Virtual Desktops

CloudReady Extends Life of PCs to Run Office 365 Education Edition

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 04/05/17

A company that specializes in desktop virtualization has released an edition of its technology specifically to work with Microsoft Office 365 Education Edition. CloudReady, which Neverware developed in partnership with Microsoft, is intended to help districts run newer software and services on older machines, thereby extending their usage lives.

When installed on a school's devices, including older PCs and Macs released over the last decade, CloudReady enables IT administrators to manage the hardware and online versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and other applications. In essence, the software converts the machine into a device that's similar to a Chromebook.

In 2015 Neverware launched the CloudReady operating system, which integrated with Google's suite of education apps and works with Google's G Suite Administrator console. According to the company, the price for the program is $1 per student per school year, including support, when the entire district is enrolled. An annual per-device license is $15; a perpetual per-device license is $59.

"Neverware's founding mission was to bring world-class technology to the students and teachers who need it most," said CEO Andrew Bauer, in a press release. "Through our partnership with Microsoft, we're proud to be able to offer our customers access to the best of both worlds: the speed, security and manageability of CloudReady along with the productivity and collaboration they love in Office 365."

Among the school systems that have worked with Neverware are Huntsville Independent School District in Texas, Woodford County Public Schools in Kentucky, Methacton School District in Pennsylvania and Ovid-Elsie Area Schools in Michigan.

The company offers a three-week trial subscription on its website here.