Gladstone Education is launching Transact, its next generation cashless software for schools, at BETT (stand no S10). Gladstone Education’s full service payment software is specifically designed for schools and includes an online parent gateway, self service kiosks, a full account balance checker and point of sale systems to manage day-to-day administration of school retail operations.

At BETT 2012 Crestron will be showcasing how the learning process can be greatly advanced through the inclusion of its interactive controls and automation solutions. DigitalMedia 8G+ is a high output, one-wire digital AV network technology. Offering a broad choice of cabling options, it has been developed as a future-proof digital backbone for AV and IT.

ONELAN is delighted to have been shortlisted for a BETT Award 2012 in the Digital Devices category with the Data Collection Engine (DCE). ONELAN’s DCE v 3 has recently been enhanced by several new exciting features including bulk reconfiguration allowing configuration changes to be made to all connections with a single button press, a new Text connector and improvements to tabular media design.

Technology is more integrated with our lives than ever before. Today’s children are immersed in the Internet, tablet devices, laptops and smartphones and this interactive and digital experience needs to be incorporated into the classroom if it is to engage children effectively.

Timocco will make its third appearance at the BETT Show and visitors who purchase the new product created to assist with cognitive and motor development of children with a wide range of abilities and ages off the stand will benefit from special discounts. Timocco is also launching its new content packages dedicated to improving attention skills for children with ADD/ADHD, LD, ASD, CP and Dyspraxia /DCD.

ePace (www.epaceonline) is on stand V15 at BETT 2012, demonstrating its online learner profiling tool. ePace presents a new way of looking at Teaching and Learning; it is easy to administer and is aimed at involving pupils in their own learning. Every pupil gets their own personalised Learning Profile, explaining in child-friendly language how they learn best. The profile looks specifically at how information is processed and cognitive ability.

Timocco will make its third appearance at the BETT Show and visitors who purchase the new product created to assist with cognitive and motor development of children with a wide range of abilities and ages off the stand will benefit from special discounts. Timocco is also launching its new content packages dedicated to improving attention skills for children with ADD/ADHD, LD, ASD, CP and Dyspraxia /DCD.

Promethean has revealed its next, ActivBoard 500 Pro-series. The ActivBoard 500 will enable the use of new and emerging multi-touch functionality, similar to that used in Apple and Microsoft (Windows 7) applications. This flexibility allows teachers to reach students in a variety of ways or modes, supporting a wider range of learning types. Users will have the ability to easily move and scale objects with finger-touch using natural hand movements, in conjunction with the precision of the ‘pen’ for tasks such as writing or drawing. This offers a more intuitive and efficient way of performing tasks and allows for more collaborative classroom activities.

Monarch Education Furniture, the company behind the market-leading LapCabby, has launched a range of exciting new products which make storing, charging and using school laptops easier than ever before.

The LapCabby Up-Link and the LapCabby Connect – have been introduced. Monarch Education Furniture has also launched a storage solution for LapCabby users with iPads, the LapCabby Mini Charge and Store iPad Converter Kit.

NETGEAR, Inc., a global networking company that delivers innovative products to schools throughout the UK, issued a call at BETT to the IT industry to stop attempting to sell ‘big IT’ into British schools after an expert panel agreed that the education industry is not receiving the advice and support which it needs. The industry should focus instead on ‘smart IT’: partnering with schools to deliver reliable, affordable and simple technology which meets their tight budgets.

BETT 2011 provided the first opportunity for both JEM Education Marketing Services and Education Direct to face the education suppliers market since they became part of the same Group last year.

The two companies provide specialist data, marketing and mailing services which have been developed specifically for suppliers to the education sector, enabling them to promote to or communicate regularly with schools in the most cost effective way.

sQuid is a new kind of cash; smart cash and it is available to all ages from 7 to 107. sQuid is already active in schools, colleges and universities across the UK and enables parents and pupils to pay for catering, printing, school trips, and photocopying.

London, 14th January 2011, eInstruction Inc appointed Banxia Software Ltd as the distributor of the Interactive Mobile Solutions (interactive mobile whiteboards and student response systems).

Patrice Ulles, VP Sales EMEA, eInstruction, said "We chose Banxia because of their skills and their capacity to support the teachers in using our education solutions. We are excited to develop with Banxia the usage of our solutions in the UK."

BETT 2011 proved to be a successful event for Crestron, the market leading manufacturer of advanced control and automation solutions. The educational market is a growing sector for the company and the exhibition allowed Crestron to show off some of its popular products.

