Software usage request

[Trust-No-One]

I'm an ICT technician in a school (and an existing Edugeek member) that is due to undergo the BSF process in the near future. I had this email forwarded to me by one of the teachers asking if we can help:

 

I have been asked to approach every X department in Y and find out which ICT software packages we use and with what frequency. Please attach your info to this sheet - save it to include your name / school - and return as soon as you are able. You may wish to communicate with your whole team. I have been given a couple of weeks to collate and return findings to our BSF team and LA leader. I will ensure that the composite picture is shared at the next network in March.

 

Many thanks in anticipation of your cooperation

 

Attached was an office document with space to fill in software package names and how often they are used.

 

Looks like they are avoiding contact with us (i.e. the people who know) and going directly to the teachers to find out this sort of information.

 

Anyone else coming across this?

[Diello]

Doesn't surprise me in the least - BSF IT companies have been very proactive in avoiding any contact with IT professionals in education at every juncture - least we let the cat out of the bag.

 

Seems to me this is basically a way for them to find out what software they can write-off and not have to support until they can get their own offering in place.

[broc]

I have received two similar requests through our LA BSF team, asking for details about all software in use at school, when it was purchased, for how much etc etc. As much of our software is 'legacy' stuff bought before my time here and a lot was bought by subject departments (with & without my knowledge) I said it was not possible to comply with the request without instigating a major paper trail through our financial archives; as this would be very labour intensive & involve finance admin staff too I did not feel I could commit time to this without the request coming from our school SMT.

 

I did suggest that they might wish to look at what the school needed in xx years time to support the curriculum, rather than focus on what we were using now.......

 

I did however give them a list (short) of our most frequently & widely used products....