ViewSonic delivers device management at schools trust

ViewSonic has teamed up with a UK-based education trust to provide a solution for enhancing classroom engagement and device management at a secondary school.

The Academy Enterprise Trust (AET) oversees 57 schools, including New Rickstones Academy in Essex, and has implemented various interactive display solutions across its sites.

Although the technological upgrades have enriched the educational landscape, the task of overseeing numerous devices across multiple locations has created complexities for IT administrators. Furthermore, the absence of remote monitoring and updating tools has exacerbated the challenges associated with managing the trust’s IT infrastructure.

In pursuit of an optimal solution, AET forged a strategic alliance with ViewSonic. The integrated solution encompasses ViewBoard interactive displays and myViewBoard software, including the cloud-based myViewBoard Manager Advanced device management platform, as well as the requisite training and support.

Ben Moore, AET’s technology support officer, says: “The trust is currently on a digital journey, as we aim to migrate all our software to promote an eco-friendly environment.

“We use Manager Advanced in all our schools to schedule the displays’ start-up and shutdown every day, assigning profiles to devices, and digital signage across our trust. During the trials, we observed that the ease of use was a standout feature. This is vital in classrooms as teachers want a reliable, user-friendly system – and ViewSonic has delivered that for us.”

Prior to the partnership, the trust’s IT administrators had to undertake the intricate and time-intensive process of manually updating the firmware for each device.

The implementation of Manager Advanced has enabled administrators to monitor device information, optimise tool usage and update the firmware of every display through a web dashboard.

Manager Advanced’s scheduling features coordinate the daily start-up and shutdown of AET’s interactive displays, promoting energy conservation in the trust’s schools. Its QR code sign-in function grants teachers quick access, minimising set-up disruptions and allowing lessons to start almost instantly.

The platform facilitates swift and effective communication across the entire campus, allowing IT administrators to send text messages or multimedia content to campus displays using the single web dashboard.

As well as offering AET technical support and training, ViewSonic is collaborating with the trust to design classroom spaces that maximise the potential of EdTech.

Clifford Chen, general manager of ViewSonic’s presentation group, says: “Our partnership with New Rickstones Academy and AET has realised our commitment to delivering a wraparound solution that empowers schools, teachers and IT administrators to streamline their workload and communication, optimise resource allocation, and minimize energy consumption, creating a sustainable learning environment.”