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EdTech Show Daily 2 1 Wednesday, January 24, 2018 ISTE Conference Best in Show Winner and is a 2015, 2016 and 2017 recipient of its Award of Excellence as an outstanding technology education product. MackinVIA also won a Platinum Award from Modern Library Awards in 2017 and 2018. These achievements are validation of the effort Mackin has put into making a superior product for users in education. We also have a free funding source for schools and libraries called MackinFunds. Hundreds of schools uti- lize this free program because it is a has- sle-free, online donation program that allows schools to collect donations and spend 100 percent of the proceeds on any print or digital resource Mackin sells. ESD: What trends are you seeing in the library and classroom market? RH: Today's school library market is presently enduring the largest paradigm shift it has experienced since the intro- duction of the stand-alone online auto- mated catalog. K-12 school libraries are being challenged to remain relevant in a world that is quickly transforming into a digital platform and I believe that this is the very biggest opportunity ever for school libraries and professional school librarians to showcase their importance and relevancy within the educational process. Teacher-Librarians must seize the moment and take the lead as purvey- ors of knowledge and vital information sources and resources that will serve to accelerate and increase the ability of every classroom teacher and administra- tor to improve and enhance learning. Mackin (Cont'd. from p. 1) ESD: How do you view your role as an educational resource vendor in today's market? RH: Our role is more crucial than ever as we provide schools and libraries with the most economical and versatile resources they need. Mackin has taken that involve- ment a step further with the formation of the Transform Your School Library (TYSL) Movement. We have assembled an accomplished board of professionals who are fully engaged in providing sup- port to librarians focused on transitioning their library to meet the educational chal- lenges of today and the future. Librarians looking for support and information can learn more at www.mackintysl.com. ESD: In addition to visiting the Mackin booth, how can people learn more about your company? RH: People can visit our website at www.mackin.com for information about Mackin and all of our amazing divisions, or contact us online to start a live chat. We can also be found on Twitter, @Mackin_Talk and @MackinVIA, Instagram @MackinLibrary and on Facebook (Mackin Educational Resources). For additional questions, email us at mackin@mackin.com, or call us at 800.245.9540. Every phone call is always answered in person – 24 hours a day, every day – and we pride ourselves on the fact that here, true customer serv- ice still exists. For more information, go to www.mackin.com or stop by booth #1723. about customer satisfaction. Evaluate the length of time a provider has been around, look for positive testimonials and explore the site for case studies that high- light different types of customers. Digging even deeper into a company and asking about their quality of product sup- port and SLA (service level agreement) can also help you get an idea of how the company will help you succeed and respond in times of need. Scalability Being able to look ahead in your technol- ogy plan is critical to choosing the right tools for the job. By selecting a software solution that can grow with you as your needs evolve and the number of support- ed devices increase is essential for usabil- ity and cost savings. A software solution that can meet your needs now and down the road will save time and resources when it comes to implementing a variety of technology initiatives. Platform Agnostic Along the same line as scalability, a multi-platform unified endpoint manage- ment solution is an important considera- tion, even if your current environment isn't diverse. As technology continues to change and develop, the technology cli- mate of your business will likely change, too. A historically all Windows environ- ment may transition to Mac, or vice versa, or become a blended environment FileWave (Cont'd. from p. 1) of many operating systems. Choosing a solution that works with any mix and number of devices will address current needs, and prepare you for future possi- bilities – ensuring you swiftly adapt, as needed. Comprehensive Services for the Greatest ROI Not only should a solution be compatible with multiple operating systems, but it should be an effective tool throughout the entire lifecycle of device management of imaging, deployment, management and maintenance. Combining multiple tools into one product can significantly streamline operations and reduce cost. Founded in 1992, FileWave provides education, enterprise and government institutions from around the world with multi-platform device management soft- ware to assist IT teams throughout the entire lifecycle process of imaging, deployment, management and mainte- nance. FileWave's all-in-one, highly scalable solution solves the many chal- lenges of managing a diverse and grow- ing population of users, devices and content by ensuring organizations have a comprehensive solution that supports both desktop and mobile devices