Monthly Archives: November 2019

Q&A: Repairing Chromebooks in a School District with Over 16,000 Students

We sat down with a California-based Information Systems Specialist to discuss how his team manages purchasing, upkeep, and repair of devices throughout the 20 sites in the district. His school district is in a primarily agricultural area and has around 16,900 students within their 16 elementary schools and four junior highs.

With over 20,000 devices deployed, this team juggles repair, constant device updates, end-of-life procedures, and the purchasing of new Chromebooks. Although they’re busy, bumping between the many sites within the district, you can tell through this Information Systems Specialist’s enthusiastic voice that he and his team truly have an unwavering passion for supporting the community through technology.

Read about his typical day, the software that kee

Google Extends the Lifespan of Over 130 Chromebooks

As tech directors and Chromebook procurement teams choose devices for their district, there is a balancing act between purchasing devices based on capability and also taking into consideration Google’s support of Chrome OS on the device. Similar to smartphones, Chromebooks require regular auto-updates. These updates are made by Google to ensure the device is up-to-date with the latest features and are current on security upgrades. 

In a recent interview, a California-based Information Systems Specialist said, “I’ve been doing a lot of research in looking for our next Chromebook and...I have a hard time making a recommendation [on a device that only has] a guaranteed 2-3 more years. My goal is to get the expected life of a textbook out of the devices we deploy.”