1066girl

psydii - we were quoted £18k not £1800! If it was £1800 it wouldn't be a problem. I will double check that with Millgate! Thanks for all your suggestions, we will look at Advanced Installer in the meantime!

We have been trialling the above software and it has been brilliant for packaging apps for SCCM 2012. However, we have just got the pricing through Millgate and its £18k per annum which is way out of our price range. Have anyone else found a more reasonably priced solution? We need to ensure we can use it for App-V, so it is more than a simple MSI packager that we need. Thanks in advance Angela

Thanks every one for your responses. Thanks for this, this is useful to hear. This might be a possibility for us then. I will look into the feasibility of this (our exam invigilators aren't very IT literate!)

We have folder redirection setup here on our Windows Server 2012 r2 environment, so when we create users and they login, a home folder is created in users$ and their "documents" path is redirected to this folder. Unfortunately, I have 300 Continuous Assessment accounts to create. I have created the account by importing them in bulk in ManageEngine ADManager, but now need to log into every account in order to create the folder so I can copy the files into these folders. Is there any method we can use to automate this? I have googled and looked at ADManager Automation but no "user login" option is available, only create user, delete user, etc. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks everyone

Hi both and thanks for the replies. We are using Azure synchronisation. We have issues with the user setup in CC4 that means we have had to recreated the users in 2012 r2, so effectively there would be no relationship between their original CC4 accounts and the new account. We would have preferred to bring everyone across, but the issue with migrating them all across is that Finance want us to wait until after year end to migrate their accounts and Finance system across.

Hi all, We have been building a new 2012 r2 domain to replace our 2003 CC4 environment. This side of the project is going well. We had already migrated to Office 365 in February this year. Due to year end, some of our users are having to remain on CC4 for approximately 6 weeks after we planned to switch our users across onto the new domain. My question is if anyone out there knows if it is possible for Office 365 to be pointing to the old and new domains simultaneously without screwing up the synchronisation? I have consulted a third party who usually support us, but they are so far unable to advise.... I have searched and searched online and cannot find any examples to explain exactly what Office 365 uses to synchronise the system. Anyone experience a similar scenario or can point me to anywhere online that may be able to help. Thanks in advance

That sounds like a nightmare. I wish you the best of luck getting that one sorted. Thanks again for your help

It now transpires that none of our recently purchased license keys have been added to the agreement, despite the email confirming it had been added! Now all sorted after a couple of phone calls, thank goodness! Thanks everyone, particularly FN-GM.

If there is anyone else out there that can review their VLSC, who has purchased CIS licensing, I would be grateful if they could check. We had ordered FUD-00819 as our part number.

Thanks for this. There seems to be quite a few issues at the moment with VSLC. I noted that I can't go into Manage Users either - it simply comes up with an error message. Just panicking as our inactivated server licence runs out in two days!

Hi, We installed some new servers without activating the licences a couple of weeks ago as we were waiting for our licences to be emailed to us which got delayed due to us changing software reseller. We then received our product keys today. Among other things, we had ordered CIS licences for 2012 r2. When we have gone onto the VLS console, the CIS 2012 r2 licenses are listed under Licenses. However, under Product Keys, there are only Datacenter 2012 licenses (ie not r2) listed, alongside the SCCM licenses, etc. When we have entered this key onto the server, of course it hasn't been accepted. When we have gone back to the reseller and they have said that the licensing is correct - that Datacenter is only 2012 not 2012 r2. When I explained that I was unable to enter the product key onto the server, they said it was because you couldn't convert a trial license to a subscribed license. However, we haven't loaded a trial version of the software - we have simply loaded the full version and not activated it, so are working under the "30 day grace period". We have now been told that Microsoft won't help us unless we pay £199 for consultancy! Can anyone who has purchased CIS 2012 r2 please tell me what version license is listed for Datacenter on your VLS portal please? Thanks in advance

Hi all, We are midway through implementing a new 2012 r2 server environment and getting rid of CC4 forever. We are also putting SCCM in place and now need to develop SCCM images for all our PCs. All the drivers are currently stored in CC4. Bear with me, as I have zilch knowledge of CC4 and our network admin has got the day off but is there any way of extracting these driver files to save us having to resource them for SCCM or which folder are they usually stored in on the server? Any ideas??? Thanks very much

Thanks for this, yes the numbers were taken straight from the HR system, and aren't fte's or teaching/admin only! I did know about SCCM including SQL. We have SQL for MIS, Finance system, Estates System, other small dbs and an HR db which run on their own virtual servers. SCCM - we are planning to use it for server management as well as Endpoint, updates, patch management, software packaging, asset management, etc. Ultimately, it will be nice to introduce more automation for new staff, etc. Thanks for the reminder about MDOP, we want to look at App-V and UE-V once the domain is built. So, £35 per fte sounds a really good deal.

Yes this is fte including cleaners, catering, boarding staff, medical, estates staff, school office, etc etc. If it is full time teachers and admin, it is probably nearer 300!

Thanks guys for coming back so super speedily. We are not a special school, we are an independent with a high BYOD rate. This is really useful. Thanks again.

