Caifornia District Takes Computer Labs Virtual

The Woodland, CA Unified School District has replaced its legacy computer lab desktop systems with virtual desktops. The district estimated it saved 90 percent of the cost of powering 300 of those systems when it moved to Pano Logic's zero client computing desktop virtualization solution.

The 10,000-student school district, located 15 miles northwest of Sacramento, has been recording declining energy consumption numbers in five K-12 computer labs since last spring when it replaced PCs, estimated to cost about $50 a year each, with Pano Logic virtual desktops, estimated to cost $5 annually. The district also added in the cost of time and personnel resources when estimating savings.

“We needed a solution that required less maintenance, consumed less energy and improved productivity of our IT staff,” Joshua Koch, director of technology at Woodland, said in a prepared statement.

The Pano Logic system includes an end-to-end hardware-and-software virtual desktop that independently interoperates with three hypervisors (VSphere, XenServer, Hyper-V) and their management systems (VMWare View, XenDesktop, Microsoft SCVMM), the company said. This allows the user to eliminate endpoint support and maintenance by using a cloud computing-ready device for centralized management. The energy savings are realized because, the company said, Pano Logic zero client devices consume 97 percent less power than PCs and 50 percent less power than thin clients and eliminate endpoint security liabilities because they do not store data locally.

While energy and cost savings were the primary reason the school district adopted virtual desktop computing, Woodland has realized other gains as well, it reported. Previously, staff and teachers used one PC to scan multiple electronic Scantron answer sheets for tests measuring student academic achievement. The virtual desktop system lets teachers access centrally hosted software from multiple Pano Logic zero clients located throughout the district or by using the VMWare View Client installed on each teacher computer.

About the Author

Jim Barthold is a freelance technology reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • AI toolbox containing a wrench, document icon, gears, and a network symbol

    Common Sense Media Releases Free AI Toolkit, AI Readiness & Implementation Guides

    Common Sense Media has developed an AI Toolkit for School Districts, available to educators free of charge, that provides guidelines and resources for implementing AI in education.

  • elementary school building with children outside, overlaid by a glowing data network and transparent graphs

    Toward a Holistic Approach to Data-Informed Decision-Making in Education

    With increasing access to data and powerful analytic tools, the temptation to reduce educational outcomes to mere numbers is strong. However, educational leadership demands a more holistic and thoughtful approach.

  • three silhouetted education technology leaders with thought bubbles containing AI-related icons

    Ed Tech Leaders Rank Generative AI as Top Tech Priority

    In a recent CoSN survey, an overwhelming majority of ed tech leaders (94%) said they see AI as having a positive impact on education. Respondents ranked generative AI as their top tech priority, with 80% reporting their districts have gen AI initiatives underway, or plan to in the current school year.

  • AI-powered individual working calmly on one side and a burnt-out person slumped over a laptop on the other

    AI's Productivity Gains Come at a Cost

    A recent academic study found that as companies adopt AI tools, they're not just streamlining workflows — they're piling on new demands. Researchers determined that "AI technostress" is driving burnout and disrupting personal lives, even as organizations hail productivity gains.