Transforming Access to Technology Through a Scalable, Shared Device Strategy

Overview

Nottingham College faced increasing demand for digital access, alongside pressure to support a diverse student population and make more efficient use of space across its multi-campus estate.

To understand how this has been achieved, we spoke with Yasir Rafi, Head of IT Services, and John Lord, Assistant Principal for Curriculum Innovation, who shared their insights into the college’s digital strategy and its long-standing partnership with LapSafe®.

Serving more than 25,000 students across nine campuses, Nottingham College has spent over seven years working with LapSafe®, continuously expanding its deployment as demand has grown. Rather than a one-off implementation, this has evolved into a long-term strategy for delivering accessible, efficient, and future-ready learning.

As Yasir Rafi explains, “They grow with us on a scale, year on year.”

The Challenge

For Nottingham College, device access was not simply a logistical issue; it was a critical barrier to learning.

Many students do not have access to suitable technology outside of college, making it harder to engage fully with their studies. As John Lord, Assistant Principal for Curriculum Innovation, explains:

“Lots of our young people who study with us don’t have any IT at home, or it’s not conducive to study. We want to give all students access to digital platforms, which is part of developing their skills, making them future-ready for the workforce.”

At the same time, the college was constrained by its existing IT infrastructure. Traditional computer labs were limiting both space and flexibility.

As John Lord reflects:

“Historically, we had a lot of IT labs, taking too much premium space for teaching.”

With a large and complex estate, any new approach also needed to work seamlessly at scale. As John Lord adds:

“Technology should work seamlessly; students and staff should not be spending time fighting with equipment.”

Building a Partnership

When Nottingham College began exploring how to move away from traditional IT labs and towards a more flexible, device-led approach, finding the right partner was critical.

For an organisation of its size and complexity, the solution needed to be scalable, reliable and capable of supporting long-term strategic goals.

As Yasir Rafi, Head of IT Services, explains, the initial focus was on finding a solution that could deliver both flexibility and efficiency within a constrained estate:

“We needed to move towards providing more laptops which are readily available… but still make the best use of our teaching space.”

LapSafe®’s approach, combining secure storage, self-service access and flexible deployment, aligned closely with the college’s requirements.

“They had the perfect solution, which we could utilise in a premium space and still provide devices to students,” says Yasir Rafi.

Unlike traditional models that relied on fixed IT labs or manually managed device loans, LapSafe® enabled a more autonomous and scalable approach.

Equally important was the ability to scale the solution over time. Following an initial pilot, the college quickly recognised its potential as a long-term strategy.

*“We saw the pilot study work well, and from there, we’ve grown significantly over the last six or seven years,” *says Yasir Rafi

The strength of the partnership has also been a key factor in its success.

“They’ve never been shy to work with us, improve things and grow alongside us,” Yasir Rafi adds.

This combination of functionality, scalability and collaborative partnership has enabled Nottingham College to build a solution that continues to evolve with its needs.

“The functionality, the dashboard, the support and the service, as well as the relationship we’ve built as partners, have all come together to really support the college and bring us to where we are today.” says Yasir Rafi.

The Solution

Nottingham College implemented a campus-wide rollout of LapSafe® Diplomat™ Pro Smart Lockers and ChargeLite™ laptop trolleys, creating a self-service model that provides students with flexible, on-demand access to devices.

Crucially, the solution was designed not just for availability, but for accessibility. Early learnings led to a shift in placement strategy, moving devices out of restricted areas and into more visible, high-traffic spaces.

As Yasir Rafi, Head of IT Services, explains:

“We started to move our units outside the library, to provide access throughout the day.”

This approach removes friction from the user experience, enabling students to access devices independently whenever needed.

“A student walks up, presents their credentials, and takes a device. When they’re done, they put it back,” says Yasir Rafi.

The result is a system that extends access far beyond traditional classroom constraints.

“Students can access a laptop out of teaching hours, effectively 24x7,” he adds.

At the same time, mobile trolleys allow devices to move with teaching, enabling a shift away from fixed IT spaces towards more agile, digitally enabled environments.

