Technicians per PC ratio gudielines?

[webman]

I used to be a technician in the school, about 250 PCs/800 students+staff. But apparently, I wasn't needed in IT Support

[Ric_]

It's the bloody printers and idiots that can't use computers that take a toll on your time. Along with peorple castrating mice, mangling the pins in PS2 plugs, stealing ram(!)...

[GrumbleDook]

We are moving to thin clients as we know that we cannot sustain the number of desktops we need and still keep up with our Laptops for Students scheme.

It is cheaper to go to thin client than go for fat client and get more staff. This does mean that the staff lose out on having a technician to help them get the most out of the kit.

[tosca925]

So if i told you that i am runiing a network with 1-370 you would be a bit suprised?

[mark]

1:300 here. Phasing out thin client as everyone hates it, but then it is an economical solution if you do it with Linux apparently, or slum it with terminal services :P [sorry - in a bit of a mood right now].

You must have a hybrid system if you want to deliver multimedia courses. For lightweight staff/ research use it'd be perfect [not that your users would thank you for it], and I think the only sustainable way for schols to provide greater IT saturation.

[pinemarten]

Ric - re: mouse balls ;

Glue the retaining plate in - you'll never lose another ball (need a screwdriver to clean them though!)

[ChrisH]

I super glue them in and our kids use keys to break the retaining plate to get them out

[e_g_r]

Optical is the only way (but they do go walkies some of the time)

Oh 1 per 125 here and spend 75% of our time showing staff how to press the FN key and F# to get output to their interactive whiteboard so that they can show DVD'd (very interactive!!!!!)

[Ric_]

@pinemartin: I do that if I have time but some times it's just not worth the effort - they'll find a way around! Since there's only me to the 200 desktops and 100 laptops (admittedly nearly everything is thin client), my resources are stretched a little thinly.

[fooby]

The trick is to buy the cheapest, nastiest optical mice. That way, its both cost effective to lose them, and really not worth stealing

[kingswood]

It's the bloody printers and idiots that can't use computers that take a toll on your time. Along with peorple castrating mice, mangling the pins in PS2 plugs, stealing ram(!)...

How true!

Well said sir.

Paul

[john]

Castrating Mice is something that seems to be catching on at our place at present. The 1st year we get optical mice in classrooms, offices etc (appart from the IT tech offices) and the castration increases! Why not just steal them is what we say then at least you got something usable at the end of it in the end.

[nephilim]

Reviving this thread for 1 purpose...What is the situation like now for most of you?

[Sirbendy]

Myself and the NM. Current count of 500ish PCs, plus laptop fleet. Plus digital signage, servers, security systems, CCTV operation when needed, IP phone system, BMS control, and so on, and so forth. I think it's pretty fair to say we have some level of involvement in every system in this place.

Kids, over 1000 as I recall...staff are in 3 figures. All systems spread across 3 buildings on 1 site.

It's..busy..!

[Gonk]

For me: Currently we're at 300ish desktops/laptops, 670 Pupils and about 80 staff...

and me.

My technician applied for and got a job doing the same hours with the same responsibilities for £4k a year more. We're currently 'seeing how we can get along' without replacing him. Which translates as - we've got the money but we want to spend it somewhere else.

Ross