[October 27, 2016]

Orangewood Foundation Partners with Zumasys and Nimble Storage, Delivering 3D Modeling Software to Chromebook-Enabled Students

Zumasys, a leading provider of cloud computing and infrastructure solutions for business-critical applications, announced today that it has partnered with Nimble Storage and Orangewood Foundation's Samueli Academy to implement an innovative Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution that enables students to access high-performance 3D modeling software from Chromebooks.

Orangewood Foundation is one of the leading providers of services to foster youth in Orange (News - Alert) County, California. Orangewood Foundation's Samueli Academy is a public charter high school open to both foster and community youth, which offers an exciting instructional approach that combines project-based learning with a heavy emphasis on technology. The school has a 1:1 technology environment, providing every student with their own Chromebook computer to take home.

To improve college and career readiness, the school partners with the University of California Irvine (UCI) to offer innovative engineering and design pathways that align with the university's curriculum. In 2016, Samueli Academy launched a new course teaching students how to use SolidWorks 3D CAD design software, an industry-standard software tha is also taught at UCI.

Orangewood partnered with Zumasys to implement a virtual desktop infrastructure that allows students to use SolidWorks 3D CAD design software from their Chromebooks. The project is the latest in a multi-year partnership that began with a donation to Orangewood Foundation by Zumasys' Happyness Is a Choice program.

"Over the last four years, Zumasys has supported Orangewood Foundation in a number of ways through their Happyness Is a Choice program," explains Carlos Leija, Chief Development Officer at Orangewood Foundation. "They've donated money, cooked lunch for the youth in our programs, provided resume help, and participated in our mentor program. Now, with this technology solution, they're going to have a huge impact on our kids for years to come."

The new Citrix-based VDI platform running on Nimble (News - Alert) Storage supports the school's project-based learning and college readiness objectives. Students enjoy great SolidWorks performance on their Chromebooks thanks to Nimble's cache-accelerated storage tier.

"Nimble Storage and Zumasys were able to understand our requirements and build a solution to best meet our needs," explains Philip Thai, Director of IT, Orangewood Foundation. "For an environment of our size, there's nothing like the performance that Nimble Storage provides in the same price range."

With SolidWorks, students have access to industry-standard CAD software and are gaining a valuable head start in engineering. The school now plans to extend the VDI platform to as many as 100 students in its engineering, design and Photoshop classes.

About Zumasys

Zumasys helps businesses of every size Conquer the Cloud. Our personalized approach to cloud computing means we take the time to listen to our customers, understand their business objectives, and develop a customized solution that accommodates any application. We are passionate about providing a unique and exceptional service experience for every customer. From its beginnings in 2000, Zumasys has grown to encompass three divisions - cloud computing, infrastructure technologies and software development - with offices throughout the United States and the United Kingdom. Learn more at www.zumasys.com

About Orangewood Foundation & Samueli Academy

Orangewood Foundation was founded in 1981 and today is one of the leading providers of services to foster and community youth in Orange County. Foundation programs focus on four critical areas: basic needs, housing, life skills & employment, and education. Recognizing that 46% of foster youth do not graduate from high school, in August 2013 the Foundation opened Samueli Academy, a free public charter high school for community, underserved and foster teens, located in Santa Ana. Today the school has impressive results with a 97% attendance rate and 50% of students on the honor roll. Annually, Orangewood Foundation serves almost 2,000 foster and community youth. Learn more at www.orangewoodfoundation.org and www.samueliacademy.org

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161027006475/en/

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