Enhancing Device Management and Security at Monticello Central School District with Smart Lockers and iiQ Integration
08.12.23 in Blog, Testimonials
Overview: One-to-One Student Device Program
Amando Colon, a Senior Network Engineer at Monticello Central School District, faced a significant challenge when the district transitioned to a one-to-one device program for students. This initiative resulted in several issues, primarily centered around the growing number of devices and the associated maintenance, collection, and distribution, which required additional tech team resources.
Multifaceted Device Management Challenges
- Security and Loss of Devices: Students lacked secure places to charge devices, leading to frequent loss in public spaces.
- Resource Strain: The tech support team faced difficulties in efficiently managing the large volume of devices, leading to delays in collecting and distributing them.
Solution Implemented: Smart Lockers + Incident IQ Integration
To address these challenges, Monticello Central School District adopted the FUYL Tower Smart Locker and an integration with Incident IQ platform, which integrated ticketing and inventory management functionalities. This solution provided an innovative way to manage the device lifecycle effectively.
Inventory Management and Physical Device Management Benefits
- Enhanced Inventory Management: With the implementation of FUYL Tower Smart Lockers and Incident IQ, the school district experienced a significant improvement in maintaining accurate inventory. At the end of the year, this solution saved their tech team approximately a week's worth of time that would have been spent tracking down missing devices.
- Efficient Device Swaps: The most significant impact was observed in device swaps due to breakage or new student admissions. Previously, devices were stored in less secure locations, leading to uncertainties about their whereabouts. With the FUYL Tower and Incident IQ, the school district now had a precise record of the devices given to individuals, significantly improving security and accountability.
Time-Saving Results and Positive Future Outlook
The FUYL Tower not only streamlined device swaps and inventory tracking but also promised additional benefits:
- Time Savings: The solution significantly saved time for the tech support team by automating several processes related to device management, leading to more efficient operations.
- Enhanced Record Accuracy: Maintaining accurate records and insights into device usage and locations provided a clearer understanding of the devices' movements and status.
Conclusion
Amando Colon and the Monticello Central School District successfully addressed their district’s challenges by implementing the FUYL Tower Smart Charging Locker and Incident IQ integration with PC Locs Cloud software. The combination of ticketing and inventory management under one platform not only streamlined device management but also significantly enhanced security and accountability.
The implementation has resulted in considerable time savings and improved efficiency in managing the school's vast array of devices. This innovative approach is set to provide long-term benefits in device management and security for the institution.
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Smart Charging Lockers Eliminate Device Downtime for Students at Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)
20.11.23 in Blog, Testimonials
Mobile devices are critical to education, but when a student or teacher doesn’t have a working device, it can halt learning. Addressing the effects of device downtime is no longer optional, and forward-thinking schools like Los Angeles Unified School District are getting students back to learning faster by implementing Smart Charging Lockers from PC Locs.
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Smart Locker Project Overview
Phase 1 Rollout
What started as an idea to solve device management during school shutdowns has evolved into an in-person and remote learning program that will reduce device downtime caused by lost, forgotten or broken mobile devices.
"Device downtime means less classroom instruction, and the students lose valuable class learning experience," said Phillip Lucero, Senior IT Business Efficiency Analyst at LAUSD.
LAUSD, the second largest system in the US, turned to PC Locs to provide students and educators with access to ready-to-use devices anytime they’re needed. As part of their phase 1 roll-out, the District is deploying 1,800 PC Locs FUYL Tower™ 15 Smart Charging Lockers across all of their school sites.
The District’s Department of Information Technology and their technology reseller partner worked with PC Locs' Strategic Account Executive, Vince O’Rourke based in the US office, to fulfill their investment. Together, the three partners devised a successful deployment plan to deliver, configure and install 300 Towers each quarter over the 2022-2023 school years.
"After vetting different vendors and companies, we felt that [PC Locs] was the best fit and product option for the district. Once we started working with Vince from [PC Locs], it was clear we picked the right company and product for LAUSD."
– Phillip Lucero, Senior IT Business Efficiency Analyst at LAUSD
Smart Lockers save schools time and money by automating loaner programs, providing students with self-service devices, and ensuring device accountability. Students at LAUSD will get back to learning faster while also affording IT team members and faculty more time to focus on impactful, strategic projects.
FUYL Tower™ Smart Charging Locker Highlights
- Flexible, Multi-Use System: Used for broken device exchanges or check-in/out programs.
- Centralized, Web-Based Portal: Admins can view and manage all Towers remotely from one portal, PC Locs Cloud.
- Contactless Device Exchanges: 24/7/365 access to devices saves time for students, teachers and IT.
