Renting out IT lab?

[titch]

Just wondered if anyone rents out their labs or IT facilities.

 

We have a really nice lab in a very pretty building which would be perfect for renting out over holiday periods for some extra income to school . I have no idea who to rent them to and what for but wondered if anyone did the same?

 

I have been to some very dodgy training sessions in the past in some poor locations and just though to myself it's a shame there are long periods of no use.

 

Any ideas?

[elsiegee40]

Things to consider in no particular order:

 

1. Network and data security. Complete strangers may be determined to test your security.

 

2. Equipment damage, loss or theft - would it be insured? What happens if something is unusable and it’s affecting students next day? How are contracts going to be written/enforced to ensure that damage is not a liability to the school?

 

3. Network support. Do you have the staff, including IT, to supply support for the room? Are you prepared to support it during the lettings? Is the school prepared to pay you to do so?

 

4. Updates and maintenance. When are you going to do these?

[mavhc]

If the school already rents out rooms that's the best place to start from the supply side.

 

On the demand side you'd be offering it to training companies, so I guess contact some and ask

[6Foot2]

FunTech tried to set up in our school last year, but for various reasons were unable to. They are asking if they can try again this Summer.

 

Link: Coding Summer Camps for Kids: Tech Camps from FunTech UK

 

They have a very clear picture of what they need for their camps and last year, as I would have been working by myself on many of the days, they found that they could not run their courses with us last year.

 

HTH.

[mikeprice]

It sounds like a great idea but there are probelems

 

a school where I trained had a room set up by the local college as a community room for adult classes out side school times - the school maintained it and supplied the room itself - but the college could use it when the kids where not in school

 

problems happened all the time - they often had probelsm loggin on and where then stuch as there was not IT support

 

They wanted the school to provide support but sisn;t want to pay extra for it

 

also damage was common - as were problems due to people trying to fix things themselves - network cables were often left in weird ways

 

so the IT tech (or me) had to check the room out first thing in the morning whenever it had been used the previous evening

 

The arrangement stopped after only a couple of years

[ITGURU]

Things to consider in no particular order:

 

1. Network and data security. Complete strangers may be determined to test your security.

 

2. Equipment damage, loss or theft - would it be insured? What happens if something is unusable and it’s affecting students next day? How are contracts going to be written/enforced to ensure that damage is not a liability to the school?

 

3. Network support. Do you have the staff, including IT, to supply support for the room? Are you prepared to support it during the lettings? Is the school prepared to pay you to do so?

 

4. Updates and maintenance. When are you going to do these?

4. Updates and maintenance. When are you going to do these?

 

The same time when hospitals do there's with systems running 24/7

[hardtailstar]

I'm not sure on what paperwork ours does but one of the IT suites is rented out to an Adult Education company and they have a log on with same permissions and internet filtering as school students.

 

They also have access to WiFi which is separate to our school network which I think they use more than school computers.

[titch]

All valid points. Would be happy to support it as long as it wasn't too onerous . Really just thinking of ways off clawing money back for the school and our great unused facilities IT facilities seem a little wasted currently.

[elsiegee40]

4. Updates and maintenance. When are you going to do these?

 

The same time when hospitals do there's with systems running 24/7

 

See point 3. Is the school prepared to pay you to do so?

 

In the ‘real world’ staff running 24/7 systems get paid to work shifts or on call to cover it. Don’t even think about doing it voluntarily.

[Ketlane]

Long ago we lent ours to Rotary Club for data entry for a half marathon or something. Can't remember details now but everyone happy, no issues; I think it was three or four weeks, one evening a week.

[ozydave]

What about the use of the windows operating system and office software. Would you not be breaking the Microsoft licensing agreement?