW or Blu-ray + 2 x USB 3.0 ports for future-proofed connectivity + 80+ Bronze 85% efficient power supply as standard + vPro and TPM optional + Desktop or Tower Orientation for versatility + Optional space saving stand, for height adjust & cable management + Low-profile expansion ports for discrete graphics and audio + Slimline optical drive + Multiple connectivity and expansion options to suit your requirements + Front mounted card reader optional + Designed to save desk space with Front panel I/O raised for ease of use + Built for customisation and expansion + CC3/CC4 compatible with Stone DDU

Watch the video http://bit.ly/1hhbiYE

UPDATE

THE POWER OF INTERACTION Today, 1 in 8 classrooms around the world have interactive displays. By 2016, 1 in 5 will. The UK is no different. By 2016, schools will have more Interactive Flat Panel Displays than Interactive Whiteboards*.

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So, why are interactive screens taking over the classroom?

Because they bring the classroom to life. With the evolution of learning, teachers no longer want to stand at the front and talk at the class, nor do students want to sit in the classroom and watch this. Fundamental changes to the teaching and learning process have meant that students want to be involved, interact and have their lessons tailored to meet their specific needs and interests. As the technology we use at home evolves, so does our imagination. Gaming equipment, used by a majority of the ‘net generation’, uses such innovative technology that capturing student attention in the classroom can be challenging. With 75% of 12–15 year olds having a gaming device in their own room**, the technology used within schools has a lot to compete with in order to capture imagination and attention to the same effect.

BETT 2014

By introducing large interactive screens to the classroom, schools are able to best utilise the interactive experience for students. In addition to this, endless software options mean that creating exciting and interactive lesson content for the class to get involved in has never been easier. All with the same aim – to motivate students, increase class collaboration and increase their productivity. Next generation learning There are plenty of screens for schools to choose from and teamed with the right software, they can really transform a learning space into something unique. Take a look at some of our vendor suggestions that are ideal for schools:

Clevertouch

The large format screens from Clevertouch are great for those wanting education specific software. The screens already come with fantastic software bundles including Lynx, Wordwall and DisplayNote. Lynx allows for teachers to plan, organise and deliver lessons. Wordwall offers easy-to-use fun and interactive quiz templates featuring endless topics. And DisplayNote; great for those wanting to use tablets in class and getting students to share content to the large screen, present and annotate.

CTOUCH

The CTOUCH Leddura XT will let you easily introduce class collaboration during small group learning exercises or as part of large class activities using the 4 point touch surface. Because it’s powered with an OPS module, you can also expect reduced installation costs, lower power consumption and no more loose components or unnecessary cables – helping make classroom life simple. The option of a sound bar is available for schools that want to optimise the listening and viewing experience.

iiyama

The ProLite TH6564MIS is perfect for the classroom because of the high quality LCD screen and anti-glare screen. This means that all students will be able to see the screen from anywhere in the classroom. Because of the solid and robust design, it makes it capable of withstanding daily classroom life. Staff or students can also use a finger or stylus to be able to write, annotate, draw and present with ease.

Why upgrade to interactive touch? • Capture student attention • Encourage class collaboration • Enhance academic performance • Creative software packages • Sensory rich environment • Visual, Audio and Kinaesthetic (VAK) approach • Enhanced multimedia teaching • Creating inspiring learning space North View School http://bit.ly/R4Wray

West Nottinghamshire College Futuresource2013 ** OFCOMs 2009 Interim Report on UK children’s Media Literacy *

http://bit.ly/JK0GFW

UPDATE

Case Study New Mills School updates IT Infrastructure to Support New Computing Curriculum As a Business and Enterprise College, New Mills School needs to provide students with an outstanding ICT experience to develop their digital skills – meeting demands of the new Computing curriculum and preparing them for the ‘world of work’. As part of this approach, New Mills evaluated its existing IT infrastructure and, working with Stone, made a series of enhancements: • Refreshed the server estate to speed up performance and usability for students • Increased storage capacity to cope with pupil created content

Did you know?

