Tag Archive for: Google Apps for Education

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CIOReview names Cumulus Global a Top 20 Education Tech Solution Provider

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The Navigator for Enterprise Solutions
Annual list showcases the 20 most promising education technology solution providers.

 

Boston, MA, December 13, 2013 – CIO Review (www.cioreview.com) has selected Cumulus Global (www.cumulusglobal.com) as one of CIOReview’s 20 Most Promising Education Tech Solution Providers.  The annual list, published in CIOReview’s December issue, identifies solution providers offering innovative, value-add solutions to the education market.  CIOReview’s selection panel and editorial board selected Cumulus Global after reviewing the company’s growing portfolio of cloud-based solutions for K-12 and higher education, as well as Cumulus Global’s track record of success.

“Cumulus Global is helping transform the in-classroom learning process,” stated  Harvi Sachar, Publisher & Founder of CIO Review. “Beyond helping schools move to Google Apps for Education and deploying Chromebooks in the classroom, Cumulus Global delivers the professional development and consulting services necessary to use the technology in a transformative way.”

Cumulus Global assists schools and districts with both educational and administrative computing initiatives.  The company’s services extend beyond the technology to include policy and administrative guidance for Google Apps for Education deployments, staff development, and 1:1 programs.  Examples of these services include: the company’s Google Guides program, which creates a peer-to-peer support team within the school, and 1:1 program policy guidance, asset planning, and financing services.

“We are honored that CIOReview recognizes our work with schools, nationally, as innovative and forward thinking,” noted Allen Falcon, CEO of Cumulus Global.  “We continue to learn from schools about how they want to improve the learning process and outcomes.  We will continue to find and deliver solutions that enable success.”

Cumulus Global is a Google Apps Premier SMB Reseller and an authorized reseller for Google Apps Vault and Chromebooks for Education.

About CIO Review
CIO Review (www.cioreview.com) constantly endeavors to identify “The Best” in a variety of areas important to tech business. Through nominations and consultations with industry leaders, our editors choose the best in different domains. Top 20 CIOReview Education Tech Solution Provider is a listing of 20 Most Promising Education solutions companies in the U.S.

 

Gmail: Save Attachments to Drive (it’s about time!)

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Drive-Attachment
Finally!  OMG!  Booyah!  Oh, Vey!

You can now save attachments directly to Drive from within Gmail messages.

Rolling out to Google Apps for Business, Government, and Education over the next week or so, you no longer need to download to your desktop or “Downloads” folder and then sync or upload files in Drive.

From inside the message, you can preview or save files directly into drive, with the ability to browse and select folders.

Click here for more info and usage examples.

Be More Social with Secure Google+ Communities

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google-plusBusinesses often hesitate to use social media tools internally, fearing that information may be shared too broadly or outside the company in error.  Google has taken a major step to alleviate these concerns with the recent announcement of Secure Google+ Communities for organizations running Google Apps for Business, Education, and Government.

Going forward, all Google+ communities are only visible to people within your domain.

You can still create and share communities with external parties — customers, vendors, business partners — utilizing a new suite of management settings.

Why use Google+ Communities?

  • Encourage employees to share more information about themselves in their profiles, such as skills and interests, making it easier to find peer resources and discuss new ideas
  • Sharing files from Drive is easy, as is sharing videos
  • Threaded discussions and comments facilitate communication and teamwork, even across functional areas
  • Manage events, meetings, and hangouts
  • Better engage your Gen X and Y team members

You can learn more about the power of social tools, and other ways of getting more from Google Apps, by viewing the recording of our recent event in New York.  The event was co-hosted by Google with The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, The 4th Bin, and Google Gooru as supporting sponsors.

HIPAA Compliance with Google Apps Just Got Easier

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HIPAA Logo
One of the challenges using any IT service are external requirements for data use and privacy.  Among the most restrictive are those imposed by the Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).  HIPAA regulations intend to ensure data is private and protected from accidental or intentional breach, and is only shared as needed to ensure appropriate medical care.

One aspect of HIPAA requires entities to execute a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with any organization with which Protected Health Information (PHI) is shared.  Sharing not only includes data provided to other medical professionals, sharing includes data stored on systems or managed by services.  The BAA defines each party’s roles and responsibilities with respect to data protection and privacy, and accountability in the event of any inappropriate breech or release.

For organizations using Google Apps for Business, Education, or Government, documenting HIPAA compliance just became easier.

Google Apps administrators may now complete and execute a BAA with Google covering key services in Google Apps, specifically:

  • Gmail
  • Calendar
  • Drive
  • Google Apps Vault

The BAA does not cover other services within Google Apps, nor does it cover third-party or marketplace applications.  As such, signing the BAA and implementing Google Apps as part of a HIPAA compliant infrastructure still requires planning, policies and procedures, and an examination of other systems and applications.

Contact us to learn more.

