The learning experience of your students and the teaching experience of your staff are paramount when it comes to getting the results needed to meet Ofsted’s standards – and attracting new students and parents.

As a country we fare quite well, with the second greatest education standards in Europe according to the BBC. IT forms a core part of this success, supporting teaching and learning outcomes.

70% of schools use interactive whiteboards, and most students now depend on PCs, laptops or tablets for schoolwork and homework. Such technologies have been proven to significantly improve student achievement, especially in maths and science, enhancing their learning and even reducing planning time for teachers.

Unfortunately, research has revealed that up to 10% of teaching time is lost due to inadequate IT – which directly impacts students’ learning experience.

Realising the impact and importance of technology, educational establishment leaders reserve a quarter of their budgets for IT. However, some schools get more value from their IT than others, and one way to do this is through ethical IT leasing and lifecycle management.

Source better IT simply and flexibly

Our ethical approach to IT leasing, with expert financial assistance should you need it, gives you full visibility of all the terms of your lease so that you know exactly how much you’ll be paying and over what period of time – with no hidden surprises. Leasing IT helps to avoid unnecessary large impacts on your capital budget. Depending on the type of equipment you need, leasing can be cheaper than buying it outright.

We’ll provide you with state-of-the-art technology and refresh it regularly to ensure your school has up to date working equipment to optimise teaching time and learning experience, and make your school more attractive to prospective students and parents.

Supporting the circular economy

If you have old or disused IT lying around, we could also take that away for you – and even pay you for it. We are committed to supporting the circular economy, which seeks to minimise the consumption of finite resources. We aim to refurbish and re-sell as much as 95% of the IT devices returned to us – returning hardware to landfill is a last resort. When we recycle or dispose of equipment, we provide certification to guarantee that all data is wiped securely.

Why 3 Step IT?

• We work with multiple educational providers, and we know which kind of technologies deliver the best learning outcomes
• We pride ourselves on our ethical, transparent approach to leasing
• Because we support the circular economy, we have access to cheaper, high quality refurbished equipment which we can lease to you at a lower price
• We will manage the lifecycle of your IT for you, ensuring optimal performance and up to date licensing
• We will provide regular equipment refreshes
• We will securely dispose of old equipment

Are your teachers and students getting the most out of your current IT provision?

Contact us to learn more about how we can help you source your school’s IT more cost effectively.

As ongoing digitalisation continues to transform our society, new technologies and tools will replace, even upend, traditional ways of working – from data management to customer service, communications and learning.

Businesses must keep up with the developments, however it is also vital for non-profit organisations to seize the possibilities new technology offers. When you are planning on acquiring new technology, it is always worth listening to expert advice. A useful way to assess your technology needs and acquisitions is to pose three questions: when, where and why?

But what is the most sensible way to acquire new technology? The sharing economy is on the rise. As a result, the traditional purchasing model has been challenged and more and more organisations are opting for access over ownership. The Device as a Service trend is emerging in the corporate as well as in the public sectors. Many organisations are moving away from purchasing and towards leasing IT devices and other movables.

Comparing finance offers – What to consider?

Leasing technology starts from requesting financing offers from different providers and comparing them. The key is to ensure that the offers you have received are comparable. As well as conducting a financial analysis, it is also important to assess how the service provider carries out their service. For example:

1. What exactly does the monthly fee in the financing offer include?
2. What kind of assumed residual value is applied to the offer?
3. What kind of tools does the provider offer for control during usage?
4. What kind of tools or services does the provider offer for the end of the lease period?
5. How do you return the equipment – cost and process?
6. How does the lessor ensure secure disposal of data for the returned devices and how is the data sanitisation carried out?

At 3 Step IT, we have 20 years of experience in offering IT equipment as a service responsibly. As well as superior customer service, we offer our clients financing with best-practice yearly limits and a highly advanced asset register with comprehensive reporting functions for IT and Finance. To learn more, contact us today.

Legal Support Network surveyed legal firms and they couldn’t have been clearer.

When it comes to impact on a firm’s efficiency and competitiveness machine learning, AI and mobility and agility wiped the floor with other areas.

If we focus on mobility and agility, let’s consider the following areas:

• How mobile/agile are firms today?
• Why is a mobile and agile workforce important for legal firms?
• What benefits will a mobile and agile workforce gain?
• What challenges will a mobile and agile workforce present?

When Microsoft and Legal Week surveyed legal professionals, the results spoke volumes:

• 64% said it was difficult to work to the same standard remotely, due to the lack of portable devices
• Only 20% said their firm equipped them with the right technology to work seamlessly remotely
• 86% said they still use a pen and paper to complete work

These two pieces of research are fascinating. On the one hand legal firms have clearly identified mobile/agile working as a core focus. While on the other hand, professionals say that their ability to be mobile and agile is being hindered.

There is also a deeply entrenched working culture of pen and paper, which prevents firms from embracing technology. This will simply have to change as competition from more agile, tech-savvy competitors stiffens.

New players are well equipped to meet changing expectations of clients, who want a rapid, responsive service, and to see firms use technology in innovative ways. Legal IT Consultant – Neil Cameron said in Legal Week ‘‘It’s one of the most important factors that clients think about when they’re picking a law firm: how does this law firm collaborate with us? How are they using technology?’’

It’s not only the improvement in services to clients that mobile and agile working delivers. Firms who equip their employees with the technology they need to work remotely, will find they are better positioned to attract and retain employees. This point is particularly pertinent as legal firms try to recruit millennials. Cameron says “These employees are wondering why it isn’t as good to use the technology in the office as it is at home.” And these young employees will expect and demand to work in fluid environments, where they can be flexible and mobile. Firms who can provide that fluid environment, will meet those expectations; be seen as a more attractive employer; find it easier to retain staff; and probably improve the service they offer their clients too.

However, as with all change, a mobile and agile workforce presents challenges:

• Data security – a worrying trend of Bring Your Own Device in the legal sector means a loss of control for firms. How do you control what’s on those devices, especially with new data protection regulations around the corner? How do you protect those devices? And do employees want IT tampering with their personal devices?
• Performance and reliability – as mobile working becomes the new norm, how do firms ensure the devices are performing at the optimum level? Those devices need to be reliable, otherwise they hinder rather than help the mobility initiative. 
• Cost management – a proliferation of devices, has inevitable cost implications. How should firms manage growing IT costs? How can they ensure predictable IT costs in the future?

Firms who adopt a life cycle approach to IT, can more easily manage the challenges associated with a mobile and agile workforce. The life cycle approach is designed to improve the way firms acquire, manage and replace their IT.

Regularly refreshed devices not only provide a better service, they reduce the total cost of providing that service as well.

Learn more here.