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Google’s operating system is simple to use, easy to manage and offers incredible value.

Chrome OS is built on the back of the Chrome Browser by Google. It is simple to use, easy to manage across multiple devices, and reasonably priced; as well as being packed with additional benefits for education.

Is Chrome the OS for you?

Each organisation is individual and therefore will have different needs and choosing the right operating system (OS) for you is essential to getting the most from your investment. Before you do anything, it’s important to prioritise what you want from your OS, then you can look at how Chrome OS can meet those requirements. Do the features of Chrome OS match up to the needs of your students?

Simple to use and easy to maintain

Chrome OS is a lightweight operating system that requires minimal hardware specifications. This means the computer is able to boot up faster and run smoothly without requiring investment in high-end equipment. The teacher can have the class set up and learning in record time.

Another benefit of Chrome OS is how simple and quick it is to be up and running, and ready to learn. Open the device, log in with your password and you’re ready to start the lesson.

Google updates the OS regularly and automatically which means that you don’t have to worry about installing updates yourself. This makes general maintenance almost hassle-free compared with some other less agile operating systems.

In terms of security, Chrome OS also has a built-in anti-virus protection so your data and devices are protected from the potential threat of a virus.

Reasonably priced

Google developed Chrome OS with affordability in mind, and due to the minimal hardware requirements of running the OS, this allows the price of the devices to be low.

Chrome OS has thousands of free and paid apps across the Chrome Web Store. Everything from productivity and collaboration, to communication applications are available and ready to download for free.

If price is a key point for you in the decision for your OS, then Chrome may be suitable for you, offering a lightweight and low maintenance system.

Easy device management with Google Classroom

Classroom is very easy to set-up and can make lessons much easier to get started. Teachers can set up a class and invite students to join right away. In Classroom, they can share information such as assignments and feedback or class announcements directly to the students.

This means that time usually spent setting up or distributing work for students is decreased as this can be sent to a student’s device instead of being handed out on paper, and they are able to communicate via the devices too. It provides an organised and centralised tool for the classroom, reducing the need for pen and paper, and creating a more collaborative learning experience for the students.

60 million students and teachers already use
G Suite for Education1

G Suite

Another excellent benefit of Chrome OS is the wide range of free educational apps available to users in G Suite, formerly known as Google Apps for Education.

If you have previously used other systems and programs such as Office 365, then don’t worry as Chrome OS offers web-based alternatives. You can use Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, and as they are online it means your students can collaborate with their peers and even their teachers, in real-time.

Google Sites allows students and teachers to create their own websites, without necessarily needing to know how to code.

7 out of 8 Ivy League Universities use G Suite for Education1

This can be used by students to create their own blogs or portfolios, and teachers can create webpages for their classes, or for extracurricular activities or clubs.

There are also back-up features with Google Vault, that mean if students or teachers accidentally delete files, then it can be recovered very quickly with ease.

Overall G Suite offers a very secure, simple and efficient hub for education organisations that can make the classroom a more collaborative learning environment for students. As well as reduce the stress and time of setting up classes or distributing activities to students so that more time can be spent focusing on their teaching and student interaction.

60 million students teachers and administrators use G Suite to learn and work together. They’ve moved across to Chromebooks for security. But others are equally worried about the data that could be stored, you don't need to be. Google doesn't own school or student data or sell G Suite data to third parties.2 Plus, there are no ads in any of the G Suite core service tools3 so you don't need to worry about your students being distracted.4

The built-in security Chromebooks provides multiple layers of virus protection at an operating system and browser level. Your students can even lend their Chromebook out in Guest Mode to people to help keep their files protected.

Chromebooks are easy to deploy, manage and track with Google’s optional Chromebook Management Console.5 It’ll help you control access to the network, apps, and websites to help reduce start-up time and increase security. Get the right features and apps to the right people by setting up user groups to apply specific policies, deliver apps, and customise settings for users to make sure your students have the right tools to succeed.6

What hardware options are available?

So you’ve found that Chrome could be the right OS for you, now you need to know which hardware you are able to purchase with the Chrome OS pre-installed. Choosing the correct computer can be just as important as choosing the operating system.

Chromebooks are the main device that Chrome OS is compatible with as they come with the OS pre-installed and generally it cannot be downloaded and installed.

A Chromebook is a low-cost laptop that has been designed to be primarily used while connected to the internet. As a result of this the actual device is very lightweight and this has the benefit that they start up in seconds and their battery life can be very long, many offering over 10 hours battery life. As they are designed for online use, this also means that all of your files are backed up to the cloud rather than an actual device for added security, and they have built-in virus protection so you can be assured that your data is safe.

If you would like more information and a look at some of the Chromebooks that we offer then please see our website.

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Contact our Education IT Specialists:
0870 429 3020
btbd.publicsector@bt.com

View things you need to know

  1. Source: Google, G Suite for Education: Privacy & Security.pdf
  2. Google don’t sell your G Suite data to third parties, and don't share personal information placed in their systems with third parties, except in the few exceptional circumstances described in the G Suite agreement https://www.google.com/work/apps/terms/education_privacy.html and their Privacy Policy https://www.google.com/policies/privacy such as when you ask them to share it or when they're required to do so by law.
  3. Google see their core services as Gmail (including Inbox by Gmail), Calendar, Classroom, Contacts, Drive, Docs, Forms, Groups, Sheets, Sites, Slides, Talk/Hangouts and Vault.
  4. Google see their core services as Gmail (including Inbox by Gmail), Calendar, Classroom, Contacts, Drive, Docs, Forms, Groups, Sheets, Sites, Slides, Talk/Hangouts and Vault.4. Additional Google services may show ads, as described in the G Suite Privacy Notice. https://www.google.com/work/apps/terms/education_privacy.html Please note that there are additional services outside of the G Suite core services that G Suite users can access. These services aren't governed by the Student Privacy Pledge or the G Suite agreement, so Google may use student data in ways they wouldn't for G Suite core services. For example, additional services may serve ads, and Google may use student data in these additional services on an anonymous, aggregate basis to improve their services. For G Suite users of Primary and Secondary age (KS 1-4), Google does not use any user personal information or any information associated with a Google Account to target adverts.
  5. Sold separately or as an optional feature
  6. Actually battery life will vary and the maximum capacity of the battery will naturally decrease with time and usage.
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