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Windows Vistafor SCHooLS

Windows Vista

Knowledge Without Limits

“To prepare students for further education or the workforce, they need to have access to the latest technology. Windows Vista lets us provide this edge while saving us time and money in keeping it running.”

Lex Montanus, Desktop Support Manager, New South Wales IT Directorate, Australia

Learning Without Borders

Windows Vista | FOR SCHOOLS

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So why should the technology that you use for teaching and learning be any different? Today we stand on the brink of an exciting new era of education. One where students are free to learn in the style that suits them best. Where students—and teachers—can work closely together even when they are in separate locations.

Technology plays a critical role, helping to transform teaching and learning. But it also presents a new set of challenges.

Information overload can lead to confusion instead of creativity. New media and the Internet should be used responsibly for learning to flourish. And the staggering growth in the use of laptops, mobile devices, and other gadgets threatens to overload IT support teams—and their budgets.

Creativity, Clarity, and Control Windows Vista® brings the new era of education into sharp focus. It fuses the latest advances in education technology with smart features that support creativity and control in the classroom and beyond.

It helps students and teachers be more productive than ever before. The new interface helps them concentrate on the task they want to accomplish, with fewer distractions. It’s also much easier to find misplaced or lost information thanks to Windows® Instant Search.

For school IT teams, the advantages are equally compelling. More powerful security settings and easier computer and network management in Windows Vista reduce the burden on support staff. And ensure that the benefits of technology reach the widest possible audience.

Windows Vista for Schools

Teaching, Learning, and Administration

Connecting Your CommunityKeep your school connected and help increase productivity by making it easier for your community to find, use, and share information.

Managing Your InstitutionSafeguard your school through a more

secure environment, meet standards,and protect data.

IT Management

Enhancing Your Student and Teacher ExperienceSupport an increasingly mobile, multiple-device, and collaborative learning environment.

Optimizing Your IT InfrastructureEnsure your IT infrastructure works at full

capacity and reduce the costs and complexity of deploying, managing, and working with IT.






IT Management



Knowledge Has No Limits


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Point. Click.

Restore

Never Lose Work in Progress. Always Keep Track of Critical Documents

When you’re busy meeting deadlines or completing heavy workloads, it’s easy to lose track of the correct version of a document. It can be even worse when you click “Save” at the wrong moment and store the wrong version, losing your latest work. Now, the Shadow Copy feature of Windows Vista means you can restore previous versions of documents, and even folders, with the click of a mouse. You can also create “restore points” as you are working and schedule a computer to auto-matically back up data at regular times in the day. The Backup and Restore Center gives you a simple wizard that guides you, step by step, through the back-up process. It’s quick, painless, and gives you the confidence to build, share, and revise documents and tools. Essential teaching resources are harder to lose, while administration records are always up to date and accurate. And “I accidentally deleted it” is no longer a valid excuse for handing in coursework late!

A New Era of Education

Welcome to education in the 21st century. Driven by the technology revolution, lessons are more accessible, dynamic, and interactive than ever before.

With learning no longer confined to the classroom, a new model of teaching has evolved. One where teachers and students can be connected and collaborate on assignments wherever they choose: at school, at home, or on the move.

Enhancing the Teaching Environment New technology including laptops, wireless connectivity, and multimedia is becoming more and more a part of the teaching environment.

Windows Vista supports all these resources, providing schools with a long-term platform for learning. It offers a secure, accessible environment where everyone enjoys the benefits of education, whatever their age, ability, or IT skill level.

Better Organization. Better Education

The Information You Need Is Just Seconds Away

For students and teachers, information is everything, and the growing amount of information now available electronically has only served to make it more available and accessible. But electronic files are often stored as different versions and in folders where the name bears little or no relation to what is stored inside. This makes finding information time consuming. Users want to be able to search files in the same way they search the Internet—by entering key words and getting instantaneous results. This is what the Instant Search feature of Windows Vista delivers. Simply enter key words, and files associated with these words are instantly displayed on screen, along with links to their location. You can even retrieve e-mails, computer programs, and Web links. Vista also includes the ability to add tags to documents as they are saved. The same document can be tagged according to different criteria by individual users so subject teams, teachers, and administrators can manage the same content in different ways. And the new Windows Sidebar on the desktop makes it easy to display individually tailored information, such as tasks, timetables, and e-mail.





