How to Survive and Thrive in a Multiplatform Universe [#Infographic]

Google and Apple have a growing stake in schools, but Microsoft still holds the keys to the kingdom, according to a CDW•G survey of 175 IT professionals at K–12 schools.

Windows is the dominant platform of choice for most of those surveyed, with 83 percent saying they use Microsoft’s operating system for instruction and 86 percent reporting that they use it for administration. But with more school networks opening up to the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend, juggling multiple platforms is becoming the desired status quo.

Most respondents said their schools support more than one platform: Specifically, 90 percent of IT professionals called supporting multiple platforms a top priority for their district. Some 28 percent of those surveyed said that for instruction, their district supports all four of the most popular operating systems.

How to move forward? One IT professional offered this piece of advice: "Consider all stakeholders. In K–12, it's all about the curriculum. If the teachers and students won't use it, then it is fruitless.”

The following infographic lays out the results of the CDW•G survey: