Networking & Wireless | ISTE 2013 News

California HS Boosts 1-to-1 Control with Mobile Device Management

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 06/24/13

In its third year of a 1-to-1 iPad program a California Catholic high school will be adding a new level of security and management with an enterprise-level mobile management service. Santa Ana-based Mater Dei High School has selected AirWatch's Enterprise Mobile Management (EMM) specifically to manage its school-owned tablets. Mobile management software provides a way for the IT organization to handle configuration of multiple devices, monitor compliance, perform updates, and manage security from a single console.

The school expects to deploy 2,100 tablets to students and teachers and manage them with AirWatch EMM. These tablets replace some textbooks and other printed materials, are used for note-taking and online research, and include access to the Blackboard learning management system for managing class assignments, quizzes, and other course activities. Mater Dei has also integrated the iPad into its music, theater, choral, and visual arts programs, as well as extracurricular activities such as student polls.

To cover the cost of the program, students are charged a technology use fee; they're not allowed to use their personal devices, only the school-owned ones.

"Not only is the tablet a formidable tool in advancing learning, but it makes the classroom experience more dynamic," said IT Manager Josh Avendano. "AirWatch allows us to keep students' safety and security a priority without compromising the e-learning experience. By creating custom profiles, AirWatch can detect compromised devices and block applications before they are installed, which gives us peace of mind."

AirWatch software is also in use by Texas' McAllen Independent School District and Georgia's DeKalb County Schools and Providence Christian Academy, among others.

AirWatch was named a "leader" in a recent Gartner Magic Quadrant for mobile device management software. The software is available as an online application as well as an on-premises program.

In other AirWatch news, Blackboard itself has selected AirWatch to manage deployment of Apple and Google Android devices in its Mobile division. The group will also use Secure Content Locker (SCL) from AirWatch to distribute and manage content on those devices. SCL allows corporate and personal content to be stored on premise, in the cloud, or as a hybrid option. An update to SCL released this month provides improvements to security.