IT Management









IT Management




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Improve Teamwork,

Motivate Students

Get Connected, Share Ideas, and review Documents

Many agree that collaboration in schools is critical to the future of education and efficient administration. But using technology to inspire students to work in groups on an ad hoc basis can be time consuming, relying on IT teams to set a workspace up. Windows Meeting Space offers small group collaboration for up to 10 users. As long as there is an Internet connection, this can take place either on or off the school network. This makes it easier for students to work with peers inside or outside the classroom, uploading files for sharing, holding interactive discussions, and collaboratively editing documents. Whether students are on school fieldtrips, at home, or working on projects with students from other schools, it’s an effective tool for developing group working skills among students, in a flexible and fun way. Similarly, teachers can use it as a way of sharing information and working with other teachers on lesson plans, timetables, or even sharing best practices with teachers from other schools. And students and teachers can use Meeting Space inside the classroom to broadcast presentations to the desktops of other users.

Accessibility for All

Windows Vista is Easy to Use, Whatever Your Ability

In schools, technology is most effective when all students can realize the benefits. In classrooms across the developed and developing world, children with mental, physical, or sensory impair-ments learn side by side with children who have no notable special requirements for learning. It’s important that children with disabilities have the same learning experience as their peers, and key to this is ensuring they can access the same ICT tools. Windows Vista offers several new features to broaden the accessibility of technology for all. Using speech recognition software, users can interact with their computer based on simple voice commands. Visually impaired students, teachers, and administrators can magnify the screen and images. They can also use a built-in “narrator” to turn text into speech so that documents can be read out loud, which is also beneficial for younger students who want to use ICT but can’t yet read. An on-screen keyboard gives users several ways to enter information using alternative input devices. And on-screen visual cues replace system sounds, while text captions are easily added to animated media and videos. These innovations mean that schools can ensure more students make the most of their educational opportunities—and that inclusion means equal chances for all.

Making New Media Easy

Welcome to the New World of Learning

Imagine a computer that is also a high-definition TV and DVD player, a digital music player, a hard drive recorder, and a movie editing suite. That’s the power of a laptop or desktop computer run-ning Windows Media Center, part of the Windows Vista operating system. As well as providing a complete “out of the box” multimedia experience, Windows Media Center makes all these appli-cations easy to use thanks to familiar interfaces and intuitive prompts that help get the most out of the software. Students and teachers can also take advantage of video and audio editing tools that encourage creativity and greater participation in the classroom. Students can upload digital movies in a matter of minutes and edit them with a soundtrack to create their first feature film. Teachers can take a similar approach to create interactive lessons that involve all their students. Digital content, such as podcasts and Webcasts can be distributed, organized, and downloaded quickly onto portable media players or laptops for reference when students are working beyond the school network. This introduces ways of learning that are not only more varied, but are synonymous with the lifestyles of students today.

access


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Windows Vista in Action

Windows Vista is Microsoft’s state-of-the-art operating system that’s designed to make everyday computing easier and safer. For more features, go to: www.microsoft.com/vista

Instant SearchSearch electronic files on your hard

drive or network in the same way you

search the Internet, with Windows

Instant Search. Simply enter key words,

and files associated with these words

are instantly displayed on screen, along

with links to their location.

Sync CenterSync Center gives users a single place

to manage data synchronization between

clients and servers and between computers

and devices. Until now, there has been no

easy way to manage these relationships for

your institution stakeholders.

AccessibilityNew features help make more computers accessible to users with

disabilities, without the need for third-party software. Functions

include speech recognition software, screen magnifier, and text-to-

voice generation.

Defender BitLocker Parental Controls


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CASE STUDYNew South Wales Department of Education, Australia

The New South Wales Department of Education and Training provides educational services to 1.2 million students at 2,600 schools and colleges across the state. It manages a fleet of around 160,000 desktop PCs that consists of many different models from a variety of vendors. Microsoft estimates that typical enterprise customers spend about U.S.$100,000 a year maintaining a single image. For an organization like the Department of Education and Training, which has to build and constantly update more than 100 separate images, this can add up to a significant amount of money. In August 2006, the department ran a pilot project to implement Windows Vista on desktop PCs and evaluate the benefits of its new management and imaging tools. The benefits included:

• Savings in management time and effort from reducing the number of images.

• Easier application deployment.

• Increased security and reliability.

• Reduced need for technical support.

• Giving students access to leading-edge technology.

“To prepare students for further education or the workforce, they need to have access to the latest technology. Windows Vista lets us provide this edge while saving us time and money in keeping it running.”

