Tag Archives: apps

App purchase and management, Framework Supplier Advice

Framework Supplier Guidance: Managing Apps

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Framework Supplier

XMA was awarded the Scottish Government National Framework Agreement for Notebook and Tablet Devices Education Lot in March 2013. The framework enables schools, colleges and universities in Scotland to purchase from a range of Android, Apple iOS and Microsoft Windows mobile devices.

As discussed in the post ‘Purchasing Apps’, some modern tablet platforms manage the deployment of applications in a different manner to traditional Windows and OS X operating systems. Apps purchased from application stores on Android and iOS, for example, are specific to the account of the user downloading or purchasing them, rather than to the device. This raises some issues around purchase and installation of apps provided on the device at deployment as well as of those provided post-deployment. In some cases, schools choose to treat apps as consumable items, whereby apps are gifted to pupils who can then continue to use them when they leave school, others use a model where the school maintains ownership of the apps, which are retrieved and redeployed when pupils leave school. The former model requires little setup by the school as redemption codes are sent to pupils who redeem them against their own account. The latter model may look financially attractive but will require up-front work to configure the device, the resource cost of which may ultimately be more than the cost of the apps themselves.

There are circumstances where, with an additional Mobile Device Management (MDM) service, you may be able to deploy applications to tablet devices over the air. There are free and paid MDM solutions available offering varied functionality and XMA can advise of the best solution to suit your individual requirements.

1:1 deployment, Android, Edinburgh

Forrester HS: Why choose the Android platform?

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Forrester HS: Why choose the Android platform?
Forrester HS chose the Android platform

Mark Cunningham (class teacher) explained that the main factor underpinning Forrester High School’s decision to go with the Android platform was that they believed that it was a more open platform than others available and that would allow them to move data about the device as they wanted to do. They also liked the fact that the all the devices they purchased came with a USB slot, which meant that they could use a memory stick to access and move any learner’s data from the device quite easily. The school were of the opinion that with Android they could manipulate the device more than the ‘locked in’ nature of the iOS platform would allow. The affordability of the Android devices was also a factor. Mr Cunningham was keen to stress that the school felt there was very little difference between the platforms that they considered and that they would have been happy to go either way at the end of the day.

Mr Cunningham commented that at the time the school made their decision to go with Android the iOS platform was the slicker of the two and that there was clearly a much more comprehensive range of apps available for that platform; however, he felt that the difference between the two systems was now much less than it had been and that the range and spread of apps available for Android via the Google Marketplace was constantly improving.

Forrester HS: Why Android Mr Cunningham (Class Teacher) discusses the reasons why the school chose the Android platform

Finally, Mr Cunningham stressed to us that the school were always looking to review the platform and the equipment that they were using and that they were prepared to change if they believed that would best suit the needs of their learners.

1:1 deployment, App purchase and management, Apple, Device management, Independent Schools

Cedars School of Excellence: Managing and deploying apps to iPads

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Cedars School of Excellence in Greenock is an independent school catering for children ages from 5 to 17 years. In 2009 they were inspired by the announcement of the Apple’s new iPad that would lead them to become the first school to offer 1:1 iPad provision for learners and staff. Since that time they have been working to integrate the use of this technology into the fabric of learning in their school. We visited them in October 2012 to find out what their experience with their 1:1 approach had been.

We met with Fraser Speirs (computing teacher), who has been responsible for the planning and management of the school’s iPad deployment. We asked him about the challenges there might be with managing apps to over 100 iPads in his school and he explained that there had been issues with this aspect of their iPad initiative but with the advent of Apple’s volume purchase and configurator tools that this had now become a much easier and smoother process.

Cedars School: Managing apps Interview with Fraser Speirs about managing apps

Fraser was accompanied by Andrew Jewell to explain the use of their syncstations to help manage the apps on their iPads. They also discussed practicalities such as charging the iPads and explained that this was the responsibility of the learners at Cedars School of Excellence with an expectation that they came to school with their device charged and ready for the day.

cedars_syncstation Interview with Fraser Speirs and Andrew Jewell about the process of syncing the devices (apologies for slight interference in this recording)