MicrosoftEDULab features Joey Charging Carts for Securing, Charging and Deploying Devices in Schools

Madrid, Spain - LocknCharge, a leading provider of innovative charging solutions for mobile devices, is pleased to announce that its Joey Charging Cart has been included as part of the MicrosoftEDULab in Madrid, Spain.

The MicrosoftEDULab is a state-of-the-art technology center dedicated to providing educators with the tools and resources they need to enhance learning experiences for their students. The lab features a range of cutting-edge technologies, including Microsoft Surface devices, interactive whiteboards, and other innovative tools designed to engage students and promote collaborative learning.

As part of its commitment to providing educators with the best possible tools and resources, the MicrosoftEDULab has selected LocknCharge's Joey Charging Carts as a recommendation for securing, charging, and deploying devices in schools.

Joey Charging Carts by LocknCharge

 

The Joey Cart is a versatile and flexible laptop or tablet trolley that can accommodate up to 30 or 40 mobile devices. The trolley features a compact, lightweight design that makes it easy to move between classrooms. They’re designed with the needs of educators in mind, offering a range of innovative features that make device management and charging simple and efficient.

The cart is easy to cable and provides a cable management system that keep cords organized and tangle-free. It features a convenient top-loading design with mobile device baskets that make it quick and easy to pass out and pack up devices, giving teachers back valuable teaching time every day.

For more information about the MicrosoftEDULab and its innovative technology center, visit the center's website.

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4 Benefits of a Secure Laptop Charging Cart for Esports Programs and How to Choose the Best One

esports in schools - team cheer

Egaming, or esports, has emerged as a popular form of entertainment among children and teenagers in recent years, with professional gaming competitions drawing millions of viewers worldwide. As a result, many schools have started to integrate esports programs into their curriculum to keep up with the changing times and to incorporate esports skills into real-world career application.

These programs range from casual after-school clubs to competitive teams that participate in tournaments and leagues. Proponents of egaming programs argue that they can improve teamwork, strategic thinking, and digital literacy among students – and because of these benefits, schools throughout the world are investing in esports programs.

IT equipment needed for esports can be very expensive and is often a barrier for schools looking to implement or expand their egaming programs – which is why a secure laptop charging solution is imperative to mitigating unexpected costs due to stolen or missing egaming devices.

Here are 4 ways a secure charging cart can help esports teams:

1. Keeps laptops safe and secure

A laptop charging cart provides a safe and secure environment for egaming teams to store and charge laptops when not in use. Laptop charging carts are often designed with durable materials that can withstand bumps, knocks, and other potential hazards during transport or storage to ensure your expensive gaming investment is protected.

2. Simplifies organization and reduces clutter

An open-concept laptop charging cart helps egaming teams stay organized by providing dedicated spaces for each laptop and other equipment. This makes it easier for team members to find laptops quickly and reduces clutter on gaming tables or in team rooms.

3. Increases productivity

With all laptops charged and ready to use, egaming teams can focus on practicing and competing instead of worrying about battery life. Charging carts enable teams to keep all their laptops in one place, reducing the need for team members to spend time searching for power outlets.

4. Offers convenient mobility

Egaming teams can easily move a secure laptop charging cart from one location to another, making it a convenient option for traveling to competitions or events. Charging carts have durable wheels and handles that make them easy to move around.

Top Features to Consider When Evaluating the Best Charging Cart for Your Esports Program

LocknCharge Carrier Charging Cart for egaming equipment

1. Open Concept, Top-Loading Cart Design

A charging cart designed to fit a specific device will limit the ability to charge other technology in the future. Open-concept designs provide ultimate flexibility to evolve as your egaming program changes and grows.

Look for carts, like the LocknCharge Joey Cart or Carrier Cart, with removable racks and baskets that can accommodate anything that “fits in the box” – eliminating the worry that you’ll be stuck with outdated charging carts as your laptop technology changes.

