Education technology continues to evolve and allow school districts and their educators to take advantage of technological innovations. First it was the advent of the computer and the Internet. Then, software-as-a-service and cloud computing changed the game.

The latest innovation is device-as-a-service (DaaS), which can place a computing device in every classroom, for every student, managed just like any other IT service by a trusted provider.

Here are the benefits of adopting DaaS for your schools and how doing so can lower IT costs and complexity for your educators.

Device-as-a-Service Explained

Put simply, DaaS takes hardware devices – such as laptops, desktops and tablets – and pairs them with software and related IT services to create a bundle for a customer in exchange for just one monthly fee.

In this way, a customer gets the benefit of hardware and software tailored to their needs without having to incur the massive capital costs of outfitting hundreds of classrooms and thousands of students in a school district with hardware and software that is purchased outright – which can be prohibitively expensive.

Instead, costs are cut by bundling everything together and having the DaaS provider incur the capital costs of obtaining the equipment. In fact, IT directors estimate that using DaaS solutions can cut IT costs by an average of 24%, according to global market intelligence firm IDC.

The school district benefits by giving every student access to powerful education technology, the benefits of which are explained here. They also benefit by freeing up vital resources that can be used to further bolster their IT infrastructures or shore up weaknesses elsewhere and further contribute to the enrichment of their students.

Questions to Ask Before Adopting DaaS

Not every customer is a great fit for device-as-a-service. There are questions a school district should ask before they move toward a DaaS solution from a provider. These questions include:

1. Does it safeguard students and educators with PC security?
2. Does it allow for technology upgrades to accommodate curriculum changes?
3. Does it align PCs and devices with correct software and hardware configurations?
4. Does it include endpoint management tools to monitor and manage multiple operating systems?
5. Does it offer centralized control and enforcement of device security policies?
6. Can it find and protect data on lost devices?
7. Does it include provisioning of secure Wi-Fi access?
8. Does it offer a wide range of device types bundled with technical support services?
9. Do they have expertise in configuring PC fleets for public and private schools?

Depending on the answers to the above questions, a school district may be a good fit for DaaS and a DaaS provider.

For more information about DaaS, download our white paper or contact our team to see if DaaS is an appropriate solution for your school district and your educators.