Chrome and Google EDU Related Services

We understand that a sustainable Chrome device program requires planning and execution. Our Chrome related services and Google EDU Partner services help lift the burden. From concept and acquisition, through life cycle management and disposition, we can save you time and lower your total cost of ownership.

ChromeCycle Services

Looking to buy? Our purchase pre-registration services can secure discounts and ensure your units are available when you need them to arrive.

Have devices you no longer need? We can take them as trade-ins or buy them from you.

We designed our ChromeCycle services to reduce your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and improve the sustainability of your Chrome device program. ChromeCycle services cover your administrative, technical, and business needs for the full technology lifecycle for classroom/lab, 1:1, and BYOD initiatives.

With ChromeCycle, you can offload administrative time and lower costs:

  • Acquisition
  • Asset Lifecycle Management
  • BYOD Support
  • Disposition
  • Infrastructure Services
  • Protection Plans
  • Accessories
  • Custom “White Glove” Services

Learn more …

Google EDU Partner Services

Google for EDU Partner Services is a free set of services open to K-12 schools and districts, and small higher education institutions. The services are designed to help you get the most value from your use of G Suite for Education, G Suite Enterprise for Education, and Chrome devices.

By identifying Cumulus Global as your Google for Education Partner, you get:

  • Our Basic Services package and SLA
  • Automatic Savings for Chrome management and value-add services
  • Access to our ChromeCycle services

Learn More …

 

Chromebook Market Update

Google for Education PartnerWith the onset of COVID-19, schools and districts scrambled to move to remote and hybrid learning models. Demand for Chromebooks, netbooks, cameras, and other accessories skyrocketed. At the same time, the pandemic severely disrupted the supply chains. Manufactures struggled to get components from suppliers, to staff and run their assembly lines, and to ship product to customers.

Schools that waited to order Chromebooks and other devices sat on waiting lists for backorders. Some districts have yet to receive all of their devices.

Market Outlook

While many parts of Asia are emerging from the pandemic ahead of the United States, we still see significant potential challenges with Chromebook and netbook availability this spring and summer.

  • Supply is still limited. The supply chain for parts, assembly, and delivery are not fully back to normal.  While most assembly plants are back in operation, many are still operating at reduced occupancy and capacity. Additionally, backlogs for components still exist as the supply chain struggles to recover.
  • Demand will be up. We expect a significant increase in demand for Chromebooks as districts unable to purchase enough new devices in 2020 now have a larger, pent-up demand. Some districts kept older models in service beyond their planned refresh cycle. Other districts still lack the number of devices they need for 1:1 learning.

Recommendation

Given the supply and demand dynamics, we strongly urge schools to initiate your Chromebook ordering process early. Specifically you should:

  • Have us pre-register your intended purchase with your preferred manufacturer, for your preferred models.
    • With pre-registration, we can often negotiate better pricing.
    • You are also more likely to be assigned your allocation of units, increasing the likelihood of timely delivery.
  • Have us bid specs to multiple vendors, if you do not have a preferred make and/or model.
    • This process creates price and availability competition, which can work to your benefit.
  • Order Chrome Education Upgrade licenses.
    • Avoid March 9, 2021 price increase.
  • Prepare to issue Purchase Orders by the end of February or mid-March.
    • In 2020, all of the schools that ordered before mid-March received their devices in time for the fall term.

Contact us for more information, to discuss your needs, or to request quote.

Learn more about our Google for Education and ChromeCycle services.

Chrome Education Upgrade – Price Increase

ChromeOn March 9, 2021, the list price for Chrome Education Upgrade (aka Chrome Management License/Service) will increase from $30 per device to $38 per device. As key component of your Google for Education services, this price increase may significantly impact your budget.