The new U-series from NEC Display Solutions delivers a superb performance ultra-short throw projection solution for education which greatly improves the use of interactive whiteboards. With an ultra-short throw distance of less than 60cm between the mirror in front of the lens and a 77”/87” whiteboard, shadow and glare are eliminated completely. A further benefit of this solution is the integrated 3D capability in readiness for the next step towards the digital classroom.

Sir Bob Geldof, co-founder of one of the education sector market leaders in communication and data extraction tools, Groupcall, has criticised the government for imposing over-complex systems on administration and teachers at the detriment of the education sector.

According to Itellect research revealed at BETT, more than 50% of education professionals believe that pupil’s personal devices (such as mobile phones, iPods and Xboxes) will be incorporated into lessons over the next five years. 60% said their schools had nowhere near enough technology.

Sir Bob Geldof, co-founder of one of the education sector market leaders in communication and data extraction tools, Groupcall, officially unveiled the company’s latest addition, Groupcall Emerge at BETT 2011.

Emerge is a powerful yet intuitive ‘App’ designed for the Apple iPod touch with Wi-Fi, or an iPhone/iPad with Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. It delivers up-to-the-minute Management Information System (MIS) data instantly and securely, with access on an anytime, anywhere basis.

Two brand new conferences have been announced to take place alongside BETT 2011, the world’s largest educational technology show, at London, Olympia. The first, ‘World Education Leaders @ BETT’, will gather policy makers and influencers from across the globe, on Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 January. The emphasis throughout will be on how education systems can best prepare learners for future challenges. Attention will be paid to how far technology solutions are being effectively used to this end.

Visitors to stand C16 at BETT 2010 can experience Renaissance Learning’s acclaimed approach to successfully raising standards of reading, writing and maths amongst pupils of all ages and abilities. 

Originally developed in the US to raise literacy standards; Accelerated Reader (AR) is a data-rich web-based program that provides real time formative assessment.  Fun, motivational quizzes engage reluctant readers and promote reading for pleasure, whilst the Home Connect interface allows parents and carers to be easily informed of individual pupil progress.

BETT 2010 visitors can experience a Wyse ‘digital classroom’ that enables more computers to be delivered at lower cost and at the same time creates a better learning environment.

Using the latest virtualisation technology, Wyse software and hardware delivers the functionality of high performance PCs, including support for the latest multimedia curriculum software and peripherals, but without the reliability and maintenance headaches that PCs often bring with them.

With LCD screens becoming more affordable, educational establishments can now reduce the costs and time associated with traditional message boards and printed communications by using Electronic Notice Boards.

Navaho's MediaCAT Digital Signage player allows Electronic Notice Boards in reception areas, canteens and information points to be implemented quickly and easily.

Q: How long has Panasonic been exhibiting at BETT?

A: This is Panasonic’s first year with a significant presence and large stand at BETT

Q: Why should visitors come to your stand?

A: Panasonic stand D102 will be our main platform for demonstrating of our most exciting classroom technology innovations and solutions. We’ll show our soon to be introduced multi-touch interactive whiteboard, a range of audio solutions, HD video conference system and multi-location learning technology. We will also have some astonishing gesture recognition technology plus digital signage, document printing and image capture solutions and voice and data communications systems.

Microsoft empowers and equips students in a bid to help them succeed at school, and through the use of Cloud Computing and traditional ICT collaboration, they aim to transform the classroom into an effective and connected learning experience.

LEBA innovations are once again pleased to exhibit at the BETT Show. During the 2010 show we will be exhibiting our new Notecart range and our unique modular NoteLocker.

We are happy to give reassurance to the market that all LEBA NoteCarts are compliant to the new HSE guidelines and CE ratings. At the 2010 show, we will be introducing our new 32 shelf “Netbook” Notecart, a product that recognizes a need to move with the ever changing requirements of education today.

The traditional image of a teacher is one surrounded by textbooks and a stack of marking, accompanied by a whiteboard and overhead projector. Teaching, it seems, has always been governed by the written word.

What is needed is a different approach, where teachers are free to bring their passion and interpersonal skills to the fore, using a broad range of digital assets to re-engage their pupils.

Harnessing the benefits of technology delivers a significant competitive advantage not only to your students but also to the educational establishment as a whole. The classroom setting is benefited by use of projectors and interactive tools helping to support teachers and help students to assimilate knowledge and enhance their learning experience. On a macro level, embracing the latest digital signage technology will enable effective communication to a widely diverse audience whilst demonstrating a progressive technology-led environment.