Dive Brief:

• According to a new FutureSource report, while Google Chromebooks are still the most popular ed tech device in U.S. classrooms, Microsoft is leading ed tech sales worldwide.
• The report says that the tech giant increased its market share in the education sector from 47% to 55% between 2014 and 2015, which is notable given a decline in 2013.
• To better compete against Chromebooks in the U.S. market, Microsoft has begun to offer more inexpensive notebooks and a new management system in partership with Lightspeed Systems.

Dive Insight:

Of course, there's more to the U.S. market than Microsoft and Google. Apple, too, has been slowly regaining ground and looking to take back device share currently dominated by Google's low-cost, highly durable Chromebooks. Apple is trying to reassert the classroom value of its iPad, with new iOS updates that enable multiple user profiles on a single device and streamlined device management for school staff. At the end of January, it announced its acquisition of ed tech startup LearnSprout, a move aimed at making its tablets more competitive. The move may signify an interest in making data analytics a bigger part of its foray into classrooms, as Apple CEO Tim Cook has insisted that the company is poised to make a more concerted push in the space.

For its part, Microsoft's moves in the U.S. have been long-anticipated. The coming year could potentially bring drops in ed tech costs as the three giants battle it out.