[Tech-l] Content Filter Demonstrations on 5/11 and 5/18

[Thor Sage]

Good morning!
We're hoping districts can join us on May 11th and 18th to review and assess two content filtering solutions.  We've invited two solution providers (iBoss and Securly) to visit MVECA and provide full product demonstrations on the 11th and 18th of May.
PLEASE follow the link below and register for both events.  There are overview fliers for each solution on the registration page.  Both sessions will feature a complimentary lunch!  All are welcome.  Please forward to any other interested personnel in the district.

http://www.mveca.org/protected/ArticleView.aspx?iid=6G20IUI&dasi=3PII

Background on Content Filtering at MVECA:
MVECA has always provided basic URL filtering and reporting at no cost to districts.  However, we have NOT done active SSL (secure socket layer) decryption at our core.  We have also avoided the use of "inline" or "active" content filters, and have instead utilized passive solutions which watch outbound requests and block the return traffic coming from sites or addresses that are in our block database.  The reason for this is that SSL decryption and inline solutions introduce latency or slowness and can "break" many web applications, creating a less-than-desirable user experience for our educational users.  We have seen many other ITCs fight these battles and invest hundreds of thousands of dollars into solutions that degrade network performance and cause users to complain about the quality of service.  MVECA has implemented an optional methodology for ensuring "Safe Search" enforcement when using search engines for random web searches by way of alternate DNS servers.  In recent years, Google and others have done everything possible to make content filtering very difficult by requiring SSL connections to all of their resources.  Also, with the growing rate of one-to-one initiatives in schools that would like to offer content filtering for students using school devices at home, it has become more apparent that traditional content filtering solutions used by many ITCs just won't work and are not cost effective.  Therefore, MVECA has begun recommending that content filter solutions be pushed to the "network edge" in each district that needs more robust filtering options.  This way, districts can customize solutions to meet their specific needs with appliances that only need capacity to handle traffic volumes generated by a single district, rather than an entire consortium, making content inline filtering much more affordable and feasible.  As an alternative to network edge deployments, MVECA has also identified a cloud-based solution that we believe can also work effectively for schools.  Cloud-based solutions also avoid the introduction of inline appliances at the MVECA core and can help with filtering even when device roam outside the district.
Both of the solutions MVECA will feature on the 11th and 18th can be procured at $1.00 or less per student, which is also a major consideration.



Thor Sage
Executive Director
Miami Valley Educational Computer Association
937-767-1468  x3101
[http://www.mveca.org/images/logo.gif]<http://www.mveca.org/>
Not-for-profit Technology Services for Education and Local Governments



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