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Acer recommends Windows® 7.


p3 Acer in Education

p4 Teaching & Learning Benefits

p5 Acer Notebook Solutions

p8 Pearson eBooks

p10 Acer Educare

p12 Case Study - Manea Senior College

p14 Case Study - Australind Senior High

p16 Deployment Services & Capabilities

p18 Acer Privilege Program

p19 Environment Awareness

Contents

p20 Where to Buy

p14 Case Study - Australind Senior High

Acer in Education

Acer’s approach to the education market is

to recognise that schools, universities and

TAFEs have very different objectives compared

to businesses and government departments.

Acer understands your organisation’s primary

goal and we have built our education program

to ensure that Acer and our Acer Authorised

Education Partners are able to assist your

organisation to meet these goals. We believe

that our approach will help your organisation to

intelligently implement technology to improve

the education outcomes of your school,

university or TAFE.

We strongly believe that the path to real

success in any relationship is based on the

understanding and knowledge of the partners

involved. This knowledge is then used to

provide the services necessary to assist our

customers to meet their objectives and goals.

We call this Our Customer Specific Approach,

and we believe that this is the reason our

customers have made us the number 1 supplier

in the Education markets in Australia.

Empowering young minds

Acer builds on its strengths by providing

Education customers with:

• Value for money

• Quality and consistency

• Acer Authorised Service Providers

throughout Australia

• 1300 single point of contact Helpdesk

• Quick turnaround and delivery of orders

• Tailored systems to suit specific needs

• Local Acer Authorised Education Resellers

who specialise is supporting schools

#1 supplier in the education marketsin Australia

3


Teaching & Learning Benefits

Students Ask For Acer Provides

Light weight Thin & light notebooks under 2kg

Long battery life 8+ hours battery life in selected models

Cool design Modern & fashionable designs

Reliability and performance Platforms that are based on the latest Intel® Core-i processor technology

Good graphics capability Systems where Intel high definition graphics are embedded right into the processor

Huge range of free software Microsoft Office 2010 Starter and Microsoft Live Essentials, to name a few

Editing videos on the move Systems with Intel Quick Sync Video built in for record time video encoding speed

Teachers Ask For Acer Provides

Fewer classroom disruptions Solid, consistent and reliable hardware backed by fast warranty support

Access to learning templates Microsoft provides learning templates in Microsoft Word

Multiple applications Microsoft has more applications than any other platform

Parents Ask For Acer Provides

Fewer non-warranty repairs Acer’s robust design reduces the incidence of breakage

Low cost of repairs Acer’s tollgate pricing reduces costs associated with breakage

No-fuss non-warranty repairs Acer’s Accidental Damage Cover provides protection against non-warranty repairs

IT Teams Ask For Acer Provides

Easy to deploy School image can be pre-loaded prior to delivery

Reliable hardware Fewer faults compared to the industry average

Solid hardware Fewer non-warranty breakages than the industry average

Flexible service option Fast turn around time with Swap N’ Go / Reliable on site service (Next Business Day)

Vendor reliability Dependable service and established track record in K-12 Schools nationally

Principals Ask For Acer Provides

Students, Parents Teachers & IT Teams needs are met

Acer is a leading manufacturer with a proven track record in meeting all stakeholders’ needs

“Green” Solutions Acer’s plant-a-tree program supports initiatives to offset its carbon footprint

Students Ask For Acer Provides

Light weight Thin & light notebooks under 2kg

Long battery life 8+ hours battery life in selected models

Cool design Modern & fashionable designs

Reliability and performance Platforms that are based on the latest Intel® Core-i processor technology

Good graphics capability Systems where Intel high definition graphics are embedded right into the processor

Huge range of free software Microsoft Office 2010 Starter and Microsoft Live Essentials, to name a few

Editing videos on the move Systems with Intel Quick Sync Video built in for record time video encoding speed

Teachers Ask For Acer Provides

Fewer classroom disruptions Solid, consistent and reliable hardware backed by fast warranty support

Access to learning templates Microsoft provides learning templates in Microsoft Word

Multiple applications Microsoft has more applications than any other platform

Parents Ask For Acer Provides

Fewer non-warranty repairs Acer’s robust design reduces the incidence of breakage

Low cost of repairs Acer’s tollgate pricing reduces costs associated with breakage

No-fuss non-warranty repairs Acer’s Accidental Damage Cover provides protection against non-warranty repairs

Notebook SolutionsA model to suit every need

5

TAKE HOME

CONTENT CONSUMPTION

Great for school 1:1 Programs

Easy upgrades & customisation

Acer's range of notebooks have been designed

to cater for the different needs in your school.

At Acer we understand that there is no one-size

fits all solution, which is why we have introduced

our full family of Notebooks.

Amazing 8 hour battery life

Ultra-light student power adaptor

Ideal for those students who

will complete homework and

assignments away from school.

Call us, we will tailor the

notebook solution for your

school including asset tagging

and custom-image load.

Finishes the school day on

a single charge. It won’t

chain the student down.

11.6”


A model to suit every need

Notebook Solutions

P633

13.3”

TAKE HOME

CONTENT CREATION

Magnesium alloy construction

The P633 packs in a 13.3” screen

in its sturdy alloy casing that weighs

only 1.7kg. Light yet strong.

Exclusive Acer Dust Defender Technology

Acer’s DustDefender feature reverses the cooling fan to expel dust,

enabling cooler operation, longer battery life and improved reliability.

Ideal for Independent schools

Commercial Grade Notebook for Schools

8481

14.0”

7

TAKE HOME

CONTENT CREATION

The Power of the Second Generation

Powered by Second generation Intel® Core-i3, Core-i5 and Core-i7

processors for a great user experience that offers the very best

performance and reliability along with great battery life and compatibility.

Amazing 14” LCD in a 13” footprint

Not only is it our slimmest 14”

notebook, it’s also our lightest,

weighs merely 1.5kg.

Textbook Innovation

Acer’s innovative partnership with Pearson

delivers Secondary Australian Curriculum

e-books to students and teachers on the Iconia

Tab. As an educator it is important to be able

to effectively provide students a digital learning

format, allowing them to have instant access to

information using the flexibility of a tablet.

• 50 titles available through Pearson ReaderTM

• More than 100 e-books available for license

• Ready to use content

• Copy, save and edit

• Enjoy frequent information updates

• Online and offline access

• Instant access to Pearson ReaderTM

Screen emulated, may not represent the final product.

9


Computrace

Educare is Acer’s new comprehensive service

package that is specifically designed to meet

the needs of schools, universities and TAFE

Colleges. It includes coverage for Software

Support, Damage Protection, Swap N Go,

Premium Battery Support and Computrace,

making Educare the right choice for flexibility

and peace of mind.

Looking out for tomorrow

Educare

Software Support for StudentsAcer Software Support is a service that helps

teachers and students resolve software issues

outside business hours or during school holidays.

Asset Management is always a challenge in a

school environment. Acer’s Asset Management

Solution (available for Windows and Android

platforms) provides a suite of essential security

tools to secure your IT investment, protect

your data and reduce TCO through remote

management features.

Damage ProtectionSwap ‘N Go

Premium Battery Support

Accidents are a part of

life – but when they occur,

knowing how to manage

them effectively is what really

matters. Acer can have you

well prepared with our Damage

Protection Service.

Acer Damage Protection

safeguards you against

unintentional damage, such as

liquid spills, electrical surges,

drops, falls or other collisions.

Swap ‘N Go is an easy process to ensure

100% uptime when you have a faulty unit.

The standard battery warranty only covers

manufacturing faults. However, even

during normal usage and charge cycles

of the battery, its capacity will reduce over

time. Acer understands your need for a

longer lasting battery, and that’s why we

have introduced the Premium Battery

Support service.

Call your local Acer Authorised

Education Reseller for more

details. (See page 20)

11


Case StudyA tailor made solution just right for Manea Senior College

Quick response from hibernation or sleep was the time saver one Western Australia vocational high school was looking for.