Plus, a top-loading design provides visibility and access to devices or accessories more quickly than a traditional shelf-style cart or cabinet.

2. Cycle Charging System for Greedy Esports Laptops

Look for Carts with power management like ECO Safe Charging, which cycles power for a specified duration to devices in groups rather than full power to all devices at once. This ensures that all laptops inside are receiving some level of charge in a shorter time without causing general electrical overload.

3. Device mobility that can go the distance

LocknCharge Carrier Charging Cart for egaming equipment

Charging carts on wheels can be an "e"game-changer for teams that travel. The mobility of a cart enables teams to load all of their technology into one container and move it wherever it's needed for play. Plus, mobile device carrying baskets provide additional mobility to allow hand out and pack-up of 5-10 devices at a time.

4. Durable, secure cart construction

Egaming and esports equipment can be very expensive, which is why a durable and secure cart is critical to protecting your investment. Choose an esports laptop charging cart with solid, steel construction and a generous warranty to maximize your budget.

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The Best Charging Stations for Multiple Devices

At LocknCharge, we are dedicated to designing and manufacturing the highest quality charging stations for multiple devices for any mobile device program.

Our mission is to make life easier for schools and organizations implementing mobile device technology for multiple devices–including tablets, laptops, iPads and MacBook devices. If your school or organization has a number of devices to maintain and manage, you know how difficult it can be to find a charging solution or management system that works.

Cords can get tangled, devices become lost or stolen, a limited number of outlets can lead to a counterintuitive technology plan and device management for broken devices is compounding. With 73% of businesses failing to find a proper charging station for their technology, these problems are more common than you may think!

Best Multiple Device Charging Stations

We’ve rounded up some of our best charging stations, smart lockers and charging carts to meet the needs of multiple device types.

1. Joey Charging Carts

Affordability meets functionality.

Joey Charging Carts by LocknCharge

Our Joey Carts are an affordable option for any school or business looking to charge multiple devices. The design of this Cart accommodates both racks and Baskets so you can charge up to 30 or 40 of just about any device with a 17” screen size.  

Not only is the cart small and compact in size, but it also takes only minutes to wire the entire Cart. Plus the power strips are now more easily accessible, so you no longer have to wrestle with tangled cords. There’s plenty to love about this cart! Check it out here.

2. FUYL Tower Smart Lockers

The FUYL Tower 15 takes device management to the next level.

The FUYL Tower 15 Smart Charging Locker is an Intelligent Asset Management System™ that charges, stores, secures and manages assets for most mobile devices in 15 individually-lockable compartments. FUYL Towers are powered by LocknCharge Cloud to remotely manage physical assets secured inside the Tower.

This smart charging locker has 15 individually-lockable compartments, each equipped with a power outlet and a 2.4 amp USB port. You can manage almost any device, including iPads, tablets, laptops, mobile phones, Chromebooks and more. Learn more about the FUYL Tower Smart Locker here.

3. Carrier Charging Carts

Carrier 20, 30 and 40 Carts provide ultimate security and durability.

Secure, efficient and a future-proofed, Carrier 20, 30 and 40 Carts sound almost too good to be true, right? Well, these Carts live up to the task. With the option for either racks or baskets, Carrier Carts accommodate almost any device up to 17”. Remove the racks or baskets to create an open-concept design that can also hold other technology such as robotics, printers, drones and more.

Our Baskets by LocknCharge hold five devices and make device deployment quick and easy. The top-loading design ensures easy access to devices–no more bending down to gather devices on a bottom shelf. And with cabling stored in the bottom of the Cart, power bricks and cords stay organized and will never go missing. Learn more about Carrier Carts here.

4. Revolution 32 Charging Cabinet

Charge a greater number of devices in a small footprint.

This charging cabinet can accommodate 32 devices up to 17 inches, with or without a case while taking up 50% less floor space than a traditional charging cart.