We’ve created a set of free utilities that will guarantee Stone branded devices will work on RM’s proprietary network management software. RM CC3 / CC4 supported PCs and Tablets. For more free advice visit http://bit.ly/1dCsALm

30 stonegroup.co.uk

• Enabled Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) so students and teachers can bring other devices into the school • Automated the back up solution so less time is needed to manage the process • Prepared the IT infrastructure to support the new Computing curriculum in 2014.

BETT 2014

BACKGROUND According to Go ON UK, 16 million people in the UK aged 15 and over still don’t have basic online skills, but 90 per cent of all jobs will require ICT skills by 2015. It’s essential that schools support children with the most modern ICT infrastructure available to help develop digital skills, meet the modern Computing curriculum and prepare them for work. Productivity in learning and creativity must be continually supported. Whether a small primary or a large secondary school, data complexity and volume of data is also increasing. Students now frequently access email, video, audio, online learning content and many other types of digital content. Perhaps, most importantly, students and many teachers also ‘expect’ to use their own devices – laptops, tablets, mobiles – wherever they go. This places even greater emphasis on operating a robust and reliable IT infrastructure, modern devices and uninterrupted service across a network. SITUATION In 2013, Keith Lutener was appointed to manage the IT network at New Mills School. Part of his role was to overhaul the ageing IT environment. As it was being used more and more, it was beginning to slow the school down and failing to keep pace with learning demands. For the last ten years, the school’s PC network was managed using RM Community Connect 3 (CC3), a proprietary management layer built on top of Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP. With the imminent de-support of Windows XP by Microsoft in April 2014, the school needed to upgrade away from XP, but deployment of newer operating systems with CC3 was problematic. Also, with students using newer operating systems such as Windows 7 and 8 at home, it was difficult to upload their homework at school and make it compatible with the existing set up. In light of this, the school had two options; attempt to solve this by upgrading to Community Connect 4 (CC4), which would continue to be supported under contract by RM, or replace the server infrastructure with a ‘vanilla’ install. SOLUTION To avoid vendor lock in, New Mills decided to make the transition from RM, opting for a vanilla route, deploying a standard Windows set up where they could regain control.

The school realised that it needed help from an education specialist to design and implement the solution so after recommendations from other schools turned to Stone Infrastructure Services, a division of Stone Group, to support the project. After consultation from Stone Group, New Mills decided that the best approach would be virtualisation so all applications could be consolidated on less hardware saving valuable physical space and considerable costs. The first job was to replace the three physical servers with two new ones. Windows Server 2008 and 2012 were installed to host the entire network between them. Also, by installing VMware vSphere virtualisation directly on top of these physical servers meant that multiple virtual servers could run on each physical server simultaneously, sharing the resources. The school now has the ability to run numerous virtual servers on each physical server if they so wish, making the system extremely powerful and future proofing investment as the cost of virtualisation is a fraction of the price compared to buying more physical boxes. For example, in addition to the two physical servers, the school has already added 10 virtual servers to the network. By contrast, to purchase one additional physical server would cost in the region of £7k, compared to £1440 for a virtual one. Saving the school approximately £55,000 altogether. With the introduction of two new Dot Hill Storage Area Networks (SANs), the network is now capable of holding up to 32TB of information compared to the 500GB capacity of the previous solution. Also, the network performance is much quicker. Cat6 Cable has been installed increasing transfer speeds from 100Mbps to 1Gbps. A faster, larger and more reliable network means that the school is set for the impending new Computing curriculum in 2014. A key element to the new framework will focus on the creation of technology, rather than the use, so this will mean teaching children to code. Whereas previously, installing new programming applications was difficult due to the slow network and, complications with Windows XP, the school is now able to deploy and run any application easily. This enables students to use the latest programmes and keep up with the changes in this digital world.

