Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


South Carolina District Moves to Browser-Based Virtual Desktops

A South Carolina school district is providing its 30,000 students, teachers, and staff with browser-based access to Windows applications and desktops from smartphones, tablets, laptops, and netbooks. Richland School District Two is deploying Ericom AccessNow for VMware View for use at its 35 K-12 schools as part of the district's "1 Two 1" initiative to make computers available to every student in grade 3 through 12.

Ericom AccessNow for VMware View is a virtual desktop client that runs in any HTML5-compliant browser without the need to install any client software.

"AccessNow fits right in with our goal to provide students with a computing experience that closely matches the traditional, full desktop computing experience and is affordable, productive, supportable, and highly functional," said Tommy Carter, IT systems engineer for Richland. "AccessNow will also provide us with broader reach to our expanding VDI infrastructure. The project is in the final planning phase. Deployment to students is set to begin mid-January 2012. We hope to serve as a model to other school districts and present a solution that is very affordable, sustainable, and highly functional."

Students and teachers will use Ericom AccessNow for VMware View to access educational programs such as MAP and ALEKS, productivity suites such as Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite, and educational Web sites. Students and staff will be able to log on at school, at home, or anywhere else they have Web access to make use of the school's resources from anywhere and with any device.

Richland School District Two is located in Columbia, SC and serves more than 26,000 students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The district is home to 18 elementary schools, seven middle schools, four high schools, four magnet centers, two district-wide child development centers, and two alternative schools.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • conceptual graph of rising AI adoption

    AI Adoption Rising, but Trust Gap Limits Impact

    A recent global study by IDC and SAS found that while the adoption of artificial intelligence continues to expand rapidly across industries, a misalignment between perceived trust in AI systems and their actual trustworthiness is limiting business returns.

  • top-down view of a collaborative team working on AI technology development

    1EdTech Announces K-20 Collaboration to Shape Responsible AI in Education

    The 1EdTech Consortium recently announced it will lead a cross-sector collaboration "to define how AI can responsibly and effectively support teaching and learning."

  • abstract generative AI technology

    Apple and Google Announce AI Deal to Bring Gemini Models to Siri

    Apple and Google have embarked on a multiyear partnership that will put Google's Gemini models and cloud technology at the core of the next generation of Apple Foundation Models, a move that could help Apple accelerate long-promised upgrades to Siri while handing Google a high-profile distribution win on the iPhone.

  • elementary school students using laptops displaying AI symbols and educational icons in a colorful classroom setting

    Khan Academy Revamps Platform for School Districts

    Khan Academy has reimagined its Khan Academy Districts platform, the paid partnership program that offers strategic implementation tools, data, and services for optimizing the use of Khan Academy district-wide.