Thin Client / VDI schools in East or West Midlands

[cvl4]

Hi
We are considering investing in thin client technology at our school .
Are there any schools out there in the Midlands running Thin Client systems who would be willing to allow our ICT coordinator and member of SLT and myself (Network Manager to visit and see how your system is working first hand and maybe talk to some mebers of the teaching staff for their views?

Anyone with experience of Precedence, Cutter Project or DataSpire?

We are a 11 to 14 South Leicestershire High School and with aprox 750 students and 40+ staff - we wouldbe especially interested to hear from similar sized schools.

Caroline Lucas / Network Manager
Edy O'Connor / Assistant Headteacher

[linescanner]

I have a number of schools around your area. Drop me a PM and we can arrange some visits for you.

[SkreeM1980]

I have approx 350 Thin Clients in our college, running VDI. The thin client infrastructure was installed and is supported by Cutter Project who are fantastic and couldn't be anymore helpful! the vmware was supplied by another party who struggled to make it work initially but we have changed supplier and now all works a treat!

You're welcome to come and visit, drop me a PM

Giles Batchelor
Network Development & Services Manager
Moulton College

[Axel]

There are a number of schools in the link below successfully using thin clients - I am sure any of them would be more than happy to receive a PM and discuss their deployments and views on thin clients, or if any are of particular interest I'd be happy
to make the introduction

If you have a terminal server we'd be more than happy to send up a device to give you a hands on feel of what they are all about....

Axel AX3000 m70 for Lesson Monitor

Tidy Thin Client Installation

[scholarpack]

Out of interest do any of the Cutter project and the likes schools use LTSP 5?

[Dataspire]

Post edited due to unauthorised advertising. If you wish to use the forums for commercial purposes please contact us.

Dos_Box

[linescanner]

Sorry missed this. We have some using older LTSP.

[cvl4]

Thought I would just provide a brief update.

After careful deliberation we decided to go with Cutter - they have been absotutely brilliant. I would highly recomend the company to any school considering Thin Client.

[FN-GM]

I am currently involved in a project rolling out 13,000 of the things. If you have any questions i might be able to help. Drop us a PM.

EDIT: sorry i didnt see you last post

[linescanner]

Thought I would just provide a brief update.

After careful deliberation we decided to go with Cutter - they have been absotutely brilliant. I would highly recomend the company to any school considering Thin Client.

Thanks for the kind words. It has been a pleasure

[Dave_O]

CVL4

You really need to think about this carefully before leaping in. Be very clear about what you are wanting to achieve and what your expectation are. I would start small and work up from there. DO NOT implement across the whole of school initially. Make sure your tech have or aquire the skills to support it, don't just rely on third parties. Read my other posts (search for Dave_O or Dave O) in this forum for our experience of VDI and other thin client technologies. PM me if you want to talk on the phone or want more detail.

Dave O

[FN-GM]

To be honest that's standard with anything you do IT wise. If you dive in the deep end it's your own fault if it goes wrong. Pretty abvious really...

[Dave_O]

FN-GM

"If you dive in the deep end it's your own fault if it goes wrong" not much help really. I have seen quite a few schools do this, bewitched by the sales talk and the supposed improved management. Not only schools but managed service providers implementing whole school solutions, only to find it didn't work. Sometimes stating the obvious is necessary. CVL4 is doing the right thing by asking.

[andrew-virtusolve]

SO much miss-selling in the VDI space, mainly to people who don't quite understand the differences between VDI, thin client or who haven't seen how rich thin client delivery has become in 2008R2.

99% of companies asking for a VDI solution actually want either RDS or a hybrid of VDI, RDS and thick delivery - buyer beware!

[linescanner]

CVL4

You really need to think about this carefully before leaping in. Be very clear about what you are wanting to achieve and what your expectation are.
Dave O

Guys, just to let you know, the system has been in since April.