For 1:1 classrooms that are tight on space but need to charge, store and secure a greater amount of devices, the Revolution 32 Charging Cabinet is just the ticket. And with ECO Safe Charge Power Management, you can easily charge 32 devices in the same amount of time as just one. Learn more here.

5. Carrier Charging Stations

Carrying you to better charging solutions, one station at a time.

Limited on space? No worries - with our Carrier Charging Stations, you can make any wall or desk a secure charging station for anywhere from 10 to 15 devices.

This charging station for multiple devices also comes equipped with Baskets, making deployment of devices up to 15” faster and easier. And for devices up to 17”, swap the Baskets for Racks to easily accommodate larger devices. Still not convinced? Charge your devices while they’re safely locked, giving you back classroom and work time. Check out the station here.

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10 Tips for Maximizing your School’s Time and Tech Budget in 2023

The Current State of Education

Educators are still reeling from the impact of the pandemic, and staffing shortages in schools are causing disruptions to the education sector throughout the world. In the UK, trainee recruitment was reported to be down by 25,000 compared to 2021. In Australia there is an ‘exodus’ from the profession. While in the US, some districts are reporting ‘catastrophic’ teacher shortages. This shortage places greater reliance on retained teaching staff as well as technology to keep the curriculum on track.

Spending on educational technology increased significantly during the epidemic. Estimates suggest spending in the US could have peaked at as much as $56 billion, but in an economic climate of rising inflation and interest rates, budgets are almost certainly going to shrink.

This poses two significant questions for school administrators:

1. How to manage a shrinking tech budget when schools have become dependent on the solutions tech provides.

2. How to improve processes and find inefficiencies in your tech stack when time and attention is consumed by “keeping the boat afloat”.

In an environment where time has become an equally scarce resource to funding, small improvements to process or resource allocation can often make a big impact.

For over 20 years, LocknCharge has listened to and come to understand many of the challenges that educators, tech teams and administrators are facing when implementing or managing technology in their schools. We have aggregated 10 ideas – derived from our conversations with customers, partners, resellers, edtech software and hardware companies and countless others – to help you make the most of your limited time and technology budget.

Top 10 tips to help make the most of limited time and technology budget 

1. Let credible organizations vet your education tech for you.

What could be better than taking the time and legwork out of evaluating edtech solutions? Leveraging experienced professionals to do it for you. The team behind Edtech Evidence Exchange is made up of non-affiliated ex-teachers and researchers who document insights that help PK-12 classrooms uncover which edtech tools are working and why.

Their research shows: “Educators estimate that 85% of edtech tools are poor fits or poorly implemented.” Which is why they support decision makers and offer a variety of services to help educators make better-informed choices – which leads to a better use of resources.

2. Start a student-led help desk.

Starting a student-led help desk is a win-win for students and schools. These programs encourage students to engage with the software and hardware they are using to learn but from an IT perspective. The result is that the school benefits from a cost-effective, home-grown IT resource, the student is empowered to nurture an interest that could develop into a future career, and the IT industry develops a pipeline of potential talent.

Dell Technologies is investing in the Dell Student TechCrew program which supports schools with their student-led help desk initiative. As part of this program, some schools are also implementing Smart Lockers as a total device management solution for tech teams in schools. Smart Lockers offer students the opportunity to write webhooks, software integrations and more – while providing a better way to get devices into the hands of end users.

3. Use other schools as a resource.

Engaging with schools that share the same challenges around resource allocation, tech investments and hardware/software management can often provide a shortcut to finding the best tech solutions. Sharing experiences and effective outcomes is a free resource which comes with the added benefits of peer endorsement and real-world case studies.

Take note of the edtech tools you’re using, and look for programs or user groups focused on enhancing those resources. For example, Ribblesdale High School the UK is a Microsoft showcase school. They are dedicated to helping other schools around the world maximize Office 365 and the accessibility tools used to support teaching and learning.

