Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/335351
E d Te c h S h o w D a i l y 2 7 Tu e s d a y, J u l y 1 , 2 0 1 4 Nook, Android phones and Android tablets as well as Windows and Mac desktop computers. Through just one login, MackinVIA users can explore the entire collection of digital materials their school has acquired. Mackin also created a free funding source for schools and libraries called "Funds4Books & eBooks." Since it start- ed, hundreds of schools have signed up for free Funds4Books accounts based on its no-hassle online donation program that allows 100 percent of every donated dollar to be used at Mackin to purchase books and digital materials. ESD: Mackin is an industry leader in the educational resources field. What sets your company apart from others? RH: First, our personalized customer support and our customization services are renowned and unparalleled. Our employees truly care about helping customers get exactly what they need. Mackin serves as a partner in educa- tion. We listen to our customers and provide products and services that are designed to meet their individual needs. Secondly, we work with more than 18,000 publishers and have a database nearing three and a half mil- lion printed titles, and nearly 40,000 eBooks, audiobooks and databases, making it possible to provide a full spectrum of educational resources and the largest age-appropriate selection in the nation. Thirdly, we offer a long list of complimentary services, including custom library collection development and analysis, custom shelf-ready pro- Mackin ( Cont'd. from p. 1) cessing and free shipping. ESD: What is happening at the Mackin booth at this year's conference? RH: As always, we are excited to instruct and demonstrate the latest upgrades to MackinVIA. Attendees can get a first-hand look at this robust digital content management system with all its exciting features like our own BackPack™. We will also be demonstrating the MackinVIA reader app and how it not only seamlessly integrates into the MackinVIA portal but also how it expands the capabilities of the MackinVIA content manage- ment system. We will also be sharing our latest digital addition, nearly 40,000 audiobooks that we've added to MackinVIA. ESD: In addition to visiting the Mackin booth, how can people learn more about your company? RH: Visit our website at www.mackin.com and start a Live Chat, email us at mackin@mackin .com or call us at 800-245-9540. You can also follow us on Twitter (@Mackin_Talk and @mackinVIA) or Facebook (Mackin Educational Resources) or Pinterest (MackinResources). At Mackin, every phone call is always answered in per- son – 24 hours a day, every day – and true customer service still exists. Visit Mackin Educational Resources at booth 3220. For more information, go online at www.mackin.com or call 800- 245-9540. stolen on a weekly basis. He created a solution for securing desktop comput- ers, which went on to have a radical impact on reducing computer theft throughout Australia. Since our begin- nings in Perth, we've expanded globally to help make our customers' lives easier by developing mobile device manage- ment products that take the workflow of a classroom into consideration. ESD: What would you say makes your company unique? ES: We are designed by teachers, for teachers. Our signature Baskets, as an example, just make life easier by allow- ing teachers to deploy and collect devices faster and safely. Teachers can check out only the devices they need, further mod- ulating a large capacity cart into smaller units ideal for group projects or smaller classrooms, all while maintaining large capacity charging and securing. ESD: What products do you see as being hottest this year? ES: Our hottest product this year will be the Carrier 30. This is our 30-unit version of our most popular cart, the Carrier 40. Chromebooks, iPads – no problem. The Carrier 30 can do it all! Stop by our booth to take a look. LocknCharge ( Cont'd. from p. 1) ESD: Compare the position of your products and their technology against the current market. ES: LocknCharge products are designed to make our customers' lives easier. Our Carrier Carts open easily using the sliding lid, making baskets of Chromebooks or iPads easily accessi- ble. It's a different experience from a traditional cabinet on wheels. Using a Carrier to manage your mobile devices means you no longer need to grab each device one by one or kneel on the floor to reach a bottom shelf. It is a natural and ergonomic way to distribute mobile devices in your classroom. Not to forget about the setup, IT coordina- tors love how easily and quickly you can wire up a Carrier. Finally, we guar- antee our carts for life. ESD: Tell our readers about your trade show objectives, plans, products, promo- tions, etc. ES: We are giving away $25,000 of Baskets by LocknCharge at ISTE this year. Stop by our booth 3314, get scanned and you'll be entered to win. Visit LocknCharge at booth 3314. For more information, go to www.lockn- charge.com, follow the company on Twitter @lockncharge, call 888-943- 6803 or email eric@lockncharge.com. Common Core standards. The interac- tive technology embeds assessments into students' reading and provides educators with actionable, real-time data they can use to monitor and improve student literacy. The power- ful reader with engaging books is increasing student and teacher per- formance, and promoting academic achievement across the board in classrooms using the solutions. KnowledgePoint provides schools with state-of-the-art ordering and con- tent management tools to build a robust digital collection, including multiple repositories of e-books to supply classrooms, libraries and read- ing rooms simultaneously. Schools can easily and effectively start to manage their digital collection within an intu- itive platform. The KnowledgePoint and LightSail partnership allows schools to use high-quality content in LightSail's Baker & Taylor ( Cont'd. from p. 1) dynamic reader to engage all levels of students. With content from leading publishers and access to a wide range of titles, from classics and best-sellers to important pieces of nonfiction and the latest critically-acclaimed works, students have endless content possibil- ities at their fingertips. The Graphite site for educators has recently praised LightSail as "a power- ful platform for developing engaged readers." Real-time assessments and feedback were especially noted in awarding the literacy growth software its highest honor. Learn more at www.graphite.org/app/lightsail. Visit booth 1456 to see how Baker & Taylor 's KnowledgePoint solution, featuring LightSail's award-winning reader, provides a unique combination of engaging books with embedded assessments that will provide amazing student results. For more information, go to http://knowledgepoint.baker -taylor.com. CAN 1-TO-1 PROGRAMS SURVIVE? An interview with Tim Evans, Vice President, Impulse Point. ESD: You have said that 1:1 computing programs represent a short term strategy when it comes to getting more technolo- gy in the classroom. Can you explain? TE: A 1:1 computer or tablet initiative has a number of significant advantages that help get technology into the class- room. These programs get a device into the hands of many students who might not otherwise have such access, and incite teaching methods and curriculums that embrace technology – a very wel- come change. However, in the long run, it remains to be seen how districts can financially sustain these programs in the face of technology advancements. All we have to do is look to Moore's Law to rec- ognize that the latest device will soon be surpassed by a newer one with more capabilities. ESD: What do you see happening instead? TE: There is no doubt that technology in the classroom is here to stay and the use of personal devices [aka BYOD] will continue to rise. I expect that it will be common for districts to have some kind of BYOD program complemented in varying degrees with lab stations, com- puters on carts and grade-specific 1:1 programs. ESD: Your company, Impulse Point, pro- vides a solution called Safe•Connect. The name suggests it is some kind of security. What does it do? TE: Safe•Connect is a security product used by colleges, universities and K12 districts to provide visibility and control of unmanaged [BYOD] or 1:1 devices. Districts have found that school-issued devices are taken better care of if the stu- dents can personalize its configuration. This essentially changes the 1:1 devices into BYOD devices. ESD: When you say visibility and con- trol of BYOD devices, what do you actu- ally mean? TE: It starts with identity. Safe•Connect can automatically identify what devices are connecting to the network, and iden- tify who the user is on that device. In a wireless environment, this is essential to allow only authorized users on and keep unwanted users off. Safe•Connect also can assign a role to the user based on who they are: student, teacher, librarian, administrator, etc. The control portion of the solution involves checking these personal devices to make sure they meet the security policy of the district. A good example of this is to make sure all devices have anti-virus software installed before gaining access to the network. ESD: Over the last few years, it seems like every vendor is claiming to have a BYOD solution. What makes Impulse different? TE: Impulse has been providing a solu- tion to secure and manage personal devices on a network long before the term BYOD was even created. For more than 10 years, the higher education mar- ket has used our solution to manage stu- dent's devices. In recent years, the K12 market has really started to mirror col- leges and universities with the wide use of personal devices. For more information about securing BYOD programs, call 863-802-3738 or email tevans@impulse.com.