www.sphere3d.com Sphere 3D Application Containerization for Educational Institutions Overview Students today have grown accustomed to using their mobile devices to maximize their learning potential. However, many academic institutions are having a difficult time providing students with readily available access to course information and learning tools across the plethora of mobile and stationary devices, and operating systems that are in use today. Sphere 3D solves these challenges with application containerization powered by our Glassware 2.0™ technology. Glassware 2.0 containerization empowers educational institutions to easily and cost-effectively deliver important academic applications across a broad array of portable devices to better support personalized learning, digital education and online testing. The solution scales across our turnkey G-Series GW2000 appliance, our G-Series Cloud virtual appliance for Microsoft Azure and our Exosphere solution which is designed for broadly distributed and scalable campus-wide deployment. We tried traditional virtualization techniques but the specific applications we needed wouldn’t migrate or scale. With Glassware 2.0, we quickly and easily virtualized the applications we needed and future proofed our investment in Chromebooks for our students. Having the ability to securely deliver Windows-based applications across multiple platforms allows us to plan around our own technology roadmap instead of relying on multiple software vendors to release compatible versions or maintain support for existing versions already in use by our schools.” Each new semester brings new challenges to educational institution IT departments. Both K-12 and higher education have varying computing agendas, yet they both share the goals of improving operational efficiency and the overall academic experience. Gone are the days of simply keeping the lights on; IT departments are now seeking to provide a rewarding computing experience to students and educators. This is not a simple task though as the average student now owns three or more mobile devices and they desire anywhere, anytime access to education resources. Alternative virtualization and mobility solutions aren’t economically viable or scalable as they require back-end infrastructure in order to securely deliver application services to mobile devices. Also, many education applications are simply too robust for the compute power of thin-client devices, or they require the use of various plugins, Java and/or Flash software which create security vulnerabilities. The good news is, Sphere 3D offers a superior approach! Sphere 3D’s turnkey solution bundle enables schools to cost-effectively virtualize and deliver the Pearson TestNav 7.5 application to students using Google Chromebooks. (Pearson delivers millions of online tests to students annually as part of its work with statewide and national assessment programs.) The solution is powered by the Sphere 3D G-Series hyperconverged appliance for secure and simple delivery of client applications to any mobile or desktop device. The benefits of the Sphere 3D Pearson TestNav 7.5 Bundle include: • Extend the life of legacy 16-, 32- and 64-bit Microsoft Windows applications • Single server solution: just connect to in-school local area network • Containerize applications in minutes using wizard based install process • Fully certified with Pearson TestNav 7.5 using Google Chromebook A complete end-to-end solution for bringing mobilized, modernized and personalized learning, education and online testing to students and educators The Changing Technology Landscape for Education IT Sphere 3D mobilizes applications for students and faculty on any device and on any cloud. - Dustin Hardin, Director of Technology of New Caney ISD The Sphere 3D Solution for Modern Application Delivery Sphere 3D’s Glassware 2.0™ technology is tailored to support one-to-one programs for optimizing and simplifying application delivery to any mobile or desktop device. Glassware 2.0 does not require the full desktop OS to run on the server. Instead, containers provide abstraction from the underlying desktop OS allowing applications to be seamlessly and securely delivered to almost all endpoint devices without any code changes. This proprietary technology allows for a Glassware 2.0 server to deliver up to 5x the performance of traditional workspace virtualization systems. Sphere 3D’s Glassware 2.0 is available today as an all-in-one hyper-converged infrastructure appliance (G-Series GW2000), as a service from within the Microsoft Azure cloud (G-Series Cloud), or as an end-to-end globally distributed campus-wide solution (Exosphere). Sphere 3D is changing the game when it comes to enabling education IT departments to rethink how they provide students with an enhanced and immediate learning experience from anywhere, anytime and on any device. Pearson TestNav 7.5 Uses Case Key Highlights • Mobilize your students and faculty on any device • Containerize current and legacy education applications • Reduce IT support and help desk costs • Eliminate end point security risks • Rapidly deploy through an on premise or virtual appliance • Expand campus wide through hybrid cloud