Here are some useful technology resources for schools. No one is paying us to place these links here.  They are here because they work.

FrontMotion FireFox Community Edition

If you are using a Windows network with Windows Server the FrontMotion Firefox is a great tool.  With this version of FireFox you can push install to your computers as well as locking down FireFox with policies including setting the Home Page.  FrontMotion FireFox.

Drive Copy Professional

Need to setup a number of computers with the same software?  This tool makes it easy without breaking the budget.  Setup one computer with all the software you need.  Before you join it to your domain (in a Windows Server network) or add enterprise software use DriveCopy to copy the setup drive to the other computer’s hard drive.  This will require removing the hard drive from the other computer(s) and placing them in the original computer. Be sure to use the option to change the SID when you do the copy.  Paragon DriveCopy

K12Linux

Have a group of very old computer you want to upgrade for very little cost?  Try K12Linux the Terminal Services Project for Linux.  Get one better computer and install K12Linux. The other computers will all run off the better computer.  All software is free!  K12Linux.org

Adeona

If theft of resources is a concern, then this FREE resource can provide a solution.  There are similar commercial offerings, but they don’t allow you to keep your privacy.  I quote:  “Adeona is the first Open Source system for tracking the location of your lost or stolen laptop that does not rely on a proprietary, central service. This means that you can install Adeona on your laptop and go — there’s no need to rely on a single third party. What’s more, Adeona addresses a critical privacy goal different from existing commercial offerings. It is privacy-preserving. This means that no one besides the owner (or an agent of the owner’s choosing) can use Adeona to track a laptop. Unlike other systems, users of Adeona can rest assured that no one can abuse the system in order to track where they use their laptop.”  On a Mac notebook it will even log a picture of the user. adeona.cs.washington.edu