- Device Accountability: Tower activity is tracked in the PC Locs Cloud’s event log, reducing breakage and loss.
- Roster Management: Manage end users with the internal directory, via an LDAP-compatible directory such as Active Directory or through a native integration to Google’s directory services.
- Help Desk Integration: Easily integrate the PC Locs Cloud with systems like Incident IQ and One2One Manager for end-to-end device management.
- Secure: Data integrity, physical and network security, and resiliency are a top priority.
- Lifetime Warranty: FUYL Towers are backed by a lifetime warranty.*
- World-Class Customer Service and Support: Our knowledgeable, friendly team promptly assists with any questions or issues that may arise.
Ready to trim your workload?
Contact us to learn how the FUYL Tower can make all the difference.
9 Reasons Why Schools & Teachers Love PC Locs
17.11.23 in Blog
Over the past 25 years, we’ve been listening to the needs of teachers, IT staff members, administration and students. And because of what we’ve learned during these critical conversations, we’ve designed mobile device charging carts and stations that relieve pain points specific to challenges in education. Our products boast features not offered by our competitors: high-quality components, innovative top-loading cart designs, unique time saving Baskets, ECO Safe Charge™ for safe and efficient charging, compact space-saving designs, lifetime warranty and much more. After talking to thousands of educators around the world, we’ve jotted down just a few of the reasons why schools using our products love PC Locs:
See how PC Locs Carts can save teachers some serious class time.
Ready to see the difference?
Schedule a call with a PC Locs team member to get a closer look at how our products help make your life easier and to experience for yourself why schools and teachers choose PC Locs.
Talking to Experts Before Investing in a Charging Program
16.11.23 in Blog, Uncategorized
Why It’s Important to do Thorough Research on Charging Solutions – Including Talking to Experts Before Investing in a Device Charging Program
When you’re just trying to run your own business, it can be difficult to find the time and energy to select vendors to help your business run smoothly. You are likely getting tons of pamphlets, emails, and calls from potential vendors hoping to earn their place in your business. Picking the right vendors can be stressful, especially when you’re investing in a mobile device deployment that will change the future of how your business operates.
Here are a few tips on how to pick the right business partners and vendors:
Thousands of customers around the world have relied on and will continue to rely on PC Locs for successful mobile device deployments for years to come. You may browse our website and think you know which products you want for your deployment, but you might change your mind after receiving information about how your goals align with each solution.
Talking to a charging expert is vital, and luckily, PC Locs has multiple experts to help you navigate which system is right for your mobile device deployment. We are the experts in mobile device deployments and will help guide you to the perfect option for your unique use case. While we have products for just about any deployment, we won’t convince you to invest in something that isn’t the right fit for you if we don’t have it. We are here to make your life easier; that’s our mission.
If you would like a quote on a PC Locs solution, or just wanting to explore your options, click here to contact us.
Ready to Expore Options?
Schedule a call with a PC Locs team member to get a closer look at how our products help make your life easier.
Gain Back Teaching Time with Baskets by PC Locs
29.09.23 in Blog
When Paul Symons founded PC Locs in 1998, he was teaching in the classroom every day. As a teacher, he could clearly see which educational resources positively impacted workflow for him and his students. Compared to those that were largely ineffective, his goal was to develop solutions that empowered teachers and enabled students to learn more effectively.
As technology has evolved over the years, so too have our products that help make life easier. In the classroom, we developed Baskets by PC Locs for our Carrier Carts and Carrier Charging Stations to enhance the use of mobile devices in the classroom.
One of the most profound impacts they have had in learning environments is the amount of time that is saved when handing out the devices at the start of the lesson and packing them up at the end. We identified that up to 25% of the lesson time was lost during this process alone, when devices were stored in a traditional cabinet style cart.
The ability to hand out and pack up devices safely by using Baskets by PC Locs takes less than half the time of the alternative method (compared to a traditional front loading cart). When a 30 unit PC Locs Cart, such as the Carrier 30 Cart, is fully utilised each day, we established that a school can save up to two hours of handling time per week. This translates to teachers gaining an additional 70 hours of teaching time per year for every cart that is used in the school.
Understanding the magnitude of this impact is crucial, especially in larger schools where the daily utilisation of more than 10 PC Locs Carts is routine. It means that schools are gaining back approximately 700 hours per year. That is 700 hours invested back into teaching and learning with the devices. This not only enhances classroom efficiency but also fosters an environment where students are getting the most out of the lesson.
Every product design decision at PC Locs revolves around a fundamental question: Will this innovation make people's lives easier? With Baskets by PC Locs, the answer to this questions was a very clear yes, absolutely.