As technology enthusiasts, we understand the role technology plays in moving the world forward. When it intersects with education, it truly lays the foundation for future generations. Studies have shown that schools with technology rich environments boast impressive outcomes for students, including higher morale and higher test scores. However, many schools find it difficult to increase access to technology for students with constrained budgets and resources.

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The i21

The San Diego Unified School District is no exception – a district invested in providing technology-rich education as well as remaining budget conscious. What makes their story extraordinary is how the school district remained committed to bringing modern technology to the classroom through a state-funded proposition called the 21st Century Classroom Initiative (i21).

Even with i21, the school district was working within a very strict and limited budget and it needed a cost effective solution to in order to upgrade its computers. With Windows 7 and other Microsoft technologies, the school district was able to implement netbooks for students and tablet PCs for teachers across the district.

Windows 7 Worth the Investment

After completing the first year of its rollout, the school district is excited about the benefits it’s already seeing with Windows 7. Without adding any additional IT resources, the existing IT staff was able to deploy 34,800 computers in the first year of their Windows 7 upgrade plan, and will eventually support 140,000 computers. In the past, the San Diego Unified School District had only supported 6,000 computers in their environment, but Windows 7 business benefits are allowing them to dramatically scale their technology program despite budget pressures.

Windows 7 PCs are enriching the learning environment and classroom experience for students. The school district also believes that improved performance directly ties to improved learning outcomes for students.

Now is the time for schools, organizations and businesses alike to seize the opportunity and strengthen their technology investments. You’ll be able to accomplish so much more with the same, or even fewer funds!

For more details about the San Diego Unified School District’s Windows 7 Enterprise and Internet Explorer 8 deployment, their case study is available here. For more enterprise customer case studies visit our Windows Enterprise site. For Windows 7 IT pro information, visit the Springboard Series on TechNet - the destination for Windows desktop IT professionals to Discover & Explore, Pilot & Deploy and Manage Windows 7.