Why post-purchase support for classroom technology has changed irrevocably in 2015.

Published by Chris Ogilvie-Taylor, CEO of Marsden Grant Int on 27 January 2015

The very latest Interactive Flat Panel Displays are the big beasts of edutech. Replacing IWBs in schools across EMEA, IFPDs use technology that just a decade ago was the stuff of sci-fi. Captain Kirk’s multi-touch high definition LED control panel was a vision of the programme’s script writers but the reality is now available for daily use by teachers in classrooms everywhere. And as with cutting-edge technology in other sectors such as cars, household appliances and computing IFPDs are sealed units exhaustively bench tested before release from the factory. For this reason and because of their circuit-designed technology, repairs in the rare case of a fault are not possible. Yes, a few external components such as cables can be replaced but only the originating factory may reveal and examine the internal technology. Therefore the replacement of non-functioning IFPDs is today the only game in town. It’s not quite rocket science but it’s close enough.

And now IWBs, in their 5^th generation since inception, are also engineered as sealed technology so that similarly there’s nothing to do with a failing IWB than to replace it.

Consequently the role for localised support for technology being provided to schools in 2015 is non-existent. Teams of call-out engineers sitting around waiting for the phone to ring are no longer necessary in today’s world of edutech. Instead, in the increasingly rare case of a technical problem with our technology, schools reach a central support team each of whom has been prompted from the work of producing and assembling our IFPD and our IWB. No one on the face of this planet knows our technology better than these talented techie individuals. A small number of remote tests will be suggested by a team member followed by a diagnosis. If the problem emanates from a cable or external component, a replacement will be dispatched by DHL courier overnight. If more serious, the support team member will advise replacement of the unit. For the majority of orders placed for our CleverTouch (IFPD) or CleverBoard (IWB) we add proportionately a number of extra FOC units as spare replacements. These units are stored on a school’s site ready to replace failed displays or boards. In the extremely rare event that all spare units are used, further replacement units will be sent out from our factory during the warranty period.

This is the new paradigm of classroom technology support in 2015.