Russell King knew he had a unique set of circumstances to deal when in selecting 197 computer systems for students under the National Secondary School Computer Fund (NSSCF). “A full sized laptop was going to take about two thirds of the desk and leave minimal room for other activities,” says the computer teacher and ICT Coordinator for Manea Senior College south of Perth. “The Acer Aspire One 753 only took up a fraction of desk space and that was a major point.”

What’s more, Mr King realised that when compared to its nearest competitor, the Aspire One 753 offered much more bang for his buck. “Another netbook we looked at was much the same size, but the specifications weren’t nearly as good. The Acer was more like a mini laptop as far as the size of the processor and the amount of RAM we could put in it. It was a much better return for the money we spent.”

The other big plus Mr King knew made the Aspire One 753 perfect for Manea’s year 11 and 12 students was

the robustness and longevity of the device, factors Acer has worked hard to build into a netbook of its size and class. Mr King describes the results he saw firsthand. “I used one in my own time over the term break. I was really impressed with the quality, the size of the keys and especially the battery life. We’re getting the continuous use out of the battery we need for a school day, which is critical.”

But the most critical factor was the area where Acer netbooks have excelled. The last thing anyone needs in the rushed, busy school day is to sit around waiting for devices to come to life. “Once they’ve been started up and got themselves running you put the lid down and walk away but when you come back and open the unit up it’s back to where it was in just 15 seconds. It’s a great mix thanks to Acer and the Intel hardware in the device.”

The real test

Of course the real proof is in the pudding – Manea Senior College might have the most suitable computers of any school for their needs, but are they making an impact where it counts? “The students are absolutely engaged with them,” Mr King reports. “They’re using them all the time, especially in their own time – which is a major indication that they’re happy with them. It’s working beautifully.”

Manea rolled devices out to its year 12 students to begin with, conscious of the fact that – as those heading towards the end of their schooling and university or careers – having the flexibility needed to work was paramount. “In their study time they can be in the study areas with their own personal Internet connection sitting in front of them. They don’t need to be taking up the resources other classes are using and it makes everybody’s time a lot more productive.”

Even better for the school, explains Acer’s WA Business Development Manager, Julia Sinton, Manea got the best deal out of the pricing structure of the NSSCF. “Russell and the IT team at Manea thought about other solutions but many of them were simply too much money,” Miss Sinton says. “The rules were that they had to spend no more than $1,000 per device, so even if they found a machine for $500 they couldn’t buy twice as many. That enabled us to increase the memory and offer an extended warranty of three years on the Aspire One 753.”

“I’ve played with other systems and some of them were

good, but many are way out of the price range we have to look at,” Mr King adds.

Better yet, the students’ enthusiasm has rubbed off on their teachers, often the most digitally challenged people in the school community. “Staff have taken to them as well and we’re now looking at developing strategies for more use by teachers in the classroom,” Mr King says, “building on what they’re happy to do with them and not try to push things they don’t want to do.”

“It was a choice between the Acer Aspire One and a competing netbook and when we compared the two there was ultimately no question that the Acer was a better product for what we needed.”

Support where it counts

“Their pre-sales service was excellent, and their after sales service seems pretty good but to be honest the systems have been so good we haven’t needed it,” laughs Mr King when asked about how attentive supplier JH Computer Services has been since the purchase.

Karl Daybell, Manea Senior College Account Manager at JH, agrees, confirming he didn’t expect any problems. “For the money, the Aspire One 753 gives you a much better result in performance per dollar, so while there are higher powered devices around, Manea’s IT team staff agreed with us that they should give it a go. They saw it, tested it and were more than happy with the performance.”

The agreement also includes a number of spare units in

case of faults or problems – the faulty unit is simply sent back to JH Computer Services and a replacement device is deployed in its place immediately, keeping downtime for the student to a minimum. Tellingly, none of the spare have been used yet.