Lex Montanus, Desktop Support Manager, IT Directorate

Aero and SidebarThe new Windows Aero user experience greatly enhances clarity and

efficiency with stunning visual effects that include helpful animations,

and transparent glass menu bars that helps students and educators to

see behind their windows. Windows Sidebar helps students and educators

stay up-to-date by bringing key information directly to the desktop.

Meeting SpaceCollaborate in small groups of up to 10 people with Windows

Meeting Space, regardless of location or network connectivity. Broadcast

presentations, hold virtual tutorials, and collaboratively edit documents.

Security Windows Update

SecurityWindows Vista includes a host of new and improved

security features to help protect your school and

its users. These include Windows Defender, which

automatically safeguards computers against

pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats

caused by spyware and other unwanted software,

and Bitlocker Drive Encryption to protect hard disk

information in the event a laptop is lost or stolen.


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transformReducing the Burden on IT Resources

IT departments in schools face a unique set of challenges. Classroom networks have grown in size and complexity as online learning enters the mainstream. Laptop computers are starting to replace desktops. And security is even harder to maintain as students and teachers disconnect and then reconnect mobile devices to the school network.

As workloads mount and resourcing remains static, IT teams must find new and better ways of supporting the school.

Cut the Running Costs of IT SystemsWindows Vista contains a wealth of features that reduce the burden on IT support teams and their budgets. It’s now far easier to set up computers and networks and protect everyone from the threat of viruses and other malicious software. Powerful new administration tools make it easier to set up laptops, even to the point where they automatically configure their networking and security settings depending on the local network.

And thanks to intuitive energy saving modes like Sleep, schools can reduce the costs of running their IT systems while cutting back on carbon emissions.





IT Management









IT Management




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Reduce Deployment and Running Costs

Set Up Computers in Matter of Minutes

Imagine a school where a new computer can be installed in a matter of minutes. That’s the potential of Windows Vista. It greatly reduces the burden on IT departments and accelerates the delivery of technology to the people who need it most. Windows Vista also greatly simplifies network deployment and maintenance. Re-imaging accounts across the school is now much faster, while Windows Imaging Format means that one image to be used across all desktop and laptop computers, irrespective of the manufacturer. Windows Vista also reduces energy costs associated with running dozens of computers. Using the Sleep feature, end users can quickly switch off a computer and restart in seconds. Laptop power settings are automatically adjusted to reduce energy consumption and extend battery life. Research shows that schools running Windows Vista can cut the cost of running a single computer by up to €65 a year, saving 1/5 of a ton of carbon emissions per computer1.

1 PC Pro Lab Survey, March 2007

Faster Set-Up in the Classroom

Get More from Whiteboard and Multimedia Investments

Even in the most technologically advanced schools, too much time can be lost starting up a computer and then logging on to the network or connecting to a projector. Faced with the choice, many teachers may not use a computer when time is at a premium, so interactive whiteboards and other valuable IT assets may remain unused. If you have invested in IT, then you want to get the most out of that investment. With Windows Vista, teachers can organize their time around teaching, not their computers. Using Sleep and Hibernate modes, users can switch off a computer and restart in seconds. Windows Vista also overcomes privacy issues in the classroom. Switching to Presentation Settings mode hides e-mail pop-ups, online messages, and other personal information. It also automatically compensates for projector screen and whiteboard resolutions. The result: rapid connectivity and maximum use of whiteboards and other multimedia resources.

Securing a Safe Future for Schools

Protect Your Network from Viruses and Your Data from Theft

Laptops are great for education, but taking a computer away from school presents a number of risks to the school network and its users. Devices connected to home broadband or wireless hotspots are not under the protection of the school network and so are more vulnerable to viruses and hackers. With Windows Vista and Network Access Protection, laptops can be configured so that, when they are reconnected to the network, they are quarantined until checked for infection. Windows Vista also supports different network security settings. A laptop can be set up so its firewall is disabled when it is protected on the school’s network and activated when connected outside the school. The mobility of devices doesn’t have to mean sensitive and confidential school and student data getting into the wrong hands. Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption technology locks down the contents of a hard disk, protecting confidential information in the event a laptop is stolen. And User Account Control helps IT administrators to limit the use of portable storage devices to certain users.

Simplified Laptop Configuration

Increase the Intelligence of Mobile Devices

Windows Vista has a new Network Explorer system that makes it easy to connect laptops to different networks including wireless, local area networks, and virtual private networks. This overcomes the challenge in many schools today where different settings are required for each network connection. In much the same way, sharing of individual folders and drives can be enabled or disabled according to the location of the device. Some schools may want to prevent sharing of photos in the classroom, but allow it at home, for example. Windows Vista can be configured easily to automatically switch between home and school settings. By giving laptops a separate identity within and outside school networks, administrators and teachers can issue these mobile devices safe in the knowledge that technology is being used effectively and securely, whatever the location.