The Results

The success of the model is best demonstrated through utilisation.

In 2025, Nottingham College recorded a total of 84,305 device loans. In the first 6 months of 2026, the college had already reached 53,767 loans, putting it on track to surpass the previous year’s total.

This is clear evidence not just of high usage, but of growing, sustained demand.

As Yasir Rafi explains, “From 500–600 laptops, we served nearly 85,000 loans in a year.”

This level of activity highlights the power of a shared model, where a relatively small pool of devices delivers tens of thousands of learning interactions, maximising value while minimising unnecessary spend.

The impact on students is immediate and tangible. Access to devices is no longer a barrier to participation.

As John Lord explains: “They can come in early, sit down and start to learn even before classes start.”

“All young people can come onto a campus and access a laptop outside teaching hours.”

Behavioural patterns across campuses reinforce the importance of flexibility. Some students pick up devices first thing in the morning alongside a coffee, while others access them between sessions or during peak periods such as lunch, demonstrating the need for availability throughout the day.

For teaching staff, the shift has been equally significant.

*“Every room now effectively is digitally enabled; that’s been a real game changer,” *says John Lord.

“Planning can be agile; it helps meet learners’ needs,” he adds.

By reducing reliance on fixed IT labs, the college has also been able to make more efficient use of its physical estate.

As Yasir Rafi notes, “We can put more boots on the ground and deliver teaching and learning.”

Operationally, the introduction of self-service access has reduced the burden on IT teams, freeing them to focus on higher-value activities.

“That involves no involvement of any support or staff; automating this has been key,” says Yasir Rafi.

Through LapSafe®’s management software, the college gains full visibility of device usage and performance. These insights enable IT teams to monitor utilisation, identify demand patterns and make more informed decisions about future investment.

“Investing in LapSafe has helped us not only provide laptops in the right locations but also improve utilisation. From our dashboard insights, we’ve been able to buy fewer devices and achieve greater utilisation” says Yasir Rafi.

Sustainability is another important outcome. With a target of carbon neutrality, the college is benefiting from more efficient energy use and reduced over-provisioning of devices.

As Yasir Rafi explains, “We are looking at carbon neutral and sustainability, and the LapSafe® units are helping us towards that journey.”

Strategic Impact

Nottingham College’s approach reflects a broader shift in how educational institutions deliver technology.

Rather than providing one device per user, the college has adopted a model based on intelligent sharing and high utilisation.

As Yasir Rafi explains, “You don’t need to invest one device per person; utilisation is the key factor.” He adds, “We’ve been able to buy fewer devices and achieve greater utilisation.”

This approach enables the college to meet increasing demand without proportionally increasing costs, delivering a more efficient and scalable alternative to traditional provisioning models.

At the same time, the long-term partnership with LapSafe® has ensured the solution continues to evolve alongside the organisation. With over seven years of collaboration and ongoing expansion, the college has been able to adapt its infrastructure in line with changing needs and priorities. Ultimately, the solution supports not just operational efficiency, but the college’s wider mission.

As John Lord explains, “This solution marries together being on campus and being digitally enabled; it has opened up new possibilities.”

Conclusion

Nottingham College has demonstrated how a shared, self-service approach to device access can transform both learning and operations at scale.

By focusing on accessibility, utilisation and flexibility, the college has created a model that:

• Expands digital access for all students.
• Enables agile, modern teaching.
• Optimises space and resources.
• Delivers long-term value through efficient use of technology.
• Supports more efficient energy use.

More broadly, it represents a shift in mindset, from owning devices to delivering access to technology where and when it is needed most.

For institutions facing similar challenges around digital inclusion, space and resource constraints, Nottingham College’s approach provides a clear and proven blueprint for delivering inclusive, future-ready education at scale.

As John Lord concludes, “It really has opened up new possibilities.”

Future Plans

Looking ahead, Nottingham College continues to evolve its approach, working closely with LapSafe® to further enhance utilisation insights and expand self-service access across its campuses. With student demand continuing to grow, the college is focused on scaling its infrastructure in a way that remains efficient, flexible and aligned with its long-term digital strategy.

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