 

Chromebook Solutions Featured at Google Apps for Education Summit

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Google Apps for Education New England SummitCumulus Global (www.cumulusglobal.com) announced that the company is sponsoring the Google Apps for Education New England Summit, being held this weekend at Burlington High School in Burlington, MA.  As part of the company’s participation, Cumulus Global CEO Allen Falcon will conduct a workshop entitled, Google Apps and Chromebooks: Building a Successful 1:1 Program, that will discuss the many facets of planning and management a one-to-one Chromebook program.

“As with any educational technology plan, deploying Chromebooks to individual students requires planning beyond device selection,” stated Allen Falcon, CEO of Cumulus Global.  “In the session, we will discuss many facets of successful 1:1 programs that impact teachers, administrators, and students.”

Google Apps and Chromebooks: Building a Successful 1:1 Program will discuss device selection, device management, curriculum integration, professional development, and expanded use of Google Apps.  The session will also discuss budgetary and financial options.

More information about the Google Apps for Education New England Summit is available at http://ma.gafesummit.com/, by following #gafesummit on Twitter and Google Apps for Education Summits on Google+


Cumulus Global to Feature Web-Based Learning at MassCUE 2012 Conference

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Westborough, MA – October 8, 2012 – Cumulus Global (www.cumulusglobal.com) announced it will feature web-based learning solutions at the company’s first-ever participation in the MassCUE Technology Conference.  Cumulus Global will conduct live demonstrations of how Chromebooks and Google Apps for Education combine to provide students with better access to educational resources, expand collaborative learning, and improve student-teacher interaction. Cumulus Global will be at Booth 219 on October 24th and 25th.

“Google Apps is much more than email, it creates a learning platform that empowers students and teachers to work together, providing students access to productivity tools without expensive hardware or software,” stated Allen Falcon, CEO of Cumulus Global.  “Chromebooks give students a fully web-connected computer at a fraction of the cost of laptops and netbooks and without the expensive administrative overhead.”

While many schools begin with carts, providing Chromebooks to students in specific classes and subjects, districts are starting to deploy Chromebooks as part of a one-to-one program.  As a web-centric device, students can access educational applications and resources without the limitation of an “app store”.

“While other devices get more press, Chromebooks deliver more value in the classroom”, notes Falcon.  “Students can write and edit papers, create presentations, and work with video.  Schools can manage Chromebooks without the complexity and cost that comes with iPads and traditional laptops.”

With a full keyboard, mousepad, 12.1” screen, and HD audio and video, Chromebooks enable students to complete papers, presentations, and projects with the ability to share, collaborate, and get feedback directly from teachers.  Chromebooks are more secure than laptops, with automatic operating system updates, built-in malware protection, and no local user profiles or local data. The ChromeOS Management Service gives administrators full control over the devices without monthly updates and expensive imaging/ghosting systems.

Google Apps Vault for Education has Arrived

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vault-icon-150x150We are pleased to announce the Google Vault is available for K-12 schools and districts, and higher education institutions.  And, the price is right.

Google Apps Vault

Google Apps Vault provides in-place archiving for Gmail and Talk.  Archiving for Google Docs content is expected in the not too distant future.  Google Apps Vault is fully integrated with Google Apps, using the cPanel for management.  Like Postini/Google Message Archive & Discovery, there is no space limit for Vault accounts.  Unlike Postini, retention is indefinite — no more limitation at 10 years retention.

EDU Pricing

For K-12 Schools, Google Apps Vault lists at $10 per user per year.  Coverage must be purchased for all faculty/staff accounts; student accounts are provided at no cost.   This represents a savings of $1 per user per year (for most schools) that would otherwise use Google Message Discovery 10 Year Retention for faculty and staff emails; and a significant cost savings for student accounts.

Things to Know

As with any change, there are some considerations.  Google Apps Vault preserves data so long as the underlying Google Apps account exists.  If you need to maintain records after an employee leaves, then the Google Apps account should be suspended and not deleted. This does mean that you will continue to pay for the account when maintaining and archive.

What if you are running Postini, aka Google Message Archive & Discovery?

If you are running Message Archive & Discovery, Google will migrate your service to the new Google Apps Vault platform.  Currently, these transitions are beginning with commercial (Business) customers.  When it is time to transition, Google will handle all of the data migration and we, Cumulus Global, will be working with you to make sure you can take advantage of the new features and capabilities.

Special Bulletin: Message Security, aka Postini, Goes Native in Google Apps

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A major change is underway within Google Apps for Business / Education / Government editions. Google is fully integrating the spam and virus protection of Google Message Security (GMS, aka Postini) into Google Apps and the cPanel.

While the transition starts in February, there are some caveats to the consolidation. As such, some organizations will want to maintain their stand-alone GMS service.

Currently, the newly integrated service provides for white list, black list, content filters, message filters, and spam sensitivity settings. The integrated service, however, does not have some of the features on which many of our customer rely. If you want/need any of the following, it is necessary to continue running stand-alone GMS for now.

  • Daily Quarantine Messages
  • Addition of Message Archive & Discovery and Message Encryption
  • Policy-Based TLS Encryption
  • Delivery Manager
  • Log Search
  • Reporting

The latter three are more of an issue for the IT folks, and TLS Encryption is transparent to the user.

