Staverton School in Wiltshire deploys a cutting-edge virtual desktop suite that increases ICT availability and reduces costs and carbon

Staverton Primary School is near Trowbridge in Wiltshire.  In August 2009 they replaced all 30 of their aging PCs and installed NComputing's X-550 virtual desktops.  Their ICT suite now runs at a fraction of the cost, power usage is down, PC maintenance is limited to just the host PCs, carbon emissions have been slashed and their never-ending-cycle of IT refresh and upgrade costs have been nipped in the bud, ensuring future proofing of the whole ICT infrastructure.

The Challenge: to provide a stable, performant ICT suite, that reduced costs, increased IT availability and reduced our carbon footprint.

The Solution: replace Staverton’s entire suite of 30 aging PCs with NComputing’s X550 Virtualised Desktop.

The Results: ICT availability has increased for the whole school. Reliability has increased and therefore so has the learning potential for the pupils. Carbon emissions are dramatically reduced and will enable Staverton to apply for their next Eco-Schools award. Costs have been reduced allowing the school to look at increasing their staffing levels in other areas.

KL Ltd: is the premier partner for NComputing in the UK and provided all the services in pre- and post-sales, including installation at Staverton Primary. KL specialises in the provision of desktop virtualisation and IT security solutions.

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Bruce Douglas, head teacher at Staverton Primary School in Wiltshire enjoys the challenge of trying out new ideas that can improve the learning environment for his pupils, and the teaching environment for his staff. When first made aware of desktop virtualisation from NComputing he immediately saw an opportunity to meet a number of school targets through deploying a technology that could make a step change in how ICT is delivered at the school.

Bruce recounts how NComputing was introduced to the school; “I was aware of thin-client technology, but was concerned about the cost and reliability. However, the principles on which it is based are very appealing. When KL approached us to discuss the NComputing virtual desktop solution, I thought that we really ought to take a look.”

NComputing “does what it says on the tin!”

“I contacted KL to arrange for a demonstration of the technology. The team there are very confident that NComputing really does deliver on the promise, and so arranged for us to have a 3 week evaluation, which KL installed and setup for us. We ran the NComputing solution to 10 desktops alongside our traditional desktop environment. The performance was at least as good as the PCs, but a lot cheaper and easier to run and manage,” continues their head teacher.

The school has now replaced all of the desktop PCs in their ICT area with the NComputing X550 solution – and the difference is dramatic. They have 30 workstations available for their pupils in one of the most environmentally friendly ICT suites in the country!

Staverton are very committed to the use of ICT in the delivery of the curriculum and the development of their pupils, and the easy and eco-friendly availability of the technology is of great importance to Bruce and his team. “We use a range of applications in different year groups, from ‘Where in the World is Barnaby Bear’ through to ‘Textease, Internet Explorer, video editing and Openoffice. NComputing is fully integrated into our infrastructure and is delivering IT seamlessly and without fuss.

In fact, the only real differences we notice are the positive ones – no noise from whirring PC cooling fans, more space on- and under- the desks as there are no more PC towers, less pupil-originated hardware problems and more time for teaching! The cost and carbon benefits will be seen clearly in our finances, environment ratings and maybe even at our next OFSTED!”

Reducing Carbon Emissions, Meeting Targets & Saving Money

Not only does the NComputing system deliver in terms of performance and usability, the devices draw only 3% of the electricity used by traditional PCs, dramatically reducing both the school’s carbon footprint and its energy bills. Over the previous five years, the cost of running 30 desktop computers to Staverton Primary has been approximately £3,000 in power alone, emitting nearly15 tonnes of carbon emissions. Had the school been running the NComputing system over the same period, the cost would have only been around £100 on power and carbon emissions would also have been reduced to less than ½ tonne; the school could have reduced their costs and carbon emissions by 97%! The units are also solid state, which means they produce virtually no heat at all, eliminating the need for air-conditioning and further reducing both energy bills and carbon emissions.

Looking to the overall environmental impact, most PCs are disposed of after three to five years, creating about 10 kg of e-waste per computer that ends up in a landfill. However, NComputing access devices weigh just 150 grams and last around 10 years, so there’s less than half a percent of the e-waste created over a 10 year period. Combined with the huge carbon emissions reductions, the deployment of NComputing’s virtual desktop is having a hugely positive impact on the environment.

So, How Does It All Work?

The NComputing solution works because today’s PCs are so powerful that the vast majority of applications only use a small fraction of the computer’s capacity. NComputing’s hardware and vSpace™ virtualisation software taps into this unused capacity so that it can be simultaneously shared by multiple pupils. Each pupil’s monitor, keyboard, and mouse connect to the shared PC through a small and very durable NComputing access device. The access device itself has no CPU, memory, or moving parts - so it’s rugged, reliable, and easy to deploy and maintain. By spreading out the cost of the shared computer, schools can provide up to five times the number of stations for the same money.

The Future?

According to Bruce, “I’m already talking with KL about introducing pods of NComputing units in each classroom so that we can further integrate ICT into the learning and teaching experience. The fact that we can do this with almost zero impact on the environment and for a price that makes it easy to fit into our stretched budgets make this technology a real no-brainer for us - and indeed every school.”