School Returns: Are Your Devices and Students Safe?

Schools are starting up all across the country. Many schools are welcoming the new year with new devices for more students, supporting learning with one-to-one programs. In addition to the increasing number of district-owned devices now in K-12 schools across the country, more students than ever are carrying their personal devices to school.

There’s no question that these devices are changing the way students learn and communicate, but with these benefits come additional risks. K-12 Schools are currently the #1 place laptops are reported stolen, with schools with known one-to-one programs being targeted by thieves. Kids themselves are also increasingly the victims of theft as they walk to and from school or even in the school environment.

We take these threats seriously. As educators, we know you do too. We have designed a number of programs to help both prevent and solve device crimes for our K-12 Customers.

Absolute Software currently protects 21 of the 25 largest K-12 School Districts in the United States. We work collaboratively with these school districts to provide a safer environment while managing and securing mobile devices, including Absolute’s industry-only persistent monitoring, protection, investigation, and recovery services. With our technology in place, students and staff can focus on learning and IT managers can significantly reduce security risk and ensure student safety while reducing vendor costs and overhead, allowing more resources and budget to be allocated to learning initiatives.

Absolute K-12 customers use the following solutions:

• Absolute Computrace to centrally track, locate, and secure PC, Mac and mobile devices that support persistence (incl. Samsung Android devices and Windows 8 tablets) within a single cloud-based console.
• Absolute Manage to manage, configure, and deploy Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices
• Absolute Service for IT service management (ITSM) and help desk capabilities, including integration with Computrace and Absolute Manage so that K12 IT can perform select commands from all products within a single console
• Absolute Safe Schools, an integrated program that works in conjunction with Computrace. Overseen by the Absolute Investigations team, Absolute Safe Schools can help keep students, staff, and school environments safe through a comprehensive program of theft prevention and recovery.
• Computrace Mobile Theft Management (MTM) safeguards iPad and iPad mini devices from loss and theft