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Due to the value of the data, disaster recovery was an important factor to the school. So to ensure the entire PC network is constantly backed up, the school deployed Microsoft Data Protection Manager (DPM). The SANs can each accommodate 20 backup cartridges, with each cartridge having the capacity to hold up to 3TB and uses a fully automated backup to reduce admin time. The school’s old cartridges could only hold up to 300GB each, meaning that they had to be constantly, manually swapped out. With the entirely new network set up, New Mills decided to also refresh its PC estate. With 500 devices in total, the school had budget to lease 150 new desktop and notebook devices from Stone Group, and plans to refresh the rest of the estate in the near future to ensure all 500 devices are renewed. The leasing scheme allows more flexibility to meet the needs of students by getting access to the latest technology while spreading the costs over a period of time to suit budgets. The cost of leasing is also less than the equivalent costs of buying the devices outright and all equipment is under warranty for three years.

“The benefits have been remarkable,” said Keith Lutener, Network Manager at New Mills School. “Behind the scenes, we have a new and improved network which is extremely powerful that also delivers fantastic end user results. The students are offered the latest applications and can access these quickly which improves productivity. “We’ve had a great experience with Stone Group and they are a true partner. They have offered a consultative approach and implemented the entire system seamlessly, dealing with any issue in a quick and professional way.” KEITH LUTENER, NETWORK MANAGER, NEW MILLS SCHOOL

As part of the service, Stone Group has also re-imaged each device with Windows 7 and installed all the newest editions of Microsoft Office software. The introduction of Windows 7 has meant boot up times are much quicker. It now takes seconds compared to 15 minutes with the old system so users are more productive, and the students are using the most up to date software which prepares them better for the world of work.

See all our Infrastructure Solutions http://bit.ly/15r6yaO

West Nottinghamshire College http://bit.ly/JK0GFW

Finally, BYOD is now fully supported at New Mills. Prior to this virtualised environment, the RM system was very closed and they could not run just ‘any device’. Now students and teachers, can bring any device and connect automatically – allowing flexibility, home working and diversity.

Eastbrook School http://bit.ly/ICjmpY

Hatch End School http://bit.ly/10Oti62

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PROLITE B2280HS

PROLITE B1980SD

PROLITE B2481HS

+ 21.5” TN LED screen

+ 19” TN LED screen

+ 23.6” TN LED screen

+ 130mm height adjust/90˚ pivot angle

+ 130mm height adjust/90˚ pivot angle + 1280 x 1024 native resolution/Aspect ratio 5:4

+ 130mm height adjust/90˚ pivot angle

+ 1920 x 1080 native resolution /Aspect ratio 16:9

+ 5ms response time

+ 1920x1080 native resolution/Aspect ratio ratio 16:9

+ 2ms response time

+ Contrast 1000:1 typical

+ 2ms response time

+ Contrast 1000:1 typical

+ Brightness 250/cd/m2

+ Contrast 1000:1 typical

+ Brightness 250 cd/m2

+ DVI + VGA

+ Brightness 300cd/m2

+ DVI + VGA

+ Speakers 2 x 1W

+ DVI + VGA + HDMI

+ DVI Speakers 2 x 1W

+ Speakers 2 x 2W

OUR PRICE £100

OUR PRICE £104

OUR PRICE £115

PROLITE E2083HSD

PROLITE B2083HSD HEIGHT ADJUSTABLE

PROLITE TE4264MIS

+ 19.5” TN LED screen + 1600 x 900 native resolution/Aspect ratio 16:9

+ 19.5” TN LED Screen

+ 42” Full HD Screen IPS

+ 2ms response time

+ 110mm height adjust/90˚ pivot angle function/ Portrait Mode Base

+ 1920 x 1080 native resolution/ Aspect ratio 16.9

+ 1600 x 1900 native resolution/Aspect ratio 16:9 + 2 ms response time

+ 5ms response time

+ Contrast 1000:1 typical + Brightness 250 cd/m2 + DVI + VGA + Speakers 2 x 1W

+ Contrast 1000:1 typical + Brightness – 250 cd/m² + DVI + VGA + Speakers 2 x 1W

OUR PRICE £73

OUR PRICE £86

TOUCH SCREEN

+ Contrast 1500:1 typical + Brightness 500cd/m2 + Optional multi-touch + DVI, VGA + HDMI + USB + Speakers 2 x 12W

