ForwardPass by LocknCharge wins Tech & Learning Best of Show at ISTELive 2026

ForwardPass by LocknCharge won a Future’s Best of Show Award from Tech & Learning in the Primary Education category at ISTELive 2026 for its smart locker system that automates K–12 device handoffs. The recognition highlights growing demand for tools that reduce IT workload while keeping student devices moving, charged and accountable.

Why it matters: - ForwardPass targets a daily pain point for K–12 schools: managing device loans, repairs, replacements and charging without creating more manual work. - Tech & Learning judges said the system helps reduce IT burden while improving accountability in 1:1 device environments. - The recognition comes as schools look for ways to cut downtime when students forget, break or fail to charge devices. - The release cites educator reporting that 63% of educators say downtime issues cost students productivity and learning time.

What happened: - ForwardPass by LocknCharge received a Future’s Best of Show Award from Tech & Learning at ISTELive 2026 in the Primary Education category. - The award was announced under LocknCharge before the technology transitioned to ForwardPass by LocknCharge. - The Tech & Learning Best of Show Awards recognize education technology products exhibited at ISTELive 2026. - Winners were selected by professional users and editors using nomination information and on-site product inspection.

The details: - ForwardPass is a smart locker system for IT device handoffs. - The system automates school workflows for device loans, repairs, deployments, replacements and secure charging. - Judges said the product combines secure hardware with cloud-based workflow management. - Judges also highlighted authentication options and real-time tracking. - Tech & Learning described ForwardPass as a mature and practical solution for 1:1 device environments. - Pre-built workflows support temporary loan devices, broken-device collection, working replacements, assigned-device deployment and secure charging access. - Every pickup, return and exchange can be recorded to support chain of custody, follow-up, reporting and accountability. - ForwardPass customers have reported saving more than 120 minutes per day and spending up to 80% less time managing devices. - The company says the platform is SOC 2 certified. - ForwardPass combines purpose-built smart locker hardware with software designed around device workflows rather than simple access. - Feedback from education IT teams continues to inform workflows, reporting, authentication, remote management and other platform capabilities. - LocknCharge says it has more than 28 years of experience developing device-management solutions for education and other device-dependent organizations. - LocknCharge and ForwardPass solutions support more than 20,000 organizations worldwide, including schools, districts, universities and organizations across multiple industries.

Between the lines: - The award signals that education buyers are valuing workflow automation, not just storage or charging hardware. - The judges’ focus on ease of use, value and uniqueness suggests the market is looking for tools that simplify IT operations and support student outcomes. - The product’s emphasis on self-serve handoffs points to a broader shift away from manual device distribution in schools. - The mix of hardware, software, tracking and authentication positions ForwardPass as infrastructure for device management, not just a locker.

What's next: - ForwardPass says customer feedback will continue shaping product workflows and reporting. - The company will likely keep leaning on third-party awards and customer outcomes as it competes in education technology. - More schools may evaluate automated handoff systems as device fleets and support demands grow.

The bottom line: - ForwardPass won recognition for turning a routine school IT task into a tracked, self-serve workflow that can save staff time and keep students connected.