Future upgrade plans

[X-13]

After chatting with some teachers about what they need want in their classes [if I hear the word "iPad" one more time, I'm likely to do something naughty...], it got me thinking about upgrades.

 

We, as far as I know, don't have any sort of development plan for IT.

 

 

So, in true Bond villain style... Tell me your plans!

[tmcd35]

Wireless, Mobile, Laptops, and, er, iPads

[eyetea]

Core stack, computer suite, VOIP, outlying stacks, other computer suite, Lamborghini, moon base, etc

[sonofsanta]

New wireless & new PCs this summer, servers due for replacement summer after that, then just an ongoing program of new PCs, plus LED projectors & new edge switches when budget allows.

 

Actually all sort of boring for me now. We've already done everything in the five years I've been here - servers, oodles of desktops, core switches w/ VLANs, moved email to Office 365, cashless catering, new finance system, new MIS server, Windows 7, Office 2010... - so once the wireless is replaced, I've sorted everything and I'm starting to repeat myself.

 

I am lucky to have SMT that a) have faith in my decisions* b) give me an actual planned for budget each year.

 

*The fools! Mwah ha hah!

Edited December 10, 2014 by sonofsanta

[unixman_again]

Setting up 2 classroom sets of new PCs, with monitors mounted under flip top desks (or they will be if the monitors arrive), short keyboards (just has alpha and F1-F12) and normal mice (I couldn't convince them to go trackball - I use them and I can't understand anybody who doesn't!).

Moving out 2 classroom sets of old PCs to vacate our rented space. I guess we'll redeploy these eventually as they aren't bad machines.

[X-13]

LED projectors

 

Personally, I'm looking at interactive tech. Giant screens and whatnot... or I was until I saw the prices.

 

iPads

 

Edited December 10, 2014 by X-13

[Dkeen94]

Server P2V and full virtualisation (phase 1 in feb) & (phase 2 in easter). Once that has all settled down we will be doing a staged infrastructure upgrade! Cabbing all edge switches up with fibre between the switches (Some are currently running just standard old Cat5e) i might even be sneaky and try and get 10 gbit in place if i can convince them! Then after that it will be a managed wireless system and IP restructure (Give more address' to the student Wireless Vlan)

[X-13]

hmm... sound like we're currently at where a lot of you are aiming for.

[clockend25]

Drones and segways.

 

I mean, there has been talk of sorting out some centralised storage, improving our remote access systems for staff/students, and upgrading to a 10GB backbone, but mostly it's just drones and segways.

[eyetea]

hmm... sound like we're currently at where a lot of you are aiming for.

Hands off, it's my moon.

[X-13]

Hands off, it's my moon.

 

That's no moon...

[tmcd35]

segways.

 

I've been trying to get segways written into our development plan. Unfortunately, like the 30" iMac I happen to need for my personal desktop, I haven't found a way to get it passed upper manglement

[abillybob]

HP Blade Server virtualised, iPad 1:1 Deployment, Touch Screen TV's to replace SmartBoards (I think), Two New Colour PhotoCopiers, Microsoft Surface Tablets to replace all staff laptops, SSD's in all Student laptops.

 

They are just some of the plans and this will all happen once a proper release of Windows 10 comes out and is stable of course.

[tmcd35]

 

 

Lol, actually was a serious reply!

 

The managed wifi tender spec is currently out to potential providers, looking to go in over the summer. My current suggestion is to reduce our fixed IT suites down from 4 to 2 and drastically increase the number of bookable laptop trolleys available (Win 8 hybrids?). There's a need for at least one trolley of iPads that can be shared mostly between Art and Music, but possibly also ICT and Media. Long term, BYOD is looking like it's the way forward.

 

I want to replace PE staff laptops with Surface tablets or something similar. I also want to standardise teaching spaces to Smart IWB's, teacher laptop, speaker and cheap projector with wall mounted generic IR controls. SEN and the Library to have smaller wireless netbooks.

 

Job done!

[X-13]

Lol, actually was a serious reply!

 

Actually... It's about humour in forum posts.

[tmcd35]

Actually... It's about humour in forum posts.

 

Weeellllll, in that case......

 

 

 

[X-13]

Weeellllll, in that case......

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]27960[/ATTACH]

 

 

.

[tmcd35]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]27961[/ATTACH].

 

So what do you have against iPads? They are clearly the future, some 500 years early.

 

Make it so!

[X-13]

So what do you have against iPads? They are clearly the future, some 500 years early.

 

Make it so!

 

From the future, in a TV show from the past, presently being pushed in education [for no raison].

 

The time stream done bork'd.

[JoeBloggs]

Currently linking all our offices with dedicated fibre connections connecting to Avaya 4850 switches. 1GB connection between offices, 100MB internet break out. It's going to be fast!

[TechMonkey]

Upgrading network and server infrastructure, attempting to deploy wireless, trying to make the system as robust as possible, aim for system agnosticism (that is a word shut up) & generally trying to fend off stupidity from invading the network. Then phone system upgrade (VOIP hopefully), some digital display screens, automate/electronicify systems. Ohh and trying to drag the staff in to the 20th Century& to use what is provided. BAsically teh same as everyone else

 

Beyond that a bunker, our own power station and segways (one of those is only semi-serious). Ohh and to be really wacky to convince them up stairs to plan ahead so I can plan as well rather than spring on me 2 days before the end of term that they want something installed over a holiday when we are barely in or that they are expanding/extending/using more rooms for teaching and forgot they would need to kit out the rooms. That one is probably a step to far though.

[mac_shinobi]

Better make it several X99 motherboards with 5960X CPU's and at least 32gb of DDR4 @ 3000 Mhz and can't forget 512gb Samsung 850 Pro for OS Drive / apps etc

 

And an iPad Air 2 !!

[TechMonkey]

Personally, I'm looking at interactive tech. Giant screens and whatnot... or I was until I saw the prices.

 

Ohhh, look long term, initial price seem step but over time they pay for themselves. The lovely VeryPC guys provided me with a spreadsheet to show TCO of Projector and whiteboard, Interactive Screen and bog standard screen. Bog standard screen won out of course but over 3 years I think the iScreen beat the projector because of bulbs and power usage with very modest assumptions. Considering bulbs seem to increase in price exponentially it should be a great saving.

[X-13]

Ohhh, look long term, initial price seem step but over time they pay for themselves. The lovely VeryPC guys provided me with a spreadsheet to show TCO of Projector and whiteboard, Interactive Screen and bog standard screen. Bog standard screen won out of course but over 3 years I think the iScreen beat the projector because of bulbs and power usage with very modest assumptions. Considering bulbs seem to increase in price exponentially it should be a great saving.

 

I know... it's just hard to get people to see further than the initial price tag.

[mikeyd101]

10gbe backbone, Network restructure (move to core switches instead of 48 port switches chained (at least they did get backplane cables for them)), ditch at&t leased fibre to our elementary, community wifi, upgrade internal wifi from converage to density and try and convince that most teacher workstations and servers need replacing.

 

So nothing major here.