If you are planning on purchasing Chrome devices this spring, or for the 2021/2022 school year, you can:

  1. Purchase your Chrome Education Upgrade licenses now:
    • Take advantage of Cumulus Global savings
    • 10%, or more, off the current $30/device price
  2. Add the licenses to our G Suite for Education or G Suite Enterprise for Education subscription
  3. Apply the licenses to your Chrome devices as you purchase, receive, and deploy them

Contact us for more information or to request quote.

 

Service Update: Datto SaaS Protection

Service Update: Datto SaaS Protection. The latest Datto SaaS Protection platform is now available to all of our costumers. For more recent customers, you are already on the newest platform.  For our longer term SaaS Protection (aka Backupify) customers, the transition process will begin as early as February 1, 2021. The process will complete before May 31, 2021.

Benefit:

With this move, all Datto SaaS Protection customers will have access to the latest features. These include protection for Microsoft Teams and Google Shared Drives, and the Daily Backup Success Report.

Process:

To ensure a smooth transition, any data on the legacy platform will be archived in one of Datto’s secure Microsoft Azure instances. A fresh backup set will initiate on the new platform. We can assist you in exporting your legacy backup data if you prefer to not have it stored by Datto on Microsoft Azure.

There are some unique aspects of the transition for some of our customers, our Service Team will contact you as needed to discuss your transition.

Please contact us with any questions or concerns.

G Suite EDU Savings and Meet Enhancements

G Suite Enterprise for EducationG Suite Enterprise for Education Savings

As schools and districts continue to rely heavily on Google Meets, Classroom, and other services that facilitate remote and hybrid learning, Google is extending its 50% discount for full domain upgrades to G Suite Enterprise for Education through October 31, 2020.  Student licenses will remain free provided the ratio of student to faculty/staff licensing is 10:1 or less.

Click here for more information and to request a quote.

Rapid Enhancement of Google Meets

Responding to feedback from educators and competitive pressures, Google is accelerating the rollout of features for Google Meet. As announced at Google’s recent The Anywhere School 2020 event, Google Meets will see the addition of the following features, some of which (as noted) will only be available in G Suite Enterprise for Education.

September
  • Moderator Controls: Teachers will be able to end meetings for all participants once class ends, better manage join requests, disable in-meeting chats, require the teacher to join before students can enter the meeting, and prohibit participants from joining after being ejected or denied entry twice.
  • Larger Title Views: Support for up to a 7×7 grid will let up to 49 students be seen at once
October
  • Breakout Rooms: G Suite Enterprise for Education teacher accounts will be able to split classes into smaller group discussions.
  • Custom Background Support: Students and teachers will be able to blur or replace backgrounds to prevent distractions and keep things consistent for all students.
  • Attendance Tracking: G Suite Enterprise for Education teacher accounts will be able to see and track which students attended virtual class.
“Later this year”
  • Temporary Recordings: This will be available to all Education customers as opposed to the premium recordings only available to G Suite Enterprise for Education, allows teachers to record meetings and share the recording within their district for up to 30 days before the recording expires and is deleted.
  • Hand-Raising System
  • Q&A Features (limited to G Suite Enterprise for Education)
  • Polling : To Engage students (limited to G Suite Enterprise for Education)

 

Remote Learning + (Privacy x Access) = New IT Needs

While schools, teachers, and families want schools to safely re-open, the reality is that in most areas of the country, remote learning will be part of the plan this coming school year.  In addition to ensuring student access and adapting teaching methods, the move to remote learning creates new communication and privacy issues.  Working with schools and districts across the US, we see new requirements for voice services, such as:

Full Access

  • Even schools with Voice over IP phone systems may not have a way for staff to receive and make calls remotely.  More than forwarding an extension to a home or cell phone, staff should be able to answer, transfer, and initiate calls.  Additionally, unanswered calls should go to the school, not personal, voice mailbox.

Hotline / Service Desk

  • With staff working remotely, provide the ability for managed call groups with either “ring many” or “round robin” features to ensure staff are able to answer student calls quickly.
  • In addition to IT help lines, these service desks can help librarians assist student with research, enable counselors provide better coverage, and ensure calls to administrative offices are answered or routed when staff are working remotely.

