The increasing enthusiasm about transitioning to an interactive digital curriculum is just one of the critical education trends that puts a key enabler under scrutiny -- the underlying information technology infrastructure. It is critical to assess the environment, eliminate unnecessary costs, and align ongoing technology strategy with educational and budget goals.

Administrators, school boards, and IT managers now have to be prepared to not only implement today’s technologies to power both teachers and students, they also need to be prepared to rapidly adopt the advancements of tomorrow.

To truly capitalize on technology, districts must take a holistic approach to high-efficiency infrastructure and IT management practices that support and enhance educational outcomes. Success begins with ensuring that the right technology framework is in place.

To get an accurate picture of the current state and build a roadmap to support the digital age, it makes sense to begin with a Dell Information Technology Infrastructure Assessment. The assessment evaluates hardware platforms, applications, storage management tools, networking architecture, and mobile connectivity. The assessment identifies architectural, financial and operational components while analyzing and rating capabilities of the current infrastructure environment.

A key benefit is identifying opportunities to improve operational efficiencies and save money. With the enormous financial pressures facing K-12 districts, an assessment may help uncover immediate and tangible ways to stretch the budget.

Key to an educational assessment is evaluating the currently in place to determine what changes can be made to achieve educational outcomes and even potential financial benefits. Often, technology gaps are found in some or all of the following five technology areas: end-user computing, data center, applications operations, service management, and security and compliance.

By taking a proactive approach to existing technology frameworks, school districts can help reduce costs and ensure that instructional technology works seamlessly. The result is better support for current learning needs, while building platforms that are better able to adapt to the outcome-driven technologies of the future.