Ephelyon Posted September 22, 2015 Posted September 22, 2015 Have a look at this from NEOS: Mac OS X and iOS Integration with Active Directory training course It looks dated but I'm sure they'll have revised it in the meantime, might just not be on the website yet. Only £895...
Badaz52 Posted September 22, 2015 Author Posted September 22, 2015 We do have some iMac's on site too that the media department use and a handful of MacBook's but these have never been integrated into the network and if I take ownership It is something that I would like to do. Don't like the idea of standalone devices floating round the network with no control.
steve Posted September 22, 2015 Posted September 22, 2015 There would be a few things I'd get clear from the start. 1. In the event of another art tech (or equivelent) being employed in the future, the role would move back to them and should be a skill they look for in any such role 2. What are the expectations for the ipad service? 2.1 Almost an SLA for them? e.g. new apps will be loaded within 72 hours of a request being received via the service desk 2.2 Replacements are at the expense of x budget 2.3 All devices will be managed to reduce overheads 3. Additional funds required for MDM (if required), mac hardware and ipads for testing / dev work in the IT team 4. Training (as you have stated, with funding) 5. Timescale to bring them into line 6. An understanding that it will impact on other work while you get your head around existing issues and bring things together - a mini project really 7. Recognition in your job description 8. Full consultation and involement in future ipad developments 1
Ephelyon Posted September 22, 2015 Posted September 22, 2015 All good points. But the inevitable question will be... "Why didn't the last guy make all these stipulations? Why is it that we can put it under one person and they just get on with it [however ineptly they did so isn't a factor for us as we've no conception of the ins and outs of it], yet when we try to put it under you / your team we get a whole list of demands plus a £4K bill?" DISCLAIMER: I am only playing Devil's Advocate and looking at it from an SLT point of view here.
jmak Posted September 23, 2015 Posted September 23, 2015 As an aside - in the context that you'll need an MDM - Cisco have said that while the "legacy, free" version will support iOS 9, it won't support the new management features included. A step towards the product not being free. Make sure you budget for an MDM....
sted Posted September 23, 2015 Posted September 23, 2015 All good points. But the inevitable question will be... "Why didn't the last guy make all these stipulations? Why is it that we can put it under one person and they just get on with it [however ineptly they did so isn't a factor for us as we've no conception of the ins and outs of it], yet when we try to put it under you / your team we get a whole list of demands plus a £4K bill?" DISCLAIMER: I am only playing Devil's Advocate and looking at it from an SLT point of view here. because by the sounds of it that was basically his job and they had the extra time to manage ipads in whatever way they saw fit. If you are doing it it needs to be a documented supportable way and done as an additional task with no extra time given. Training should make the tasks easier so they take less of a toll on your other work and can be done more efficiently and in line with best practice so that resources are taken out of action for the smallest amount of time possible
Ephelyon Posted September 23, 2015 Posted September 23, 2015 Wondering if @Leeoakley could shed any light on NEOS' training offerings for iPad deployments.
Badaz52 Posted September 24, 2015 Author Posted September 24, 2015 To be honest a lot of my concerns are from a principle pov. It has been suggested that I havent had training in other areas of my job and that I have figured out new systems etc. To which I explained that numerous years of college and personal study based around windows provided me with the under pinning knowledge to do the job, added to that 10 years experience working in ICT has made it very easy to adapt to new products that are based around Windows. When I took the job my JD did not request any experience or knowledge in Apple systems most likely because someone was already employed to do this. I am expecting to be provided with the appropriate training and be given the recognition that my job has expanded beyond my original JD, outside my pay grade if you like and at the same time whether it is long term or short term there is going to be an increase in workload that will exceed the hours I am contracted for therefore some duties need to be removed. Im not sure how it is for many of you but the amount of menial unrelated jobs that get thrown my way is ridiculous and further supports the lack of resource issue. Taking photos and uploading them to SIMS for example when there is admin staff employed or mail merging activation letters for parental system logins it all takes time off other duties.
Joanne Posted September 24, 2015 Posted September 24, 2015 You do raise good points when you put it like that. I had to advance my apple knowledge for self employed purposes, so bought myself a second hand macbook and started playing around with OSX. This has given me the confidence to use macs now and in turn has enabled me to self-learn about iPads. I've had the luxury of time though.
Badaz52 Posted September 24, 2015 Author Posted September 24, 2015 Exactly, I am 100% certain I could adapt without official training if I had ample allocated uninterrupted time to learn. I would be concerned with my own abilities if i couldnt. The truth is I have zero hope of time being allocated when we are already stretched as a team. When I consider it has taken me 10 years work experience to develop to a level that I am at with Windows and I am still learning all the time how I can factor in learning an entirely different OS and way of thinking in a matter of weeks while still being expected to fulfil my other duties with menial tasks and unrelated jobs thrown in as well is beyond me!
Ephelyon Posted September 24, 2015 Posted September 24, 2015 When I took the job my JD did not request any experience or knowledge in Apple systems most likely because someone was already employed to do this. Or, in fact, because AAAE5012 is a generic job spec that dates from around 2006...
Badaz52 Posted September 24, 2015 Author Posted September 24, 2015 Or, in fact, because AAAE5012 is a generic job spec that dates from around 2006... That is true but hardly my fault they haven't updated it! lol JD's form part of your contract do they not? so I am contracted to do what my JD says plus duties up to a level consistent with my main responsibilities. I interpret this as if I am expected to manage the technician who I sent to change a hard drive on a desktop computer then I can also be expected to change the hard drive if he isn't available to do so. Unfortunately that little clause is open to interpretation.
Ephelyon Posted September 24, 2015 Posted September 24, 2015 True, and I did point out at interview that the Strategic IT Manager spec was (and remains) a lot closer to what their person spec and advert asked for, but naturally "a certain person" was having none of that, citing the fact that "these are generic job specs" - so the school is perfectly well aware of that factor!
Badaz52 Posted September 24, 2015 Author Posted September 24, 2015 Just on a side issue if I am using Meraki MDM systems manager do i still need to use apple configurator?
themightymrp Posted September 25, 2015 Posted September 25, 2015 Just on a side issue if I am using Meraki MDM systems manager do i still need to use apple configurator? Nope, I only use Meraki (no Mac onsite )
jmak Posted September 25, 2015 Posted September 25, 2015 Just on a side issue if I am using Meraki MDM systems manager do i still need to use apple configurator? If I was to put an ipad in supervised mode using configurator on a borrowed Mac and then use Meraki, would I be likely to encounter problems if I don't have ready access to the Mac? (Want to lock down my son's ipad and my sister has a Mac 150 miles away from where we live)
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