Absolute Software & Dell Australia Increase Student Productivity in Four Victoria Schools

Michael Phillips, Principal of Ringwood Secondary College in the state of Victoria, Australia, sought a way to increase student productivity while improving the way teachers interact with students. The initiative proposed was wide-ranging – encompassing four local secondary schools – and innovative – relying on both state education grants and financial
contributions from parents of students. At its core was a goal to provide laptop computers to Year 9 students to enhance student engagement in learning. The result was a partnership with Dell Australia, buy-in from local parents, and laptops protected by Computrace^®Plus by Absolute Software.

Phillips realized that his vision of a successful student-laptop program subsidized by the State Department of Education would have a better chance if Ringwood Secondary aligned itself with other schools in the district. So he invited Maroondah Secondary College, Norwood Secondary College and Parkwood Secondary College to participate, and together
they applied to the Leading Schools Fund of the Victoria State Government for a subsidy of $300 per laptop. He then went to the parents of incoming Year 9 students at his school, asking for a contribution of $1 per day for three years in a ‘lease to own’-type agreement. Upon graduation, participating students would have the option of purchasing or returning the laptops.

Phillips and the Coalition members then approached various computer manufacturers in an effort to get the unit cost down to $1500 per laptop. It was Dell Australia that offered the best combination of features, cost flexibility and laptop security. In fact, when the program was proposed to the parents, one of their major concerns was laptop theft. When each
vendor was asked about theft and recovery solutions, Jarrod Curtis, Senior Education Account Executive at Dell Australia Pty Ltd., pointed to Dell’s SecureIT package, which includes the Dell CoverGuard insurance policy, three year coverage with ComputracePlus, and an asset tag, all done through the Dell Custom Factory Integration process.

Curtis’ winning proposal met the needs of students, parents and administrators, with a combination of Dell notebooks, asset tracking and protection, and Dell’s free OpenManage Systems Management, which enables administrators to monitor, deploy and update a fleet of laptops remotely.

“In a public school, where asset protection is imperative, Dell’s SecureIT program powered by Computrace offered the paying parents the protection needed to support the notebook programs at Ringwood, Maroondah, Norwood and Parkwood,” said Curtis. “The SecureIT program powered by Computrace ensures the best return on investment and decreases the total cost of ownership for parents and education staff alike.

“It was gratifying to work with Principal Phillips, who sees the benefits of SecureIT and Computrace, and understands the importance of using technology to create a 1:1 learning environment for students.”

The laptop initiative begun by Michael Phillips has become a benchmark program, examining both student productivity increases as well as innovative funding methods for the Victoria Department of Education. Because of its successful deployment and student satisfaction, Dell is interested in replicating the program throughout Victoria, at its thousands of public schools. As well, Dell will provide professional development with partnership from worldwide educator-specifi c vendors to proactively advocate initiatives on student-laptop programs.