Privacy for Personal Phone Numbers

  • Not all staff have school phone numbers that they can use to call, and receive calls, when out of the office.
  • Special education teachers, aids, liaisons, and coordinators, and other staff that need to communicate one-on-one with families, should not have to make calls from, or disclose, their personal home or cell phone numbers.

Cloud VoIP solutions can augment and fill gaps in your current phone services so you can fully support remote teachers, staff, and learners.

With cloud VoIP services, we can easily tailor incremental and point-solutions to your needs while managing per-user and total costs.  Capabilities include:

  • Individual direct dial numbers or extensions
  • Soft phone apps for mobile devices, laptops, and desktops, providing:
    • Ability to make and receive calls on any device without disclosing personal phone numbers
    • Access to all phone service features
    • Access to system voicemail services
  • Single or multi-level call direction menus
  • Service Desk / Agent Pools that provide:
    • Ring many, round-robin, or prioritized inbound call assignment
    • Ability to mark self available or unavailable
    • After-call work period before receiving next call to allow for documentation/transition

Depending on the features and functionality you need, we can deploy native Microsoft and Google voice services or bring in third party services designed to work with G Suite for Education and Microsoft 365.

Please contact us to discuss your needs and explore your options.

G Suite Enterprise for Education Savings

G Suite Enterprise for Education

Click for an Overview

(Updated to reflect extension of the offer through September 30, 2020)

With the need for remote learning and hybrid on-site and remote classes, most schools using G Suite for Education rely on the Google Meets.  In September, Google is ending free access to enhanced Google Meets, including larger meeting sizes, recording, and live streaming.

If you need these enhanced features, you need to upgrade to G Suite Enterprise for Education.

Working with Google, we can offer substantial upgrade savings through September 30, 2020.  Normally $48 per user per year, we can offer G Suite Enterprise for Education for:

  • Faculty and Staff: $24 per user per year
  • Students: FREE

As part of our offer, we will also include our value-add basic support services and our ChromeCycle services at no additional cost.

Click here to learn more or to request a quote.


 

Creating a Virtual Classroom and School

With an increasing level of Coronavirus / COVID-19 infections transmitting via “community spread”, many schools are planning for the likelihood of closings that could range from days to weeks. Distance learning and virtual classrooms can mitigate the impact. The challenge is getting the systems, resources, and training in place quickly, before they are needed. Here is brief guide to planning and execution.

Understand the Experience

Virtual learning is not the same educational experience as a live classroom.  When looking to educate students at home, do not expect teachers to live stream lessons and manage feedback and responses via chat or even video conference.  While this approach can work for meeting, it is unrealistic to expect that students will have the ability to participate or that teachers will be comfortable presenting and managing feedback.

For districts that have already created online learning systems for “alternate learning days”, most assignments take the form of assigned reading, videos, or activities paired with a means of demonstrating execution and understanding.  Online quizzes, writing assignments, photo submissions, etc. are all ways that students can demonstrate they have completed the work and understand the materials.

With so many schools using Google Classroom, it is important to remember that Google Classroom is a tool that coordinates materials and activities between teachers and students.  Parents generally do not have accounts or access.  Successful online learning platforms provide a portal for parents and students to find and locate their students’ teachers and the materials.

Ensure Your District is Ready

Before launching a virtual learning system, you want to make sure your district is ready.