If you read the technology press, other devices are overtaking netbooks in popularity. So why are they still a good proposition, especially for the three years of the supply contract? JH Computer Services’ Account Manager Karl Daybell explains the suitability of the Aspire One 753. “Many of the other tools and solutions out there make good accompanying devices but they’re not that functional for real world document management scenarios, network connectivity and applications like Microsoft Office and OneNote.”

About Manea Senior College

A young and dynamic learning environment, since 2009 Manea Senior College has provided year 11 and 12 students with a unique opportunity. Located in between Edith Cowan University’s (ECU) Bunbury campus and South West Regional College of TAFE, the school’s efforts are centered completely on university or vocational pathways with specialist programs appropriate to the ages of senior high school students.

Because the school caters only to years 11 and 12, it gives the staff the opportunity to treat and respond to students as young adults. The atmosphere of trust encourages every student to feel responsible for his or her learning with motivation and self respect.

The Acer Aspire One 753

“We created the Aspire One 753 to cater to just the sort of environment we’ve found in Western Australia’s schools,” says Julia Sinton, Acer’s Business Development Manager for WA. “It’s been one of our best sellers and certainly one of the most popular models selected by schools under the NSSCF.”

“Staff have taken to them as well, and we’re now looking at developing strategies for more use by teachers in the classroom.” – Russell King, computer teacher and ICT Coordinator, Manea Senior College.

13


Case StudyAustralind Senior High School

A sense of ownership encourages care of Acer devices among students and saved space and money, says Australind Senior High School deputy principal Graeme Watson.

To Graeme Watson size matters. “We received funding for 868 computers however we don’t have the physical room to put 868 desktops around the school so we had to find another solution,” he says. “Having students able to take them home was vital.”

The answer was the Acer Aspire One 753 Netbook. The school purchased 521 from Perth supplier JH Computer Services. Selecting the Aspire One not only saved space in classrooms, it also gave Mr Watson and his IT staff the opportunity to stretch their National Secondary School Computer Fund (NSSCF) funding further.

“If we’d gone for full-sized notebooks we would have been up for a thousand dollars each. We spent some of the money on upgrading all our desktops with funds left over, so we were also able to put a projector in every classroom.” Together with the netbook fleet now in the hands of most of the students, it enables a wholly digital workflow that involves everyone. “We wanted the teachers to be comfortable with the technology too,” Mr Watson adds.

“It’s very difficult for teachers to teach in a digital sense if they don’t have the digital technology in the classroom, but it’s possible now because every classroom has a PC and a projector and the students have netbooks.”

The price savings the Acer Aspire One 753 offered also allowed the school to purchase a hard carry bag and screen printed with the school logo for each netbook to offer a further level of protection. “If we’d bought a notebook we only would have had the notebook and maybe a soft pad for their lap to rest it on and that’s it,” he says.

Selecting Acer, JH Computer Services and the Aspire One 753 was the culmination of 12 months of research into the best solution for Australind Senior High School students, where Mr Watson says the school looked at everything from tablets to full notebooks and everything in between.

“Most tablet technology lacks the ability to transfer files,” he says. “That was an issue for us. We have a Tier 3 server here and every netbook has a log-in access so teachers can leave work for the students or vice versa, and every student has a home directory on the server. We also wanted the latest software.”

Mr Watson adds that the Aspire One 753 has continued to pay dividends in areas most large buyers don’t think about, but which add up to tangible costs in such a large fleet. “There’s also utility savings to think about. Instead of running 868 computers at school, we’re running a fleet where over 500 of them are at home and students are happy to keep them charged up instead of using resources at the school.”

Future proofing

The possible downside to having half the school’s computers leave the grounds every day is the possibility of loss or damage – especially when they’re tossed in school bags, passed casually around study halls or bedrooms and more.

That’s where support provider Service West comes in. Mr Watson has a strict procedure to encourage the students to take care of their devices in the initial stages “We’ve had all the students go to a user contract

with a lot of dos and don’ts’”, he explains, but as the JH Computer Services account manager reports, the parameters of the purchase ensure the students do not suffer any downtime because of bad luck or mishandling. “We’re the local service agents in Perth so we can deal with any repairs or warranty issues. We carry the consignment stock and buffer stock to be able to make repairs quickly.” said Karl Daybell, Account Manager, JH Computer Services.

