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Capitalizing on Business Opportunities in K-12

Are you taking advantage of the $16 billion opportunity in K-12? The Common Core, ConnectED and Microsoft's Shape the Future initiatives have created huge sales opportunities in the K-12 market. Over the next 5+ years, schools need to become compliant with government-mandated programs, giving you a $16 billon opportunity to sell and set-up Chromebooks, notebooks, and tablets, as well as the accessories and secure networking that goes along with them. Join Larry Staub, Director of the Education Division at D&H Distributing, as he discusses these opportunities and explains your chance to capitalize on this once-in-a-decade opportunity.

Resources

Downloads:

dandh.com Resources:

K-12 Opportunity Resources:

Webcast Q&A

Q: Will Office 365 Education A2 be Free? I heard this was part of Common Core.
A: Microsoft is offering Office 365 for free to students to schools that have a current license in place for their faculty and staff.

Q: What about the rebate on OEM versions of the OS already installed on hardware purchased?
A: Microsoft's Shape the Future program that allows OEM's (hardware manufacturers) to discount the operating system down to $1 is on new part #'s so Microsoft can track easily track the success of the program. Even if an OEM uses a current configuration in their line-up on products they have to assign a new part number to it so it can be tracked in the program.

Q: Will D&H have easy-to-find SKUs for Chromebook™-specific protective cases and headphones?
A: As manufacturers announce protective cases for the more popular Chromebooks, D&H will add them to our "Focus SKUs" on our K12 Opportunity Page at dandh.com/K12.

Q: This is good stuff. Do you have any marketing material that we can re-brand and send to our school prospects? Are you open to joint marketing campaigns or providing MDF?
A: Through our Partner Services program. D&H has already produced two marketing templates that can be used for free. These marketing pieces allow you to put your companies name, logo and contact info on them and present to your customers as your own marketing collateral.

Q: What is the typical profit margin we can expect from a K12 bid?
A: Margins on hardware are very slim. To increase margin you will need to attach add-ons to the hardware sale.

Q: I recently provided Lenovo product to a school district. After delivery my school district client inquired to me about some sort of $70 per computer rebate from Microsoft under the new Shape The Future program. They were informed of this eligibility from the State. How do I get this for them?
A: The Shape the Future program is on new hardware (see earlier question about Shape the Future SKUs). I'm not aware of Microsoft offering the rebated operating system on non-specific Shape the Future SKUs.

Q: Any word on the availability of remote-control of Chromebook™? Not configuration, but screen sharing of the Chromebook™, like Terminal Service Console on Windows® 7/8.
A: D&H will be able to offer Google Console in the coming months. Stay tuned for further updates. There are currently 3rd party Remote Desktop Apps available on the Chrome™ Web Store.

Q: Politics is playing a role in how or if schools will take advantage of these programs. Any understanding of how it affects these opportunities?
A: 45 of 50 states have adopted the Common Core program. Microsoft's Shape the Future program is available to all "public" schools in the USA. The Shape the Future program is not being offered to "private or charter" schools.

Q: If we are already certified to sell the Google Management piece (which is awesome by the way) will we need to get re-certified again with D&H?
A: As we get set-up with Google and are able to offer Google Console in the coming months we will have further clarification on this.

Q: Is the Microsoft Office 365 Education offer for public schools only or does it also apply to private schools?
A: Microsoft's Shape the Future program is available to all "public" schools in the USA. The Shape the Future program is not being offered to "private or charter" schools.

Q: How well does Office 365 run on Chrome™? Any compatibility issues that faculty should be concerned about?
A: Office 365 runs very well on Chrome.

Q: How much does it cost the school to get a license agreement that will lead to free Office 365 for students?
A: Microsoft has a tiered pricing program for Office 365 licensing. The larger the number of licenses needed the more aggressive the pricing is. Our License Desk personnel can help you with pricing quotes.