  • Do you have the policies and procedures in place to launch online/remote learning?
    • Several states have specific requirements.
    • You may need your School Board or governing body to vote in policies to comply with state laws and regulations
  • Do students have an appropriate device they can work on?  If you do not have a 1:1 program and are relying on students to use home computers, you should survey your population to ensure that not only is there an appropriate device at home, but the student has sufficient access.
    • Parents may be working from home and need the computer
    • Some families will have multiple children vying for computer time
    • Consider having devices available for loan
  • Do families and students have appropriate Internet access?
    • Depending on your socioeconomic mix (and geographical location), many families’ primary Internet access may be via cell phone or low-speed connection.
    • Consider providing cellular hot-spot devices to families without adequate Internet service (you may be able to add these to existing E-Rate funded programs for cellular data services). Remember that many families will have multiple students and/or parents working from home.
    • Guide teachers on lesson methods. Video may not be a great option if most students will have difficulty streaming
  • Is Google Classroom, or an equivalent tool, in place for all classrooms? Are teachers and students familiar and comfortable using the platform?
    • Now is the time to verify that every classroom or class is setup and that students and faculty can assess and use the tool.  It is hard to provide access codes and help students “get in” remotely; spend some class time verifying everyone will be able to work.
  • Are teachers comfortable using the online tools?
    • Most districts using G Suite for Education, as an example, have varying levels of adoption.  Some teachers are more comfortable using features such as live chat, interactive comments, and online assessments and automatic grading.  Faculty that are not using these features need to learn and practice before these tools become a necessity.
    • Many teachers use online learning tools outside of Google Classroom and G Suite / Google Docs.  Faculty should share tools they are using for quizes, study guides, flashcards, etc. so that teachers have a library of tools.  Identify teachers that can help others learn and use these tools to create a support network.
  • Do you have a portal that guides parents and students?
    • A simple portal, organized by school, grade, and/or subject matter with a page for each teacher/class provides parents and students with an easy way to navigate and access the materials for each teacher or class.
    • Beyond links to the Google Classroom pages, teacher/class pages can include links to other resources, such as:
      • Online reading assignments
      • Videos
      • Other learning apps
      • Kahn Academy lessons
    • You can create a simple portal system in Google Sites or, more easily via Google Drive using tools like OverDRIVE.
  • Set clear expectations
    • Teachers and staff should understand that remote/alternate learning days are full school days
    • Teachers should be working a full day equivalent to being in school, even if the hours and timing are different.

Plan Lessons Carefully

Preparing lessons for online and remote learning differs from prep for a live classroom.

  • Districts should set guidelines for how long each lesson should run.  Typically, this is done by grade range with younger students having shorter assignments.
    • Remember that teachers are not there to engage and keep students focused.
    • Asking a 3rd grader to work independently for 40 minutes may not be a realistic expectation.
    • Break work into smaller segments.
  • Create guidelines for total time on “school work” for each day, knowing that work for each class or subject will add up.
  • Take advantage of multiple learning modalities.
    • Deploy a mix of reading, videos, forms, writing, etc. to keep students engaged and to allow for individual learning styles and strengths
  • Design lessons children can do on their own
    • Do not assume that parents, if present, will have the time or ability to facilitate the process or help with the work.

Communicate and Support

Students, and parents, will have questions and will need help.

  • Make sure students and parents have, or can easily find, teacher email addresses and, if appropriate phone numbers.
  • Teachers should set and publish blocks of time each day when they are available via live chat (and, if possible, video chat) to assist students with questions and assignments.
  • Teachers should monitor and respond to questions via email throughout the day within a reasonable amount of time.  For a student struggling to understand something, an hour to get a question answered feels like an eternity.
  • Teachers should publish times when they will NOT be available for live chat and will NOT be answering emails.  It is fair and necessary for teachers to set expectations and boundaries.
  • If student devices and bandwidth allow, schedule some live group video meetings to allow students and teachers to see each other, interact, and engage.

Be Equitable

Equity goes beyond making sure students have devices and adequate access. Students with special accommodations in the classroom or school setting will need comparable accommodations when working remotely. Providing an equitable learning experience for students with specific needs and support is a major challenge.  And while it may not be possible to recreate in-school supports, you can take steps to ensure sufficient supports or alternative programs are in place for most students.

Remember Your Specials

Physical education, art, and music are an important part of your students’ day, even if they are learning from home.

