As part of its commitment to working with educational leaders and institutions to help innovate the learning experiences of students around the world, Dell recently announced a range of new additions to its industry leading portfolio of education solutions: the Dell Chromebook 11; Venue 10 and Venue 10 Pro 5000 Series tablets; Latitude 11 Education Series and the Dell Interactive Projector S510. These new products join currently available Dell solutions – such as desktop virtualization environments, thin client endpoints, desktops and all-in-ones - that give educators a greater range of technologies to incorporate into the classroom, and provide students with a wider selection of devices to suit their unique learning needs.

“The classroom is changing quickly, and innovative technology is a major way for students to enjoy a collaborative educational experience,” said Boitumelo Kgonare, Client Product Marketing Manager at Dell South Africa. “Education devices need to be more than just robust. They need to be powerful and flexible enough to suit individual learning needs, and make collaborating within the classroom simple. Our latest education solutions give students, teachers and IT managers the tools they need to provide an engaging learning experience.”

Dell’s latest line-up of devices builds on its existing end-to-end portfolio of education IT solutions, including Professional Learning Services and Education Data Management. By developing a comprehensive IT strategy, Dell helps schools create a productive, personalised digital learning environment focused on improving student outcomes. This holistic approach ensures teachers, administrators and students fully realise technology’s learning potential.

“Dell continues its commitment to teaching and learning and is really focused on providing a  complete end-to-end solutions and services that help districts deploy reliable IT infrastructures that support the unique learning needs of their students,” said Jon Phillips, managing director of worldwide education strategy, Dell.  “This new portfolio – along with Dell’s digital learning platforms, education data management solutions, IT Blueprint & Wireless technology for schools consulting services, infrastructure and professional development opportunities for staff - ensures that technology remains an enabler of student potential.”

Innovative New Chromebook Enlivens Classroom Collaboration

In the same way individual students have different learning styles and perspectives, each educational institution – whether it’s K-12 or higher education - has its own unique vision for how best to integrate technology into their learning environment. Whether the learning environment is based on Chromebooks, laptops or tablets, all Dell devices are designed to integrate seamlessly within the preferred IT infrastructure.

Dell is building upon the success of its first entry into the Chromebook market last year with the second generation Dell Chromebook 11. Designed for the modern classroom with school yard durability, the Dell Chromebook 11 features a range of industry-leading updates including a 180 degree LCD hinge screen, an anti-glare HD touch display and front facing integrated HD video webcam, meaning students can collaborate easily both in and out of the classroom. It also features up to 10 hours of battery life, so students can stay online throughout the day without worrying about being tethered to wires and chargers. 

The new Dell Chromebook 11 is also the first to feature an “Activity Light,” allowing teachers to easily monitor student activity and facilitate more meaningful classroom interactions like orchestrating student groups doing quick quizzes and polls. The device can also be coupled with Google Apps for Education to provide a more open and connected classroom.

Along with fostering a collaborative learning environment, the Chromebook 11 is also built to withstand the backpack, cafeteria and living room with a range of updates to make it the most durable Chromebook available today. The Dell Chromebook 11 is tested to U.S. Military Standard for durability and includes Corning Gorilla Glass NBT for superior surface strength as well as the industry’s best spill protection with an exclusive fully sealed keyboard & touchpad.

Anytime Productivity and for Students on the Move

Dell is also releasing two new Venue tablets that provide students and consumers with productivity and flexible computing, wherever they do their learning. Both the Dell Venue 10 5000 Series (Android OS) and Dell Venue 10 Pro 5000 Series (Windows OS) feature a 10.1 inch HD touch display to help bring content to life, and allow students to work in five different positions to make the most of different learning environments. The attachable and reversible keyboard means students can enjoy laptop functionality in test scenarios, while also enjoying the mobility and collaborative benefits which come with a lightweight tablet.

The devices also include innovative software to make it easier for teachers to manage productivity and learning in the classroom. The Dell Venue 10 5000 Series is equipped with Near Field Communication, which when paired with Google Apps for Education, means teachers can instantly download content to students by simply bumping devices, making it even easier for every student to seamlessly access digital content

Education Focused Latitude Provides a Productive, Safe and Durable Learning Experience

The Dell Latitude 11 Education Series is a purpose-built laptop that provides students with a solution fully equipped for learning, and allows parents and educators to rest easy knowing their children are using the most secure, manageable and reliable education solution on the market. The latest Dell services and appliances help make the Latitude 11 Education Series simple to integrate into a wider device infrastructure. Dell’s exclusive mobility and managed cart solution lets IT managers push software updates overnight and gives educators the confidence that laptops are fully updated, charged and ready to go from the first bell to last with no cables to connect.

The Latitude 11 arrives pre-loaded with Dell Data Protection | Encryption security software which provides protection against advanced threats and zero day attacks, and protects files across external media and the cloud.

The Latitude 11 Education Series also provides an 11.6-inch touch or non-touch display, full-size keyboard and unmatched durability, providing peace of mind even in the messiest locations such as art classes and cafeterias. Not only is the device tested up to a U.S. Military Standard for pressure, temperature, shock and vibration, but the Latitude 11 Education Series also provides a fully sealed keyboard and touch pad to protect against spills, while also providing a rubberised LCD and base trim to provide superior drop protection.

Making IT More Streamlined and Reliable for Educators

Dell also recently announced a range of solutions to help educators manage the classroom more effectively through increased management solutions and industry leading learning accessories.

• Dell is making the management of education devices simpler with the newest version of its award winning Dell KACE K1000 Systems Management Appliance. The Dell KACE K1000 version 6.3 features first to market systems management support for Chromebooks, making it easier for educators to configure, secure and manage all school and student devices in multi-platform environments.
•  The latest additions to Dell’s unique ProSupport Plus offering means educators can easily ensure that every student’s device is running smoothly. ProSupport Plus for PCs and Tablets is the only complete support service that combines priority access to expert support, accidental damage repair, and proactive monitoring for automatic issue prevention and resolution, meaning teachers can spend more time delivering enriching learning experiences.
• Dell is also helping teachers make lessons more engaging with the release of the Dell Interactive Projector S510. This industry leading classroom accessory allows students to actively engage with the projected content and enjoy a 4-to-1 split screen functionality, meaning up to four slides to be projected simultaneously from different sources.

Supporting Quote

“We have worked with Dell since 2002 when we issued our first Dell Latitude laptops to a small group of students in our ninth grade classes,” said Jeff Terry, Chief Information Officer, Roanoke County Public Schools. “Over the past 12 years, many things may have changed around our district and in our classrooms, but Dell technology still powers our student learning objectives.”

“The quality of technology is important but Dell also provides a level of support and service that truly makes them a model partner. Today, we support over 6,000 high school students and 1,400 teachers as part of our 1:1 laptop program using Dell Latitude laptops. We also use KACE systems management appliances to manage more than 13,000 total end-user devices. With KACE, we have drastically reduced the time it takes to reimage our devices, which frees up my department to invest in more meaningful curricular projects that benefit our students.”