With the help of a selection of JAR Systems charging solutions, Volusia County Schools advanced their goals to provide easier access to technology and enhance teachers’ abilities to leverage the technology to improve learning. After implementing the new charging solutions, the team saw positive results such as:
“It is hard to find a partner that brings the value of great customer support after the sale and JAR Systems does that”
Mike Cicchetti
Director of Technology Services and Innovation
Volusia County Schools
As one of the largest school districts in Florida, the technology team at Volusia County Schools is tasked with creating a technology landscape that supports superior learning opportunities for its over 60,000 students. As part of their instructional technology initiatives, the team manages a fleet shy of 40,000 mobile devices primarily consisting of Windows 10 laptops, and a small number iOS, Android and Surface tablets. The majority of the devices are kept at the district, requiring in-classroom charging. In previous years the district used charging carts that fell short of meeting their needs and expectations. They featured poor cable management that made it difficult to retrieve and replace devices back into the cart, limiting the accessibility of the devices. The carts lacked the flexibility to accommodate mixed devices and were not adaptable to various device needs in the classroom. The tech team knew that, in order for the teachers to be able to fully leverage and actively use the technology in the curriculum, they needed more scalable charging solutions that were not necessarily always in the form of a cart.
When the district was introduced to JAR Systems, they liked the overall flexibility, functionality, and appearance of the products. The team first found a solution for the charging and management of their large collection of notebook devices in the Network Management Cart. Together with JAR Systems and Connection, a national technology reseller and services provider, the district was able to deploy more than 200 of the Network Management Carts for more than 6,000 new devices. In cooperation with Connection, the carts were delivered pre-wired with network switches and all of the device cabling, which freed up the time of the district technicians and enabled a smooth roll-out of both the carts and accompanying devices.
After the successful deployment of the Network Management Carts, the team referred again to JAR Systems to consult on their next obstacle. They recognized a need for a simple and secure charging solution that would be flexible enough to suit a range of device types. JAR Systems introduced them to the Essential 16 Charging Station, a stationary charging station that can be mounted to a wall or used on a desktop. They evaluated the new system and found it to be a great value considering the competitive price point in relation to the positive impact that it brought to the learning environment. Their facilities and IT teams found the charging station to be easy to set up. The IT team especially liked the simple cable management that took them just 7 minutes per unit to install.
Since implementing JAR Systems charging solutions in the district, the technology team has seen positive results. “Teachers always ask for the blue cart with a sense of excitement and anticipation because the carts have a positive impact on the learning environment. JAR Systems products stand out because the enhanced cable management eliminates distractions to the teachers’ instructional objectives.” The district continues to work with JAR Systems as the overall adaptability, flexibility, and scalability of the products help them achieve their overall goals for mobile device charging solutions. They also value the responsiveness of JAR Systems to their needs and the consistent open line of communication available to them.
Volusia County Schools has since standardized on the Essential 16 Charging Station in all of their Junior High and High Schools where they have implemented BYOD programs. The district has also included the charging stations in their newly constructed schools, and most recently in their new Pierson Elementary School.
