Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/255367
E d Te c h S h o w D a i l y W e d n e s d a y, J a n u a r y 2 9 , 2 0 1 4 1 0 GOVCONNECTION: ALWAYS AT YOUR SERVICE GovConnection is dedicated to fulfilling the unique, specialized IT needs of feder- al, state and local governments and aca- demic institutions (K–12 and higher edu- cation) throughout the United States. It helps academic and government IT and purchasing professionals make informed decisions and reduce procurement costs. The company's technology special- ists offer expert advice and services in a variety of IT areas. It also provides a full line of ready-to-purchase IT services to maintain your infrastructure throughout the IT lifecycle. GovConnection offers customizable professional services to support your unique, dynamic organiza- tion every step of the way. GovConnection provides a full line of ready-to-purchase IT services and prod- ucts to maintain your infrastructure throughout the IT lifecycle. It trans- forms IT into complete solutions with a combination of personal service, in- depth expertise and customized support. GovConnection holds premier certi- fications and authorizations from leading vendors, including Cisco Gold, HP SMB Elite, Lenovo Premier and Microsoft Gold. In addition, its talented engineers have acquired more than 500 active tech- nical certifications. These certifications allow GovConnection to offer enterprise- class service, access to volume pricing and in-demand products, software licens- ing programs and expert technical serv- ice and support. With more than 300,000 products, a nationwide network of service partners and teams of certified technical experts, GovConnection will design, build and support your end-to-end IT systems—all at once, or in project stages. It will also identify and apply the federal, state and local contracts and purchasing vehicles that enable you to achieve your school's or agency's goals, on time and on budget. GovConnection helps you get it done right the first time. Ever-changing technology will continue to shape the way we work, communicate and manage our lives. As technology continues to march forward, Gov Connection will continue to be a primary rapid response provider for complete IT solutions. This will be accomplished with you, the customer, at the forefront of every decision. With GovConnection's team of networking experts, account managers and customer service specialists, you can be sure that the company's customer commitment will always be backed by the best service in the industry, before and after the sale. Visit GovConnection at booth 101. MARVEL VIZION INTEGRATES FURNITURE AND TECHNOLOGY Technology advances demand adapt- ability and mobility to remain relevant in today's and tomorrow's presentation environment. The Marvel Vizion ® line of Audio Visual Furniture supports today's technologies and continues the tradition of manufacturing a high quali- ty, innovatively designed product that is made in America. Presenter-friendly, each Marvel Vizion product works with you to deliver your message. Stable platforms with large work surfaces, pull-out shelves for added workspace and equipment, locking drawers and cabinets for secure storage – all facilitate a polished, professional presentation. Integrator-friendly, Marvel Vizion furniture is designed to support various technologies and options. Engineered with rack or freestanding component areas, wire and cable management chan- nels, strategically placed knock outs, grommets and access panels for easy loading, Marvel Vizion products enable a fast efficient installation of your audio visual equipment. Marvel Vizion Audio Visual Products arrive at your door with very little assembly required. Attractive, high-pressure laminate tops are supported by heavy duty welded and riveted steel. Vizion products are ready to go in minutes. Manufactured to the highest stan- dards in Chicago, Marvel Vizion Audio Visual Furniture meets GreenGuard ® and Carb certification standards, and carries a Lifetime Warranty. Started in 1946 by two WWII veter- ans with dreams of putting metal breadboxes into every American home, Marvel has evolved into a top quality office furniture manufactur- er with dreams much bigger than a breadbox. Marvel Office Furniture has main- tained a strong commitment to innovative furniture design, superior quality and prompt delivery since the company's inception. Visit Marvel at booth 1420. For more information, call 800-621-8846, email sales@marvelgroup.com or visit www.marvelgroup.com. KAPLAN DEMONSTRATES INSPIRE-NG AND INSPIRE-NG MOVE The Inspire-NG™ and the Inspire-NG Move, cutting edge technologies devel- oped by Kaplan Early Learning Company (KELC), will be present for demonstration in their booth at FETC in Orlando and TCEA in Austin. The Inspire-NG and the Inspire-NG Move leverage the latest technology advances to create open-ended explorations that engage learners and offer new ways for teachers to think about integrating tech- nology into the classroom. The Inspire- NG and the Inspire-NG Move engage the senses and provide hands-on opportuni- ties for students to interact with real-life objects. For the first time, technology isn't just screen time; it's an integral part of best practices being applied in the classroom. The Inspire-NG leverages the newest multi-touch technology to create a learning environment that enables stu- dents to focus on tasks while promoting cooperation, communication and discov- ery. The exclusive software applications were developed to highlight problem solving skills, and children's natural sense of curiosity and discovery. The Inspire-NG's stand is height adjustable and also allows the screen to rotate and lock in five positions ranging from vertical to horizontal. At its core, the Inspire-NG is a Windows-based computer enabling teachers and students to access the Internet and any resources they might already have. These features, combined with an initial set of nine learning explo- rations, make the Inspire-NG an incredi- bly versatile and powerful multi-touch screen. With a focus on kinesthetic learning, the Inspire-NG Move combines the advanced technology of Microsoft Kinect for Windows with a four-explo- ration bundle designed specifically for children. These digital literacy and math explorations include Directions, Patterns, Shapes and Word Pop. The Inspire- NG Move was designed to fit within the technology already present in most class- rooms consisting of a Windows 7/8 com- puter with a projection device. For a low cost of $500, schools are able to com- pletely transform their existing static technology into an experience that inspires action and learning through movement. Visit Kaplan Early Learning Company at booth 310. Both the Inspire-NG and the Inspire-NG Move are available for pur- chase at www.kaplanco.com. For more information, contact your local KELC representative or call 800-334-2014. BRING YOUR NETWORK TO LIFE WITH CPSI By Gay Sherman, Project Manager, CPSI, Ltd. I remember the first time I saw dead peo- ple in my district's e-mail directory. As network manager at a Florida school dis- trict, it was my job to keep this stuff up to date and I was horrified. Our department seemed to be the last to know about a staffing change. Yes, we had a process to automate our network accounts. It was developed in-house. Undocumented. That guy left. Nobody knew what he did. The network directory fell apart like a cheap suit. We fought the good fight; merged NetWare, NT and AppleShare into Active Directory. Everybody wanted to be part of the new network, mostly because I bribed schools with free file servers and training. All of a sudden we had to main- tain a directory and home directories for over 20,000 employees and 150,000 stu- dents in 155 schools. AD automation was in its infancy, and I could not find any AD management vendor who specialized in K–12 except CPSI, started in 1989. They came in and gave us their personal attention, rebuilt AD and automated it. If I had a problem, I called or e-mailed them and it was fixed, or I was told why it couldn't be fixed. I didn't have to sub- mit a ticket or talk to the company voice- mail. Active directory thrived with accounts in the right place. After 13 years, I left the district's IT department and came to CPSI. Twelve years later I am still with CPSI, which is a rare feat in the software industry. CPSI is a family owned company in the heart of the Midwest with that Midwest integrity and brutal honesty. The Visual CASEL product we deployed so many years ago still thrives, but it needed a big overhaul. I would sit in my booth at FETC and hear things from tech- nology coordinators like, "I'm over 40 and I can't read your screens." Now the old Visual CASEL has a new life and a new name. Totally rewrit- ten, xdAD is web-based, and has new features that originated right here in Florida, such as the ability to work with a federated state-level single sign-on model. Many districts are moving away from managing home directories on local file servers to cloud-based solutions like Google Apps for Education or Microsoft Office 365 for Education. We also added a self- healing feature that checks AD accounts, and validates that they are at the right school, with the appropriate permissions and given access to the right servers. Network admins can review reports to see if there is a breakdown in the validation process. We also left the rigid directory structure behind so you can build AD the way you want it. Another new feature is the abili- ty to manage users with multiple location assignments based on rules that you can set up with our tech support staff. No need for extra programming; any AD attribute you want to modify can be done on the fly. Visit CPSI at booth 1416. For more infor- mation, go to www.cpsiltd.com, call 800- 659-8240 or email sales@cpsiltd.com.