Approve the purchase of Breeze Live and Breeze Education Edition, a web-based publication platform that allows for live video conferencing and the creation of education and training materials for classroom instruction, distance learning and professional development.  

·   Breeze is an integrated web communication system that allows for video conferencing, virtual meetings, and publication of student and staff created presentations on-line. Breeze will use existing District assets and network systems to deliver live interactive content to anyone with access to a web browser.

·   The Breeze Education Edition allows educators, staff, and students to use familiar tools like Microsoft PowerPoint to author, publish, and track education and training materials that support classroom instruction, distance learning, and professional development.

·   Breeze Live will continue District efforts to narrow the Digital Divide and improve parental involvement. In the future parents will have the opportunity to attend on-line meetings with teachers and school staff, School Advisory Council and other school meetings, and view presentations prepared by school staff from their homes, community centers, churches, libraries or any location with Internet access.

·   On-demand meetings allow for critical information to be transmitted instantly by School Police and administrative staff to address issues of school and student health and safety.

·   Breeze Live will provide the capacity for virtual field trips where outside experts can interact with Palm Beach County students to conduct live chats on subjects as diverse as the arts, culture, career, and scientific topics.

·   Breeze Live allows staff to collaborate and conduct meetings without the need for travel to a physical meeting place. This ability to conduct virtual meetings allows participants to remain in their schools without losing time for travel or for the District to pay travel expenses.

·   The technology utilized by Breeze fully integrates with the current Blackboard, Edline, and Instructional Television initiatives and substantially extends their capabilities. Breeze uses industry standard technologies and standards that will integrate with future distance learning and portal initiatives from within the District and from the State.

·   Breeze is a proven technology that has been widely adopted for use in corporate training (Boeing, Sony), military training (U.S. Air Force and Army), and educational settings (UCLA School of Medicine, University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill, Los Angeles Unified, Clark County Nevada School District).