The biggest user impact is the replacement of the daily quarantine message with the “Spam” label in Gmail.  Some users like the digest structure and the ability to deliver from within the message.  In using the Spam label, users can mark messages as “Not Spam” or can manage them from within the folder.

Also, until we are able to connect the Message Archive & Discovery and Message Encryption services directly to Google Apps, the stand-alone GMS environment will be needed.

If you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact us.

Google Apps and Google’s New Privacy Policy

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The cloud world is buzzing as Google announced that effective March 1, 2012, it would consolidate more than 60 privacy policies for different services into a single, simplified policy covering all Google services.  Not surprisingly, we are already fielding calls from our Google Apps for Business / Education / Government customers with questions about the impact of the change.

Rest easy.  Here are the answers.

Not Much is Changing

The consolidated privacy policy is not changing how Google collects or uses information with individual services or across services.  The policy is providing a simpler, easier to understand document that is consistent across all services.  Google has also removed components of its existing privacy policies that are redundant with content in the Terms of Service policy for each service, which are also being updated and consolidated into a single, consistent policy.

Note that the Privacy Policy address how Google collects and uses information about individual users, but that the Terms of Service dictate how Google treats content you place or store using Google services.  To understand how your information is protected, you must review both documents.

Public and Free Services versus Business / Education / Government Services

The new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy provide a baseline for all services.  The Terms of Service clearly states that

“Also, in some of our Services, there are terms or settings that narrow the scope of our use of the content submitted in those Services.”

Google Apps for Business, for Education, and for Government all have these additional terms and settings.

Confidentiality in Google Apps for Business / Education / Government

The Terms of Service for Google Apps for Business, for Education, and for Government each define Confidential Information as follows:

“Confidential Information means information disclosed by a party to the other party under this Agreement that is marked as confidential or would normally be considered confidential under the circumstances. Customer Data is Customer’s Confidential Information.

Very simply, the agreement defines all user/customer content in these services as confidential.

The Terms of Service prevent Google from accessing or disclosing customer information without permission and guarantee a standard of care related the security, availability, and privacy of customer information.

Exceptions

There are exceptions when Google may disclose or publicly display Google Apps for Business / Education / Government customers.

  1. A User Marks Content as Public:  If a user marks content as “public” or as “publish on the web”, the user is giving permission to Google and instructing Google to index the content in Google search engine and to make the content available to everyone publicly.   Google Apps administrators can limit user permissions to prevent them from marking content as public.
  2. Required Disclosure:  Per the Terms of Service, Google may “… disclose the other party’s Confidential Information when required by law but only after it, if legally permissible: (a) uses commercially reasonable efforts to notify the other party; and (b) gives the other party the chance to challenge the disclosure.”

Summary

While Google’s consolidation of privacy policies makes for great, sensational headlines, the reality is that their is no material change in how Google addresses information privacy.  For Google Apps for Business, for Education, and for Government customers, there is no change what so ever.

Tuesday Take-Away: File Service Strategies with Google Docs

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As more of our current and future customers move to the cloud, they have greater interest in moving beyond email, calendars, and chat.  More organizations see cloud file services as a way to improve access to information while simplifying IT infrastructure and lowering costs.  These organizations are right on the mark!

For those running Google Apps for Business, Education, or Government, the Google Docs service is a great foundation from which to build an integrated file service.  Here are some considerations and strategies.

Central Ownership

Every user has the ability to use Google Docs to store and share information, and to create a hierarchy of collections (just like folders) to organize and manage files.  When building a file service using Google Docs, you may want to consider central ownership of data that would normally be housed on shared space on a file server.

Central Ownership …

  • Puts all of the “file server” data under “Collections Shared with Me” in all users’ Google Docs screen, providing a consistent interface and experience.
  • Gives administrators control over permissions.
  • Avoids underlying document ownership issues.
  • Provides a central account for managing the amount of storage needed.
  • Further simplifies backup/recovery.

To setup central ownership of your file service, you will need to purchase or dedicate one account as the “file service” account.

Desktop Integration

While Google Docs is pretty good as a productivity suite, many of your users may want or need to continue using legacy desktop solutions.  The good news: you can store any file type in Google Docs; the bad news: opening up a browser to upload files is an intrusive extra step.

Fortunately, you can choose from several inexpensive third party solutions that provide desktop access to Google Docs.  When working with clients to pick the solution, we look to see if they need drive letter access (DLA) service and/or access via Network Places from Windows desktops and/or desktop drive access from Macs.  The solution we recommend will result from these needs and from the amount of local drive space available to cache online data.

Local Cache / Offline Access

By building a solution with a local cache, you can provide users with robust offline access to documents.  Additionally, a local cache lets desktop applications save locally, as they are designed to do, with the files synchronizing to Google Docs in the background.

Learn More

If you want to learn more about building a file server around Google Docs, please contact us directly, visit our web site, or join us for one of our upcoming events.