4. Leverage relationships with reseller reps and vendors.

When it comes to ground-floor insight, your reseller reps and vendors can offer access to a wider network of both business and IT expertise. They can provide you with connections to schools in their network with similar challenges or to the right partners who have the best solution to your problem. In a competitive marketplace, most vendors will be adding value to their offer by providing supplementary services that complement their products. By using reseller reps and vendors as a resource, educators have access to a broad range of experience with products, support and implementation.

5. Invest in automation.

Automation is not only at the forefront of tech development – but is at the center of saving administrators’ significant time. Consider the incremental benefits automation software can provide for student onboarding, grading, scheduling classes, and much more.

This concept stretches to edtech hardware, too. Imagine onboarding daily substitute teachers with an automated process using smart charging lockers. Student or teacher onboarding throughout the school year can be streamlined in the same fashion.

Or envision an automated broken device exchange program where students can replace their broken device with a loaner in just seconds, without IT oversight.

6. Select flexible, forward-thinking software and hardware.

Administrators take great responsibility for the purchases they make, which is why future-proof technology is central to astute edtech selection. Choosing the right software and hardware can save endless hours and dollars if compatible with systems of the future.

For example, Google classroom can be integrated with free educational apps that extend the platform’s capabilities.

Integrations can also enable cloud-connected hardware solutions such as Smart Lockers to automate mobile device management with the least amount of friction possible – providing time saving for IT teams and devices users alike. With easy-to-use, open API, tech teams can maximize their investments by seamlessly integrating software, such as a help desk ticketing system, to get the most out of each individual component.

7. Outsource IT where it makes sense.

It is not just teaching staff that are at a premium and under time pressure within education settings. IT teams are equally stretched, so considering an outsourced IT capability might make perfect sense. Finding a suitable partner is not as difficult as it may seem – as some resellers offer ‘white glove’ services, making it easier for you to get tech up and running in your schools. This can include imaging devices, cabling carts or stations, hardware installation, asset tagging and more.

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) offer end-to-end implementation services – all under one roof. Consolidating services to one provider brings tech expertise, flexibility, security and crucially – cost efficiencies.

8. Simplify and streamline your device management processes.

A centralized approach to managing devices allows teachers and administration to have confidence that hardware is accessible and ready to go when needed. Laptops and tablets that are updated, charged and securely stored ensure classes run seamlessly, even when a student’s device is forgotten, lost or broken. Loaner devices can be centrally stored and managed inside LocknCharge’s FUYL Tower Smart Lockers powered by LocknCharge Cloud.

Including device management protocol as part of teacher on-boarding ensures students aren’t missing out on lessons simply because they don’t have a working device.

9. Stay ahead of the storm by repurposing already-available resources.

It is difficult to predict adversities such as teacher shortages, but it is almost guaranteed that staffing issues will be a problem during the 2023 academic year.

Using tech to mitigate the impact of these absences maximizes the investment made in the technology. Consolidating lesson plans, onboarding processes and teaching resources onto platforms and apps that can be shared with substitutes – and remotely imaged onto mobile devices – has immediate benefits to staff and students alike.

Remote learning was not the ideal environment for many students, but remote teaching methods that were refined during that time can be transferred to in-person learning. One innovative computing teacher found his recorded lessons created during remote learning work well for cover lessons. Now a cover teacher or sub can keep his students on-track even in his absence.

10. Invest in modernization.

Keeping legacy tech as long as possible may be driven by budget constraint, but the continued use of out-of-date systems requires more time (and money) to keep them viable. For example – shifting from desktop software to subscription-based, cloud software ensures students are working in the most up-to-date programs. Automatic security patches are also critical to keep student data and school networks secure.

As a general rule – modernization of software, hardware and IT infrastructure are key steps in future-proofing a technology strategy.

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5 Best iPad Charging Stations and Carts for Classrooms & Businesses

If your organization owns iPads for students or staff to complete their work, then you need a simple (and secure) way to store, charge, and distribute the devices. A high-quality storage system like an iPad classroom charging station or an iPad charging cart can solve this need.