across macOS, iOS, Windows, Chrome OS and Android. For more information, go to booth #1223, visit www.filewave.com or call 888.FileWave. finish which blends well into any home or office décor. Once paired with the state- of-the-art La Crosse View App, it is the leading system in providing precise indoor and outdoor environment information, right from your own home's backyard to the palm of your hand. With a colorful easy-to-read display, enjoy all of the weather information you need viewed on the station or from your smart device no matter where you are on the go. By having the built-in Wi-Fi mod- ule, you'll have real time forecasts from the National Weather Service, time and date information from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the ability to customize personal messages through the La Crosse View App, which La Crosse (Cont'd. from p. 4) displays right on your weather station. In addition, the app allows friends and family to monitor your micro-envi- ronment via any smart device, without the inconvenience of sharing user names and passwords. La Crosse Technology's team of well-trained product developers ensures that its products look just as great as they function, from the station itself to the newly designed advanced sensors – their form is just as ground- breaking as their performance. La Crosse Technology continues to be a world leader in atomic time and weather instruments, appealing to all levels of weather enthusiast, from the casual observer to the serious weather bug. For more information, go to www .lacrossetechnology.com. leaders distribute block-grants at the local level. Under ESSA, school leaders at the local level will then have a fair degree of autonomy as they're allowed to contribute up to 15 percent of grant fund- ing to technology infrastructure. 21st Century Community Learning Centers: The 21CCLC program is a cen- tral component of possible ESSA funding options. This program is designed to establish a tech-centric off-campus facil- ity for students in need of internet access after school hours. Flexibility for Equitable Per-Pupil Funding: Under this ESSA program, 50 school districts across the country will be eligible to apply for funding that is deter- mined through a weighted formula that favors districts in which many students come from low-income households. Under this model, school leaders them- selves will be able to maintain control over between 40 and 80 percent of budg- et allocation. ESSA (Cont'd. from p. 4) Transparency: ESSA seeks to ensure that funds are responsibly distributed by working within a fully-transparent framework. All parties are made aware of expenses, helping districts to avoid developing a relationship with a technol- ogy provider that doesn't serve their mis- sion of delivering a robust broadband connection on a tight budget. K-12 school leaders today are faced with a unique and significant challenge when it comes to bridging the network divide. In order to keep your schools and libraries modern, you'll need to use all the tools in your toolbox. With ESSA having supplanted the No Child Left Behind Act, school leaders have an opportunity to address these concerns for the long haul. Stop by booth #2144 at FETC to speak with your Cox representative to learn how you can empower the students in your district today. For more information, visit booth #2144 or go to www.coxbusiness.com/education. TSSI Maximizes Recovery on Goods Perceived as Undesirable Technology Solutions & Services, Inc., (TSSI) remanufactures products that have already been produced. The compa- ny offers expanded capacity and capabil- ities for reverse logistics. TSSI is focused on enhancing service capabilities for mobile products. This includes increas- ing production capacity as well as enhancing cosmetic capabilities to bring products closer to a "like-new" condi- tion. Other remanufacturers focus on making a unit functional again, but TSSI brings a refurbished product back to or close to an A-Grade condition. This allows clients to increase resale by more than 30 percent, a sizable increase in recovery for their clients. TSSI partners with manufacturers, retailers and distributors to facilitate their ability to effectively manage their returned goods. From a returned asset management perspective, the mobile industry appears to be where the PC industry was over 20 years ago. TSSI was successful in the evolution of asset man- agement in their PC group and now man- ages returned assets for brands such as HP and Lenovo. TSSI's services are designed to max- imize recovery on goods that many people perceive as undesirable, yet are still poten- tially tangible assets on a company ledger. The processes expertly manage returned goods from the beginning of the returns process through to final disposition. Some clients only require broken glass LCD/LCM service while others may want whole phone refurbishment, kitting and fulfillment services. Services can be sepa- rated out or bundled together on an as- needed basis to suit the unique require- ments of each individual client. Product returns continue to have an increasing impact on the bottom line; therefore TSSI strives to proactively provide clients with revenue maximizing solutions to their unique asset recovery needs. For more information, visit www.tssius.com or call 866.447.6872.