Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/993077
EdTech Show Daily 2 5 Tuesday, June 26, 2018 ESD: What do these changes mean for customers? BD: Developing Series 2 was very cus- tomer and dealer feedback driven. The new features promise to deliver increased simplicity and reliability for our end- users. The two main features of AnchorLink that support our goal to pro- vide simple, convenient and reliable products are: Longer Transmission Range and Automatic Frequency Hopping: Our new AnchorLink wireless transmitters (handheld microphone or belt pack) have a range of 300'-plus line of sight. When creating AnchorLink, our cus- tomers' feedback proved that a depend- able wireless platform with reduced interference was crucial. That being said, we have moved to the less popu- lated, more reliable 1.9 GHz frequency range. And now, as soon as our AnchorLInk wireless transmitters expe- rience any interruption, they will auto- matically switch to a different frequen- cy without interruption. You no longer have to manually change channels on the wireless transmitter and main speaker unit; especially convenient when standing 300'-plus away! Connect up to Four Wireless Mics: All of our larger systems have the ability to connect up to four wireless micro- phones, and two wireless mics in our Anchor Audio (Cont'd. from p. 1) smaller systems. Students, faculty or a combination of both can now connect to one system at the same time. Our second largest change in our Series 2 products is the use of lithium ion batteries. This change has a huge impact on the convenience of our products, and the overall customer experience through- out the life of the product. The lithium ion batteries are rated to last 2,000 charging cycles, nearly 10 times the amount of our previous Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) battery. Not only that, they are much lighter, about half the weight, than the SLA. For example, when there is only one faculty member or student to set up a Bigfoot, which has three built-in batteries, cutting the bat- tery weight in half has an enormous impact on the ease of set up and overall portability. There will most likely be times when your system will need to be stored for long periods of time without use – sum- mer and winter breaks, off seasons for sports, etc. These new batteries allow 8- 10 months for on-shelf storage without needing to be plugged into a power source. Overall, with Series 2, we wanted to improve, rather than change, our cus- tomers' experience by increasing the sim- plicity and reliability of Anchor Audio products they know and love. For more information, visit www.anchor audio.com, call 800.262.4671 or stop by booth #1962. What to Look for in a Quality Endpoint Management Provider Company Reputation: While seeking a solution should be more than a popularity contest, a lot can be said about customer satisfaction. Evaluate the length of time a provider has been around, look for posi- tive testimonials and explore the site for case studies that highlight different types of customers. Digging even deeper into a company and asking about their quality of product support 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 technology 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 supported devices increase is essential for usability 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 end- point management solution is an impor- tant consideration, even if your current environment isn't diverse. As technology continues to change and develop, the Endpoint Management (Cont'd. from p. 1) technology climate of your organization will likely change, too. A historically all Windows environment may transition to Mac, or vice versa, or become a blended environment 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 possibilities – ensuring you can 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 prod- uct can significantly streamline opera- tions and reduce costs. A pioneer in multi-platform endpoint management, FileWave was founded in 1992. Offering a single management solu- tion for apps, devices and configurations for Mac, Windows and mobile, FileWave gives IT the ability to proactively and automatically provision and maintain every device. FileWave makes multi-plat- form endpoint management simple. For more information, visit www.file wave.com, call 888.FILEWAVE or stop by booth #2036. they are not successful. Districts that ulti- mately see success with technology deployments are those that re-think and engage their educators in revitalizing their curriculum. ESD: What is a common concern when integrating technology into classrooms? JS: One of the most pressing issues facing the modern classroom is time. Teachers are being asked to integrate technology, cover more content and complete more testing in the same amount of class time they've always had. It's important for the classroom to run as efficiently as possible to make the most of the limited time available, as well as their technology invest- ments. We are very aware of this when designing our products, and this has resulted in the development of our solutions like Baskets by LocknCharge. Our top-loading Carts with Baskets LocknCharge (Cont'd. from p. 1) enable the deployment and pack-up of devices to happen faster and safer. These features can save up to 70 hours of instruction time per 30-unit cart compared to cabinet-style carts because there is no bottleneck of students dis- rupting class. ESD: Where do you see charging and storage solutions in education going in the future? JS: As the technology used within educa- tion evolves, charging and storage solu- tions will evolve as well. Just as the devices used five years ago within schools are not the same mix we see today, we anticipate that five years from now there will be a dramatically different landscape of devices that all need to be charged and secured in an efficient man- ner. Visit LocknCharge at booth #2338 for more information. After the show, go to www.lockncharge.com. Anchor Graphics Puts Customer Service First In 1984, Anchor Graphics Labels & More rooted its foundations into a small town on the outskirts of Dallas, Texas. With just three printing and packaging machines up and running, this family- owned and operated business initially focused its services on custom printing. But as time progressed and technol- ogy developed, a new demand for labels had emerged. It was 1992, when an estimated 2.9 million people integrated pagers into their commercial businesses. Individuals worldwide began using beepers for per- sonal use as wide-area paging became more accessible. Nevertheless, both commercial and individual users found themselves in need of durable labels dis- playing company branding and contact information. While most printing and labeling industries shied away from dif- ficult and small quantity printing, Anchor Graphics embraced this advancement in society and accepted the new challenge. Fast-forward 25 years and Anchor Graphics Labels & More currently serves as one of the nation's leading solutions providers for the cellular industry, septic and property management field. Offering, but not limited to: IMEI labels, LDI/water evident labels, lens tapes, wraps, manuals, gaskets and more. Anchor Graphics' current owner, Leslie Goolsby, has walked in conjunc- tion with the company – growing up alongside it. She has molded the funda- mentals of family into the work environ- ment and takes immense pride in the rela- tionship shared between her employees and customers. From the hardships of owning a small business to watching it succeed and thrive, Leslie Goolsby's Christian beliefs inform her company's vision. This upcoming new year, Anchor Graphics has once again integrated both print and digital mediums into production. A new e-commerce website will fully serve the property management field, making it simple, convenient and more accessible for customers to place an order. Since 1984, Anchor Graphics Labels & More has evolved along society, set- ting the example of how a company should interact with its clients. Serving the nation with a servant's heart, Anchor Graphics is truly The Rare Breed. For more information, go to www.anchor graphics.com or call 972.422.4300. Focusing on Special Student Services Focus School Software understands dis- tricts need a software platform that allows them to effortlessly manage stu- dents who qualify for specially designed services and instruction. Focus' Special Student Services (SSS) module provides districts with necessary tools to support students through many facets of the spe- cial education process. The SSS module offers a customiz- able platform in which districts can design and maintain desired program workflow in a wide variety of areas, including: early identification, response to intervention and early warning track- ing, section 504 eligibility, formal and informal evaluations, individual- ized education plans, progress monitoring, event manage- ment, student caseload, cus- tomizable form builder tech- nology and more. Educators and school- based professionals have the abili- ty to create and customize events under three main programs: Response to Intervention (RtI), Section 504 and Special Education (IEP, evalua- tions). The Focus SSS Student Event Management system allows districts to set require- ments on each individual pro- gram event to help guide the end user through the special services process with ease. For more information, go to www .focusschoolsoftware.com.