OUR PRICE £1100

UPDATE

Case Study Stone provides total lifecycle management solution for Colne Community School and College 21st Century academies are more than just the built environment within which students, teachers and associated staff come together. Colne Community School and College, as such an institution, pride themselves on understanding and embracing the challenge of change, diversity and innovation. BACKGROUND As an exciting and innovative school geared to providing the best possible opportunities for students, the academy is committed to creating a learning environment which reflects the value placed on young people and their success. Colne Community School and College has been dealing with Stone for over five years and 90% of their IT estate is now made up of Stone devices with a 60/40 split in favour of Stone notebooks. See our Recycling Services http://bit.ly/1cF9EOA

Watch our new Recycling Services video http://bit.ly/1cF9EOA 34 stonegroup.co.uk

SITUATION 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 school is audited regularly on IT recycling processes. 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.

BETT 2014 SOLUTION Despite having had a relationship with Stone for a number of years, it was never a vendor the school had thought to use for their recycling requirements. Having had some troublesome experiences with past vendors and after hearing about Stone’s recycling offering, Colne Community School and College were keen to learn more and so turned to Stone for more information. Having made contact with Stone, the academy was impressed with the IT Asset Disposal Service provided and the potential rebate that could come from recycling their old IT equipment. Due to the major role that auditing plays within Colne’s recycling procedures, the documentation process that also comes with Stone’s IT Asset Disposal Service was a major factor that contributed to their decision. Stone operate their own in-house recycling and refurbishment facility, fully licensed by the Environment Agency, and is ADISA certified to distinction level against the enhanced ADISA 2012 ITAD Standard – the only hardware manufacturer globally to have achieved this exclusive status. Alongside this, every device that goes into Stone’s facility is fully managed to the ISO 27001 standard. In addition to the ISO certification, Stone is also a Blancco Gold Partner, which means that any IT assets which go into Stone’s facility has its data completely wiped in accordance with Impact Level (IL) 3 and Blancco regulations. With this at the forefront of their mind, the school knew that Stone would be the right vendor in their quest for responsible recycling. Speaking of his experience with Stone and the decision to choose them for their recycling, Julian Scotcher, Network Manager at Colne Community School and College, explains: “Asset Management and auditing is very important to us and the fact that Stone are able to manage this and provide us with the documentation we need gives us total peace of mind that all our redundant kit is being disposed of or re-used in both a secure and environmentally sustainable way.” With the decision to choose Stone as not only their IT hardware provider but their IT Asset Disposal vendor too, the school now needed to arrange for the collection of the redundant IT kit. 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. Commenting on this process, Scotcher explains, “We were extremely impressed by the speed of Stone’s recycling process. It was an exceptionally fast time frame, given that we put our request in

and within two days our collection time had been arranged. This is high-quality service we have never had before with other recycling vendors and it just adds to the many reasons behind our decision to choose Stone.” For Colne Community School and College, the total lifecycle management solution that Stone now provide them with is the perfect solution for which they can now base their future vision for ICT. As a single supplier to the school who can provide the IT hardware, support and IT Asset Disposal service, highlights the overall end-to-end service that Stone offer.

“Having dealt with Stone for the last five years from an IT hardware perspective, we were truly impressed by the great service and support they provided. They provide true value and the after care support is second to none. Having dealt with various other IT hardware providers, their support service does not compare. It used to be a battle to get engineers out to us but with Stone, we log the call and they are out the very next day. “This is why, when we found out that Stone offered an IT Asset Disposal solution and they would be able to dispose of our end of life IT equipment in an ethical, secure and environmentally responsible way, we knew they would be our vendor of choice. “They now 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 from past experiences we know that the value and support we get from them is second to none. “With the relationship previously based on the strength of the hardware offering, and now with the other services Stone are committed to offering – we have never looked back and are proud to have Stone as the vendor of choice for our IT hardware and IT Asset Disposal.” JULIAN SCOTCHER, NETWORK MANAGER, COLNE COMMUNITY SCHOOL AND COLLEGE

HDD array can only support 39% CPU utilisation before saturation whereas SSD array can handle

92% CPU utilisation before saturation