Q: Will you be offering any type of services that we can position which will train the teachers how to best use Chromebook™ in the classroom? Or working with any 3rd party?
A: As we finalize our partnership with Google we have more details on services that D&H is pursuing.

Q: Speaking of headphones with Chromebook™, as a headphones provider to many districts around the country, we've been advised Google Chromebooks require headphones with an external volume control because once the student begins the test, the internal volume control is recognized as an invalid function and shuts the test down. Do you know if this is going to be corrected before the test rolls next year?
A: As we finalize our partnership with Google we will have more details as to any updates they plan to roll-out. As of right not I am not aware of a fix to this issue.

Q: Do you know if charter schools are considered "public schools"?
A: Charter schools are not considered public schools in Microsoft's Shape the Future program.

Q: I plan on attending the D&H show in Hershey this summer, will you have these products on display?
A: D&H will have a large showcase around K12 products at the Hershey Show in June. There will also be many vendors in attendance that have K12 focus products they will be showing in their individual booths.

Q: How soon will the Chromebook™ Management Console be available at D&H?
A: D&H will be able to offer Google Console in the coming months. Stay tuned for further updates.

Q: Where is the template for marketing material for the program in general? I found the one for the Chromebook™ but we would like the opportunity to pitch everything to our potential schools.
A: Visit dandh.com/partnerservices to find and download our K-12 and Chromebook™ related marketing templates.

Q: Do you currently have stock on the ASUS 10.1 Tablet (T100TA-C1-EDU) Shape the Future SKU?
A: Yes, this SKU is currently in stock here. If you have a large bid opportunity let your sales rep know so D&H can work with ASUS for a timeline for large allocations.

Q: Does the Chrome Management Console only manage Chromebook™ devices or can it also manage any Android™ tablets with the appropriate app/service installed?
A: Yes, however there are additional steps to be considered that we can explain more clearly soon. Understand that while a Chromebook's App store and Android's Google Play for Education are different platforms, Policies setup on the admin console for an individual user or device can be applied to both.

Q: Do any manufacturers have CTO for Shape the Future?
A: HP is offering CTO for Shape the Future opportunities. In the coming months other manufacturers may as well and we will provide that info via dandh.com/K12.

Q: Has Microsoft already determined the Shape the Future partners or vendors?
A: The vendors that D&H offers that are participating in Shape the Future are ASUS, HP, Acer, Lenovo, and Dell.

Q: Does D&H have access to Promethean Boards?
A: D&H does not carry Promethean Boards. However we have a number of interactive whiteboard solutions from vendors such as ACCO, Epson, and Chief.

Q: How long will the Shape the Future discount and rebates be available?
A: The Shape the Future program is currently slated to end on 1/25/15. However, it may be extended, but Microsoft has not yet committed to an extension.

Q: How would you angle Chromebook™ or Windows® products versus iOS users in K12?
A: iOS products are good products, but generally Chromebook™ and Windows® Shape the Future SKUs can offer a great solution to schools at a lower price point.

Q: How strong is Cisco as a part of this program?
A: Cisco is very strong with their offerings for K12. For more details ask your sales rep or contact our Cisco Sales Team.

Q: Where can I find financing information for this?
A: Financing options can be found here.

Q: Does D&H have anti-bacterial cleaning agents for the headsets and Chromebooks?
A: D&H does offer several cleaning options. Some options include but are not limited to...

Q: Are there any print device manufacturers involved with this program?
A: HP, Epson, Canon, OKI Data, Samsung, Ricoh, Okidata and Lexmark all offer great printers. You will need to match the schools intended use to the best printer solution for their individual needs.

Q: Who is the best contact we should talk to at a school? The district superintendent? Or should we start with department chairs?
A: This would depend on the individual school or school district. Unfortunately, there is no universal answer for this question

Q: How do I find eligible Shape the Future SKUs on dandh.com?
A: Use the keyword search on dandh.com and type in "Shape the Future". This search will return current Shape the Future SKUs. D&H will continue to add to that list as we get them.