RM OR NOT TOO RM THAT IS THE QUESTION

[ChrisLinaker]

Hi Guys & Girls,

 

I'll try and keep this brief. Currently using CC3 (now in seventh year...I know, I can't believe it either). Looking at CC4 for next year or an alternative. Also looking at updating Admin network which is standard Server 2003/XP client (Self built and commissioned to keep costs down, as were Admin PCs).

 

Here is the question...Is there a viable alternative to RMs one stop shop? The thing I like about RM is the fact that you don't have two or more companies blaming each other for problems with me sat in the middle with no solution ie Hardware vendor blaming the software vendor etc also the fact I can have a system re-built in 40 minutes leaving me to get on with other things.

 

We are only a small setup, around 20 Admin PCs and 71 Curriculum including laptops (Admin and Curriculum completely seperate).

 

Thanks in advance

 

Chris

[andyturpie]

We are just midway through our CC3 to CC4 migration. I looked at all other options Vanilla,Impero,CSE and Ranger, but plumpt for CC4 as we found out that 3 years of using another system, the recurring charges outweighed the cost of CC4, the learning curve is smaller and downtime in migrating and re-imaging even less.

[mavhc]

What can you do with CC than you can't do without?

[Norphy]

Ahhh, run for the hills! It's another CC question!

 

I jest, I jest. I think the question should be, what parts of CC3 do you use? What parts of CC4 do you see yourself using? Are those parts worth what RM want to charge you for them? In our case, the answer to that was "no" but for you it may not be. It's perfectly possible for you to rebuild a machine in less than 40 minutes with all software installed without CC4 using other tools like SCCM which, if you're using EES, costs virtually nothing.

 

There aren't may companies besides RM that act as a one-stop-shop like you want. RM are probably the best established of those that do.

[Oaktech]

If you are contemplating any kind of one stop shop I think RM is the best option.

 

We are going away from it, but we have a good team with lots of skills and vanilla experience, it is not cost effective for us to stay with RM for anything other than RM server hardware warranty

[ChrisLinaker]

Many thanks for the comments folks!

[glennda]

Personally I would look towards vanilla but its only if the skill set is there for managing it.

 

With the added extra's which come with Windows now in my opinion no need for these third party management tools.

 

I'm not sure what Virtualization stuff RM support but thats the route I would be going.

[maestromasada]

I'm not sure what Virtualization stuff RM support but thats the route I would be going.

 

VMware, RM supplies vShpere when implementing virtualisation

[maestromasada]

What can you do with CC than you can't do without?

 

As you are well trying to point out there is nothing that will make CC4 a compulsory solution, but the management interface that they put in front of your really makes thing easier, this is what you're paying for afer all.

One of the hiddedn beauties of CC4 is that you can delegate access to teachers to use the RMMC, they can check student's work as they wish wtihout me giving them the access to all sort of servers or mapped drives or messing with ACLs.

[Blue_Cookeh]

What are the costs of CC4 over a vanilla network?

 

We're a small primary and with the (relatively) new EES agreements MS bought in, we can do a lot of things we couldn't do before due to our budget. We're able to get all sorts of high end Enterprise software cheap as chips, I really don't see the point of the overhead of RM CC nowadays.

[Steven_Cleaver]

I have used Vanilla, RM, CSE and Ranger to some extent in various roles over the last twelve years all were fine some better than others for certain things, I prefer certain management tools to make things easier so things take less time so I can develop other things. I now use Burconix and there BCX tools they also provide various levels of support and setup anything from just there tools to complete Network rebuild\migration, Virtualisation etc. you could take a look at these as an alternative.

Burconix - Professional ICT Solutions for Education and SME

[Roberto]

What are the costs of CC4 over a vanilla network?

 

While I think the savings on software are substantial, if an establishment does not have a person on staff with the right skills to manage a "vanilla" network then the costs of getting someone in or getting a current employee up to the standard to manage/support this network are likely to be substantial.

 

I work with norphy at a college with a large network, and the savings from deciding on vanilla are substantial for us (because the college needs several highly trained IT people either way, so its not a factor) but it's worth remembering that every penny 'saved' on the licence for something like CC4 is not free money in your school's pocket.

[Danp]

No, dont go down the CC4 route. I would not again, look at vanilla with RM as a support if needed

[HarryMonkey]

We went from CC3 to CC4, with W2008R2, everything virtualised plus CC4 Anywhere and haven't regretted it. The RMMC is a far superior product to that of CC3

[Danp]

The RMMC is a far superior product to that of CC3

 

That is very true, not perfect, but much better than it was

[Sylv3r]

We were a CC3 school for 5 or 6 years and Connect 2.4 before that, each product has got better as it is released. Early installs of CC4 had major issues espescially for those schools who had an inplace upgrade - those that have gone for a fresh install have had a lot more success.