  • Assign physical activity for students and have them provide a photo/video or parent note to confirm completion.  One district we work with provided 15 minute fitness videos for students to do and counted shoveling snow as an activity. Students submitted a picture or parents submitted a confirmation form.
  • Ask students in general music classes to listen to music and answer a few short questions.
  • For students in choral or instrumental groups, assign practice pieces.  Periodically ask for videos or other evidence of their efforts.

Monitor Program Effectiveness

Regardless of the amount of preparation, resources, and training you put in place, you will have issues and challenges.

  • Actively solicit feedback from students, teachers, staff, and parents about your online learning system and processes.
  • Learn what is working and where improvements, guidance, or changes are necessary
  • Respond to feedback appropriately and quickly, even if the response is “We understand the issue, but do not have a solution yet.”

If parents, students, and teachers trust that their issues and concerns are being heard and will be addressed, the entire learning community will be more tolerant and forgiving as issues do arise.

Ask for Help

Do not forget to ask for help.  Reach out to districts in your area that already have online learning systems and policies in place.  Most are happy to share what they have and what they’ve learned.

Contact us.  No kidding,  We are here to help.  Training, support, networking, or resources.  Take advantage of our expertise and our network of resources.

Customer Notice Update: Email Advanced Threat Protection

Data ProtectionGiven the demand and need to improve your protection from the devastating impact of ransomware, crypto attacks, and other forms of cyber attacks we are extending the Advanced Threat Protection Priority Opt-in discount period through March, 2020. We understand that adding a service, even a critical service, impacts your budget and costs. Our Priority Opt-In discounts, and other measures (see below), intend to minimize the impact.

Email Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) and Multi-factor authentication (MFA) are necessary, baseline services for protecting your business

Beginning April 1, 2020, we require Advanced Threat Protection for all of our customers’ email service, unless you specifically opt out. Opting out is appropriate if you already have an advanced threat protection service in place.

If you opt out, the cost of our data recovery efforts will not be covered under our unlimited support plans (See our Support Services SLA). When we add ATP to your service, we will discuss with you when we can add MFA.

We will mitigate the cost.

We are sensitive to your budget.

  • ATP requires a technical setup and typically incurs a setup fee along with the monthly or annual subscription.
  • We are discounting both the setup and subscription fees for all customers. For customers requesting Priority Opt-In, we will waive the ATP related setup fees completely.
  • MFA implementation is covered by our support plans as an administrative change.  If you do not have on of our support plans, we will provide an affordable, discounted quote for the project.
  • For customers without an unlimited support plan and/or those that choose to Opt-Out, we will discount our hourly fees for recovery work.

For more information on specific discounts and pricing, and to let us know if you want to Opt-In, to have Priority Opt-In, or to Opt-Out, please visit this web page and complete the form.

We realize that this is a significant change for most of our customers.  We also understand the importance of these protections.  Please contact us with questions or concerns

Thank you for being part of our community,
Allen Falcon
CEO & Pragmatic Evangelist

Managing Chrome the Education Upgrade Price Increase

On January 22, 2020, Google is informing all Chrome Education Upgrade (aka Chrome Management Service) users that that perpetual per-device license price is increasing from $30 to $38 dollars, effective March 9, 2020.

While Google is not unreasonable in raising prices to ensure continued innovation and feature expansion, the timing of the increase is problematic for many schools.  With fiscal years starting July 1, schools and districts have drafted or completed their budgets for the upcoming year.  The timing of the increase impacts purchases planned for the end of this fiscal/school year as well.

Cumulus Global will help you manage the price increase.

You can order your Chrome Education Upgrade / Management licenses now, before the price increase.  Based on your quantity, we are offering discounts up to 10% or more off the current $30 price.  If you are unable to purchase the licenses now, you can also request a binding quote and receive similar discounts off the $38 price through August 31, 2020.

Please complete the form, below, and request your quote.


Request your quote …