The deal also included five standby units for immediate swap-over so in the event of a breakage, software or hardware issue the offending unit can be sent back to JH for repair or replacement while the student has a reserve device to work on.

Mr Watson reports that the only issue so far has been a single hard drive hiccup which was taken care of promptly, good news for any parents or educators who expected harsh treatment from students towards the netbooks. “It gives the students a sense of ownership,” he says. “It’s their machine, they’ve got to look after it, they’ve got full administrative rights over it. They realised pretty quickly how much they’re using them in the classroom so they know it’s important they look after them.”

For JH Computer Services, it’s a great result after the concerted effort the company made to market themselves and Acer to schools in and around the Perth area. The company had a promotional day at the Royal Perth Golf Club with 20 schools in attendance for seminars, speakers and demo events. We had a few speakers and some of

the products. “The Aspire One turned out to be a great fit for Australind. The product performs well for student use, it’s nice and lightweight and has been very cost effective. Graeme and the IT staff at the school have said the students are all excited.”

Mr Watson says the current Aspire One 753 fleet is expected to last about four years, but what about the conventional wisdom about how PC equipment should be turned over every 18 months to two years? It’s just

another example of what a smart purchase the Acer fleet has been. “We still have our own computers,” Mr Watson says, “We have 10 computers in our media lab instead of 28 like we used to, so if the student wants to do something in Photoshop they jump on one of the media computers, do what they have to do and then jump back onto their netbooks like usual.”

“It depends on the usage,” adds Julia Sinton, Acer’s Business Development Manager for WA. “A lot of the programs don’t vastly change or need a lot more performance. If they’re using Office, the Internet and basic Adobe products it’s going to last the student’s entire school career.”

About Australind Senior High School

A stone’s throw from the stunning marine environment of the Leschenault Inlet south of Perth, Australind Senior High School is deeply connected to the local land and seascape and maintains a strong relationship with technology to aid the students in understanding their place in both the natural locale and community.

Australind Senior High School puts a premium on teacher selection and performance, and believes the job starts with the appointment, continuing a program of further research to aid professional development.

Instead of measuring students against each other, both teachers and students themselves are invested in seeing each child improve and progress by their own standards, irrespective of their individual starting point.

“Having students able to take them home was vital” – Graeme Watson, deputy principal, Australind Senior High School

15


Deployment Services & Capabilities

SOE image loadingAcer owns and operates a local purpose

built production facility that configures and

loads standard or customised images in the

assembly process. The capacity of this facility

is 500 notebooks per day in a single shift. Acer

can customise each machine to your schools

requirements in the production process with

assistance in the preparation of a standard

operating environment (SOE) or software image

that is loaded onto each notebook product prior

to deployment to the student.

Asset taggingAcer can apply an asset tag to the device and

insert the asset tag number into the BIOS.

This asset tag number can also be printed

on a label that appears on the outer carton. It

can then be scanned into an asset register or

asset management system. Acer can provide

details of all asset tags and serial numbers on

a separate report on demand, when your IT

department requires.

Joining device to your domainAcer is able to provide a service that joins all

student devices to the domain before they

leave the Acer facility. This is achieved by Acer

using an Integration Centre that enables you to

hand the devices to the students without any

additional work being carried out on the units at

the school prior to delivery.

Acer’s eAcademyAcer has developed an online training

facility that can be customised to suite your

requirements. This facility has multimedia

training (video, illustrations and sound) that can

be used to train students on just about any

topic. The system can assess students through

a series of multiple choice questions. Each

student is asked to sit the assessment and

achieve at least an 80% pass result. The system

can have several question sets so students

don’t memorise the answers and up to 3 tests

can be attempted.

We customise deployment services for your school.

Battery protection and careAll new Acer notebooks and netbooks come

with a list of battery care instructions, including

what to do on first use, general tips to extend

your battery life and steps you can take to

ensure that you get maximum performance.

