Another day, another app, another dollar!

Not sure how many can relate to this example, but stick with me.  The 4 year old in the house has recently learned how to download apps to the various family devices.  Of course anything with a purchase still requires password. (I learned that the hard way 6 years ago when her brother was about 4.)  But the free ones seem to mysteriously show up on a regular basis.  Next thing you know I have 100 apps on my tablet with no clue which ones are being used, how often they are being used, etc. And I admit, I’m constantly looking for new apps that will help improve productivity for myself. Just the other day I was wondering if there was a way I could tell how much the application was being used if not at least the last time it was opened.

Obviously the same can be true in business.  You might not have Talking Tom, Talking Angela, and 20 of their other friends and family on you devices (seriously, how many talking animal apps are out there?!?!?).  But you might have multiple education apps designed to do similar things as you try to find the one that best meets the classroom’s or students’ needs. Some for education, some for entertainment, some for organization …

Well now CatchOn and Google have fostered a relationship that should help school administrators streamline the process of analyzing which apps to keep and which to send to the recycling bin. “CatchOn delivers real-time data on which apps are being used, how often and where to help keep track of technology investments. The administrative tool is designed to measure the financial impact of apps by analyzing district data, revealing the percentage of the budget per app and comparing it with the consumption across an entire district. “CatchOn is the first administrative tool that provides real-time data across every app, device and operating system used in districts,” according to a company representative.” (CatchOn and Google Team Up to Offer Usage Data on Chromebooks

Of course the caution comes in making sure that you have everything in your school or district being backed up regularly.  So if you aren’t already positive that’s happening, talk to your West Valley Technical Services representative to be sure you aren’t deleting something and its accompanying files that you can never get back without having some confidence. Also, if you would like help in transitioning to this new service being offered by CatchOn and Google, talk to us today to get you started.  Resources can be tight when it comes to technology in education.  Make sure you are using them wisely.