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According to our Annual research, movement to Cloud is one of the top 3 trends in Non-Government school IT infrastructure, with 85% of respondents citing its benefits. Worryingly, there is still a common lack of understanding, meaning very few schools have a defined strategy in place for moving to the cloud. One of the key things to know is that cloud migrations can be a gradual process, tailored to your needs. For example, many schools take a ‘toe in the water’ Hybrid Cloud approach by first moving and monitoring non-essential data externally before deciding what to do with more critical resources down the track – a smart way to safely and confidently transition.

Learners need teachers to support the development of these skills, so they, too, can ride what Steve Jobs’ so aptly called the mind’s bicycle. It helps if teachers themselves are confident technology users, but we now understand that they are no longer required to be an expert in all aspects before they are able to effectively guide the learning in their classrooms. In fact adopting a lead learner mindset, which might include learning with and from students, can support student learning.

As promised, here is part two of what’s new in vSphere 6.0. In Part 1, I covered features like compute, instant clone and fault tolerance, but in this post I will be covering Storage and Management.

As Dorothy skipped enthusiastically down the Yellow Brick Road to start her unexpected journey to the Emerald City, the unknown and the enormity of the task she was to undertake began to impact on her decision making. Scarecrow in or Scarecrow out? The left fork in the road or the right? Detour to oil the Tin Man or keep to the path? Fear of going through the poppy field and what may happen? Or fear of staying on the path and possibly facing the Wicked Witch of the West?

Last year in an initiative to help schools stretch their IT budgets we partnered with HP to form the ReNew Club to offer schools exclusive access to re-manufactured HP Networking Gear. One year on, we have seen countless schools relishing the opportunity to save money and do more with their IT budgets, because the prices are below K-12 pricing and up to 50% less than brand new. Due to the success of the ReNew Club, we are excited to announce that we have expanded to include re-manufactured HP Servers and Storage equipment in the product portfolio.

Over the years, we have advised many schools on their IT, so we know that all school environments are unique in their make-up and requirements. What we have learnt when it comes to device programs is that the device is really the last thing to discuss. You need to start by considering objectives, timelines, stakeholder buy-in and pedagogy before you can form a strategy to ensure the technology will be firmly embedded into the curriculum. When it finally comes down to choosing the device, the options can be overwhelming to some, so we approach this conversation in a consultative fashion.