Customised handover processEach school is different and the agreement (or

contract) that students (or parents) sign when

they pick up the machine from the school is also

different. These agreements can be customised so

that the schools particular requirements are taken

into consideration. Examples can be provided on

request. The handover process could include:

• Customised forms and handbook inside the

box before delivery.

• Student agreements and parent contracts.

• Itemised list of accessories provided.

17


Get Privileged Now!

There’s more to our commitment to schools than just providing the

highest quality desktops, notebooks, LCD monitors, data projectors

and enterprise solutions.

Acer is pleased to announce the Acer Privilege Program, a program

designed to reward schools, from kindergarten through to year 12,

for purchasing Acer products.

Based on the quantity of Acer products purchased through Acer

Authorised Education Resellers, schools can earn points, which can

be used to claim merchandise from our Redemption Catalogue. The

more points you have the more you can reward your school.

Simply log onto www.acer.com.au/privilege

It’s that easy.

Acer Privilege Program

Environmental AwarenessWe take care of your environmental impact

We can help you dispose of older IT equipment,

which often contains toxic substances, in the

most secure, cost effective and environmentally

friendly way possible.

Green designAcer’s local facility assembles, tests and

packages PCs, Notebooks and Servers without

using toxic chemicals or pollutants. Designed

to save energy, all Acer products have been

carrying the Energy Star label since 1992. The

TravelMate and Veriton ranges are also EPEAT

certified.

Packaging and recyclingAll packaging for Acer products is made from

recyclable materials such as cardboard and

polyethylene plastics. To reduce the use of

packaging and its environmental impact, we

adhere to a set of principles that includes

minimising packaging, using recyclable and

reusable packaging materials and labelling all

plastics.

DisposalAcer operates an Asset Processing Centre in NSW

to help customers dispose of older IT equipment

from Acer and other vendors.

The Acer asset processing centre also provides a

range of end-of-life solution services, including:

•Pick-upfreightmanagement.

•Provisionofpackagingmaterials.

•Datawipingandsanitisation.

•Assetandcustomerlabelremoval.

•Standardoperatingenvironmentreinstallation.

•Securedestruction.

•Testingandfullassetreporting.

•Resaleorredistributionmanagement.

Call your local Acer Authorised Education Reseller

for more details. (See page 20)

Acer aims to minimise

the environmental impact

of its manufacturing and

distribution processes.

19

For further information please contact Acer Authorised Education Resellers.

NSW• Ethan Group Phone: (02) 8864 0062• Learning with Technologies Phone: 1300 550 717• PCS Australia Pty ltd Phone: (02) 9637 1300

WA• Bizquip Solutions Phone: (08) 9244 2290 • JH Computer Services Phone: (08) 9367 9499 • Winthrop Australia Phone: (08) 6488 2777• WJ Moncrieff Phone: (08) 9473 3888

SA• ASI Solutions SA Phone: (08) 8354 6200 • Datacom Systems SA Pty Ltd Phone: (08) 7221 7900• Learning with Technologies Phone: 1300 550 717• SUBNET Phone: (08) 7127 9400

QLD• BES Information Technology Phone: (07) 3340 5555 • Brilliant Technologies Phone: (07) 4052 5900• e-Computing Pty Ltd Phone: (07) 4613 0602• Rosh Tech (Townsville) Pty Ltd Phone: (07) 4725 6490

VIC• Learning with Technologies Phone: 1300 550 717• Office Everything Phone: 1300 306 033• PerfecktCom Phone (03) 9570 9890• Trident Computer Services Phone: (03) 8587 7500 • Winthrop Australia Phone: (03) 8420 9399

TAS• IRIS Computing (Hobart) Phone: (03) 6231 5555• IRIS Computing (Launceston) Phone: (03) 6344 2288

ACT• Dataflex Phone: (02) 6295 1999

Acer Computer AustraliaA.B.N. 78 003 872 7688 Baywater DriveWentworth Point, NSW 2127Tel: (02) 8762 3000Fax: (02) 9764 2368www.acer.com.au

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