Nothing hinders learning like grabbing an iPad, only to find that it isn’t fully charged. A high-quality iPad classroom charging station or cart lets your school safely store and charge iPads and transport them from one classroom to another.

When it comes to productivity in a business setting, an uncharged iPad device can have serious downstream consequences. Consider cost of the employee's downtime as well as a potential a lost sale due to a device that isn't working when needed.

Choosing the best iPad cart or best iPad charging station for your school or business depends on many factors, such as how many iPads you need to store at once and if device portability is important to your workflow.

At LocknCharge, we make iPad charging carts for schools and businesses as well as iPad classroom charging stations or office charging stations to meet a wide variety of needs.

5 Best iPad Charging Station Solutions for Schools and Businesses

1. iQ 10 Charging Station

  • Compatibility: iPad and tablet devices
  • Capacity: 10 devices

The iQ 10 Charging Station lets you charge, store, and secure up to 10 iPad, iPad Air, iPad Mini, or other tablet devices in a compact unit that can be mounted on a desk or wall.

A feature that is unique to LocknCharge iPad carts and charging stations is that the devices are stored in baskets of five devices each, making device distribution easy for teachers and students.

Welded steel construction and a hardened steel padlock protect your iPad devices while they’re not in use, and the product comes with a lifetime warranty.

2. Putnam Charging Station

  • Compatibility: iPad, tablet or cell phone devices
  • Capacity: 8 or 16 devices

Designed to charge, store, and secure up to 8 or 16 iPads or tablets, the Putnam Charging Station is a wall-mounted or stackable charging locker that features color-coded LED displays so you know when your devices are charged.

The Putnam Charging Station comes equipped with 8 or 16 MFi-approved Lightning cables, supplying 2.4 amp charging at each port. The cables are the perfect length for quickly plugging in devices after use. Cables are also integrated into the station so they don't sprout legs and wander off.

Welded steel construction makes the unit ultra secure, and it comes with a lifetime warranty. A built-in mechanical combination lock means there are no keys to worry about, and a master override key is included in case the combination is forgotten.

3. Joey Charging Cart

  • Compatibility: iPad, tablet, MacBook or laptop devices
  • Capacity: 30 devices

The Joey 30 or 40 Carts is one of our most popular universal charging cart solutions for tablets and laptops. The open concept design can accommodate a wide variety of devices, including iPad, iPad Pro or MacBook devices. The Joey Charging Cart features access to up to 30 devices from the top, with a "tool box" tray that lifts out so cables are accessible when needed. It also comes with Large baskets by LocknCharge for easy device distribution.

4. Carrier Charging Stations

  • Compatibility: iPad, tablet, MacBook or laptop devices
  • Capacity: 10 or 15 devices

Carrier Charging Stations lets you charge, store and secure 10 or 15 of almost any device including iPads, iPad Pros, and MacBooks. Removable baskets can be swapped with wire racks to accommodate devices up to 17″. The steel construction and heavy-duty lock make this charging station ultra secure.

The Carrier iPad Charging Station can easily be mounted to the wall, taking up minimal space. And since the cables and bricks are stored in a separate compartment, you’ll never need to worry about missing or tangled cords.

5. CarryOn Portable Charging Station

  • Compatibility: iPad and tablet devices
  • Capacity: 5 devices

The first iPad cart or charging station designed to be ultra-portable, the CarryOn allows you to charge, store, and transport up to five iPad or tablet devices using a sleek carrier the size of a briefcase.

The CarryOn can store tablets with screen sizes up to 10 inches, with or without cases. Its aluminum outer shell makes it both lightweight (5.5 pounds) and durable, protecting the devices inside. The transparent acrylic door lets you quickly see that all devices are there, while the impact-resistant alloy edging gives it a classy look. The CarryOn’s door includes a keyed lock to keep devices safe, and a wall mount kit lets you use it as a cabinet as well.

Ready to find out more?

Drop us a line today for a free quote!

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