The Next Stage in the Journey

There’s never been a more exciting time to be in education, whether you’re a student, teacher, head of school, or IT administrator.

Ten years ago, it was just about possible to predict the growth in use of online networks and mobile devices in schools. But no one could have anticipated the way that this would transform the way that we teach and learn.

What’s even more startling is that the journey is far from over. We are probably only halfway through a revolutionary phase in education that will have far-reaching implications, not just for schools, but for society as a whole.

Ready for the Next Chapter?Things have moved so quickly that sometimes it’s difficult to stop and take stock of what has been achieved so far and what is to come. One thing we can safely say is that, for schools, students, and teachers to succeed, they need versatile, future-proof technology that supports change in the coming years.

Windows Vista is the perfect platform for schools that want to remain at the forefront of education in the 21st century. It keeps them in line with developments beyond the classroom and meets the expectations of students who expect technology in schools to be as intuitive and interesting as the digital content, blogs, and interactive media that dominate their world.

Windows Vista is also secure enough to protect computers and networks from the threats of today and tomorrow. And it’s easier to manage for IT administrators who save time and reduce pressure on their budgets.

There may still be a long way to go. But, with Windows Vista, your school is ideally placed to lead the way in this exciting journey that connects schools, students, parents, and teachers.


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discover

Create More Learning Opportunities

Upgrade software under your School Agreement and save.

Designed to reduce the costs associated with acquiring, upgrading, maintaining, and managing software, Microsoft Academic Licensing programs provide affordable volume-based pricing for education customers. Under a School Agreement, your school signs a one- to three-year agreement for the software products you use every day and pays a simple annual fee. Many schools already own the right to use the latest Microsoft software, including Windows Vista and the 2007 Office system, through these agreements.

All School Agreements include Software Assurance, which means you can upgrade to new versions of licensed software during the agreement term at no extra charge, so you always have access to the latest technology in the classroom.

And it’s easy and affordable to add rich educational software—such as Microsoft® Student with Encarta® Premium 2007 and Microsoft® Digital Image Suite—to your agreement. By doing so, you’ll extend the value of your existing software while making real savings on these valuable products.

For more information on Academic Licensing, go to: www.microsoft.com/education/howtobuy


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Windows Vista Ultimate

Internet Explorer® 7

Windows® Photo Gallery

Windows Movie Maker

Windows Media® Center

Windows Tablet and Touch Technology

Windows Aero™

Windows® BitLocker™

Microsoft Office 2007 Enterprise

Microsoft® Office Access 2007

Microsoft Office Excel® 2007

Microsoft Office Groove® 2007

Microsoft Office InfoPath® 2007

Microsoft Office OneNote® 2007

Microsoft Office Outlook® 2007

Microsoft Office PowerPoint® 2007

Microsoft Office Publisher 2007

Microsoft Office Word 2007

Learning Essentials

Student Templates

Teacher Templates

Surf safely with a highly secure browser.

Easily organize, edit, print, and share photos.

Import, edit, and organize digital videos of school events and burn them to DVD.

Access TV, movies, music, and pictures from one place.

Use handwriting and gestures to interact with your Tablet PC.

Enjoy a multimedia, visually dynamic 3-D desktop experience.

Prevent hackers or thieves from viewing your data.

Make more informed decisions by tracking, reporting, and sharing information across the school.

Analyze, share, and manage information with powerful tools that make administration simpler.

Create collaborative online workspaces with tools, files, and application sharing for great class projects.

Simply develop online forms with centralized forms publishing and management.

Jot ideas in electronic notebooks and organize, search, and share them easily as you work.

Send and receive e-mail, reduce spam, and manage your calendar, contacts, and tasks, saving time.

Create dynamic and impactful presentations for class or individual assessments.

Create professional-looking materials—ideal for assignments and newsletters.

Produce accurate, effective documents using powerful editing tools.

Use language, publishing, and essay-writing tutorials, plus interactive tools.

Save time with customized templates such as forms, wizards, tutorials from leading educational

publishers.

What’s Included in the Schools Agreement


© 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This document is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

Find out more about Windows Vista for Schools

To find out more about how Windows Vista can help

your school, go to: www.microsoft.com/vista