Information Technology

Information, news and features for the education sector IT professionals


1EdTech's TrustEd Apps Management Suite Tops 10K; New Product Certification Coming

Software interoperability advocates at 1EdTech have unveiled key updates and milestones for its TrustEd Apps Management Suite, including plans for a new TAMS product certification and the growth of TAMS to more than 10,000 ed tech solutions either certified or vetted by 1EdTech, according to a news release.

Cover page of Federal Trade Commission

FTC Suit Against Edmodo is a Warning Shot for Ed Tech, Data Privacy Attorneys Say

Edmodo, an online learning platform founded in 2008 that was widely used by teachers around the globe until it shuttered last September, has been ordered to pay $6 million by the Federal Trade Commission for collecting personal data from children without parents’ consent and using that data for advertising, in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Rule, and for unlawfully outsourcing its COPPA compliance responsibilities to schools, the agency said.

Enterprise Adoption of Wi-Fi 6E Sees Momentum as 6 GHz Band Gains Acceptance

Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E helped propel the enterprise market for wireless LAN devices 67.4% year over year in the United States in the first quarter of 2023, according to a new market analysis.

Snapshot: PCs and Tablets Continue to Plummet

The forecast for PCs and tablets continues to get gloomier.

Cobalt Iron Upgrades NAS Protection Backup and Recovery Features at No Additional Cost

Data protection company Cobalt Iron has provided, at no cost, new features to its Compass NAS Protector backup platform. The improvements are designed to speed up backups and make NAS data management easier.

Airtame Partners with Rise Vision on Digital Signage and Emergency Alerts Collab

Hardware-enabled collaboration provider Airtame has boosted its partnership with unified communications software developer Rise Vision to expand K–12 schools’ ability to display emergency alerts and school messaging across Airtame-connected devices, according to a news release.

text reads State of Ransomware 2023 by Sophos and includes figures for recovery costs from the last three years

K–12 Ransomware Attacks Rose 43% in 2022, Encryption Used More Often, Survey Shows

Eight out of 10 K–12 school districts surveyed for Sophos’ 2023 State of Ransomware Report said they were hit by ransomware last year — a 43% increase from the previous year’s results — making the K–12 education sector the most-popular ransomware target in the world in 2022.

New Network Tool Measures Students' Connectivity Off-Campus

The new Digital Equity module, an extension to Lightspeed's Digital Insight network and ed tech analytics platform, provides real-time connectivity and device health data on students’ school-issued devices, enabling school leaders to know when students experience connectivity outages at home — allowing for interventions or assistance before learning outcomes are impacted, the company said.

Chalkboard image with text "movers and shakers" overlaid with company logos of Pearson, United Educators, Centegix, National Math and Science Initiative, BlazerWorks, Mentor, and D2L

People on the Move: Prentice, Ogden-Reese, Irwin, Cluver, Anderson, Myrie, Wilson, Kozyra, Yates, Kelsey, Sowin

Recent leadership and advisory roles announced by education and ed tech organizations include a new CEO at Pearson, a new CMO at D2L, a new COO at Centegix, a new board member at United Educators, a new CEO at National Math and Science Initiative, a new CEO at Mentor, and new special education advisory leaders at BlazerWorks.

Image shows K12SIX logo, the words

K12 SIX Invites Input for 2023-24 Updates to Essential Cybersecurity Protections Series

Cybersecurity nonprofit K12 Security Information Exchange is inviting K–12 IT and network security practitioners to submit their input and feedback for the upcoming 2023–24 edition of the K12 SIX Essential Cybersecurity Protections Series of guides for public schools’ risk management efforts.