In May 2022, I wrote a blog post about the new Intel vPro® platform options for education. Since then, I have gotten some questions about Intel vPro from the education community. As a part two to that post, I will be answering some common inquiries that I have received. Here are my thoughts on the following questions.
“I thought Intel vPro was meant to be for businesses. Why is it also a good choice for schools?”
Yes, the Intel vPro platform has been available to businesses for many years, providing a stable, reliable foundation, powerful Intel® processors, hardware-based security features, and remote management capabilities.1 It empowers business users to do their best work, enables IT teams to keep devices and systems running, and helps businesses succeed. Sound familiar?
Schools and businesses have a lot more in common than you might think at first. Schools, too, are working to get individual devices into the hands of thousands of students and teachers so they can do their best work. At the same time, school IT teams are working endlessly to keep them safe and their devices up and running so the whole school ecosystem can succeed.
While Intel vPro was originally built for businesses, I like to think that it is built for better learning outcomes too. I am a firm believer that an investment in powerful technology for education is an investment in students’ futures, which means taking a step beyond just handing a kid a school computer. When educators provide students with the right device that fits their academic needs, students can have more-enhanced learning experiences as they develop new skill sets and mindsets that will propel them toward their futures. We also have to make sure educators have the right education technology, so they can concentrate on teaching their students—without worrying if their devices will connect, load, or even start up properly. Powerful devices and education technology like Intel vPro also help to make the lives of IT staff easier, saving them time by making maintenance and management of thousands of devices more efficient.
“I see Intel now offers both Intel vPro® Essentials and Intel vPro® Enterprise. What is the difference? How do I know which one is right for me and my school district?”
We used to think that having one version of the Intel vPro platform could fit the needs of a variety of businesses. However, from working closely with our customers, we’ve realized that the needs of every business are not the same. That is true as well for schools and other public sector organizations.
Two benefits of selecting an Intel-based device are choice and the ability to find a device that best fits your needs—whether that’s in form factor, processing power, operating system, or manufacturer, to name a few. To help schools and businesses get the benefits of the Intel vPro platform but in the configuration that best fits their needs, we now offer three Intel vPro options: Intel vPro® Essentials, Intel vPro® Enterprise for Windows OS, and Intel vPro® Enterprise for Chrome OS.
Intel vPro Essentials offers reliable security, manageability, and connectivity2—more than you would get from devices powered by an Intel® Core™ processor. It is great for schools that have smaller IT teams or budgets but still want to offer their teachers, students, and staff powerful, responsive devices with built-in hardware-based security and standard manageability features.
Intel vPro Enterprise is our full-feature offering, with additional security and remote manageability benefits. Devices with Intel vPro Enterprise for Windows OS or Intel vPro Enterprise for Chrome OS are a great choice for schools with designated IT teams that need to manage a large number of devices—either on campus or remotely, or both—or for districts with schools that are dispersed across a large geographic area.
“Wait, I can get Intel vPro on Chrome?”
Indeed! You can get Chrome OS devices with Intel vPro Enterprise and 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors. This is an ideal option for schools that prefer the Chrome operating system. Intel vPro Enterprise for Chrome OS devices provide exceptional performance, multilayered security, built-in remote management tools, and verified, reliable stability.
Chromebooks and other Chrome OS devices sometimes get a bad rap because they are considered low-end devices. However, you would be surprised to learn that they can be quite powerful. During the two-day Intel Vision 2022 event, I brought my own Intel Core-powered Chromebook, and I had a really positive experience.
“My school district uses a software solution to keep our school safe and secure from cyberattacks. But are there more protections with the Intel vPro platform that we should be considering?”
Definitely. It is important to consider cybersecurity in education because the same bad actors that target enterprise businesses also look for vulnerabilities in school districts. Having good security hygiene can only help so much, which is why IT decision-makers and administrators should consider protecting their student, staff, and teacher devices at the hardware level.
All Intel vPro-based devices come out of the box with integrated hardware-based security features. Intel vPro Essentials and Intel vPro Enterprise for Windows OS provide multilayered security via Intel® Hardware Shield, Intel® Threat Detection Technology, and a number of other Intel® technologies for protection at and below the OS. Multilayered security features for Intel vPro Enterprise for Chrome OS include two cloud OSs, data encryption, and built-in virus protection with a verified boot process that automatically restarts and restores devices to a stable state if a security threat is detected.
“Are there schools that currently have Intel vPro systems right now?”
Yes, there is a school in Chandler, Arizona, that is currently deploying Intel vPro devices in their schools. I even wrote about it in January 2022. Intel and Dell partnered with Chandler Unified School District (USD) to implement Education Technology as a Service (ETaaS). The district purchased 4,000 devices—800 of which are built on the Intel vPro platform—for teachers, staff, and students who need LTE connectivity at home.
This pilot is considered a “proof of capability” (POC) because it will help us evaluate the feasibility and scalability of a new service model as it addresses challenges that K–12 schools are facing today. We hope this POC can eventually become a new blueprint for how devices are deployed in schools.
Though the program is still ongoing, the whole team (Chandler USD, Dell, and Intel, including me) is feeling positive about this POC resulting in schools across the country adopting similar blueprints. We just released an article on the positive outcomes Chandler High School is seeing as a result of the completed first phase of this POC. Phase two is currently underway to continue the evaluation of the ETaaS model and to introduce the Intel® Skills for Innovation (Intel® SFI) Framework to Chandler USD educators.
Enriching lives with Intel vPro for education
When it comes to the best outcomes for teaching and learning, having powerful technology like the Intel vPro platform can make all the difference. If you are interested in getting Intel vPro devices for your school district, we have plenty of resources for you to learn more about Intel vPro, or you can reach out to us.
I could not agree more with Intel’s mission of enriching the lives of every person on earth. And I think this is especially important when it comes to the next generation of innovators and the hardworking teachers and staff that help them along the way.
1) All versions of the Intel vPro® platform require an eligible Intel® Core™ processor, a supported operating system, Intel LAN and/or WLAN silicon, firmware enhancements, and other hardware and software necessary to deliver the manageability use cases, security features, system performance, and stability that define the platform. See Intel.com/PerformanceIndex/vPro for details.
2) See intel.com/PerformanceIndex (platforms) for details. No product or component can be absolutely secure.
All product descriptions, dates and figures provided are preliminary, based on current expectations, and subject to change without notice.
Michael A. Campbell is a Global Transformational Leader with 20+ years of focused experience in product marketing, strategy, business development, and sales, influencing multi-million-dollar revenue increases and organizational growth. Currently, Campbell is the General Manager of the Education Division within Intel’s Client Computing Group.
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