Hi everyone, I have been trying to work out the best licensing approach for our school. I arrived at my current school to discover all the licensing in complete disarray (they expired last August) and the RM CC4 environment on its knees, accompanied by an RM abandoned Office 365 project. As a result, I have had no choice than to sever ties with RM as the account management has been pretty poor and they seemed fairly disinterested in doing much to save the relationship. So, I am currently on the market for a new licensing partner, but need to pull together costs for server and cal licensing for the school asap as we need to implement a new server environment to replace the Server 2003 CC4 environment. We have 600 fte's and 700 PCs. I need to license the following, but am confused about CALs and whether EES represents value for money for us based on our ftes v device count: 4 x Windows Server 2012 R2 DataCenter Licenses 1 Yr 5 x SQL Server Enterprise 1Yr 4 x Windows System Center 2012 Datacenter We have managed to implement office 365, so have got E1 Faculty/Student licensing. We would also like to implement MDOP at the same time as SCCM to help us deliver UE-V and App-V but again, I have no idea how this is licensed and am struggling under the barrage of url links in the microsoft pages to make sense of it all! Anyone here know anything about licensing these environments that can point me in the right direction?!? Thanks

Does anyone have any experience of leasing Apple Mac suites of equipment for art, music or media studies? I have recently taken over running an IT Services department in a school where investment in all hardware has been patchy. The Mac estate is a mixture of 10-3 years old and, as a result is running various versions of software, some hardware is supported, some is not (and not likely to be due to age). We are also suffering in that students have up to date iMacs at home, start projects and then bring them into school to finish, only to discover that the version of software at school is out of date! I am potentially faced with asking for £65k to replace this kit (and this is without the licensing bill), and so am looking at alternatives that could help us spread the cost more. However, I would never usually go down the leasing route for anything other than managed printing, so I am interested in hearing if anyone has had positive experiences with leasing of Mac based equipment and can recommend a supplier, can warn me off, or share their lessons learned of such an exercise? Thanks very much.

Hi Tom, Did you have any luck finding anything to run extra-curricular activities? I am just starting to look and have checked out CHQ. We may well have to look at this in more detail (if its in our budget) but I am interested in any other options. We are using something in house which relies on Sharepoint and have few skills to support it since the original developer has left. Thanks

Hi Everyone, We are an independent school utilising iSAMS but, in addition, are looking for a bells and whistles fleet management system to manage our own minibuses, plus other transport requirements. We have been looking at roombookingsystem which would be ideal for the minibus fleet, but we need to also carry out the following and so would prefer one system: 1) Ability to tailor booking information - ie specify what information is required for booking a taxi, versus a school minibus, versus a third party coach, etc. 2) Import student data from the MIS system (preferably automated). 3) Need to be able to schedule morning minibus collections, regular transport, school trip transport, sports fixtures transport, taxis for airports, etc. 4) Need the system to be web based and able to display on a tablet or smartphone. 5) Need to be able to pull off (or publish to Firefly/web portal) bookings lists, registers, etc. 6) Have a self-service portal for certain vehicles, such as pool vehicles, so staff can simply reserve them (such as the functionality on roombookingsystem). 7) Be able to keep track of MOTs, servicing, leasing renewals, DBS renewals/Safeguarding training for drivers, etc. 8) Need to be able to query information such as driver hours, so if we suddenly have a driver off sick, we can manage the driver resources. Our transport management is a sea of paperwork and seems a dark art to the untrained eye! I can't believe that we are the only school with this type of requirement, so is anyone using such a system?? I am really interested to hear other people's experiences. Thanks in advance.

Our infrastructure is pretty old and so I have been reviewing it with a view to replacing it. We are a small SEN boarding school with 100 pupils and 250 staff. Internet is used heavily via BYOD for Skype purposes in the evening. We have a main site and two residential buildings situated some distance away. We currently have a Sophos WS1000 web filtering solution which is almost end of support and AV, both provided and supported by a third party which we have found to be very restrictive with Apple devices, etc. The AV seems to slow our PCs down also. Our firewall is provided and administered by an ISP. We have a virtual email filtering solution. I am looking at trying to use our EES Endpoint licences to save a little cash and would like the ability to administer our own systems (as getting Dragon Dictate to work on ipads and talk to the web took 18 months to resolve with these different suppliers!) I wondered what other schools of a similar size are using and roughly what you are paying for these solutions? Thanks very much

Head of Information Communication and Technology Services (Network & Infrastructure Manager) Permanent Full Time Salary £31,239 to £33,000 Based on South Coast, East Sussex To provide support to a special needs school in delivering its strategic objectives through the appropriate provision of information and communication technologies including · Managing the Network and Infrastructure · Developing effective Integrated Learning Technology and e-learning strategies · Developing a digital strategy to meet the business needs of the organisation Closing Date 26th January 2015 Interview Date 3rd February 2015 Job details will be posted up on the website by 5pm today: Speech, language, communication, School and 6th Form College, Bexhill, East Sussex, for children and young people aged 7 – 19, many of whom have other complex needs such as Autism. Here find out about - Current Job Opportunities | St Mary's

Great hearing some of your ideas (and the posts sympathising - it all helps!) I am still continue to audit actual printing totals, as the majority of classes are not printing sufficient numbers of copies to merit printers in the class. I have already suffered relentless moans from some of the teachers and am refusing to purchase new "cheapy" printers with high copy costs. My printing strategy proposal is almost ready for SLG, this includes actual costs for last year, plus estimated future costs. The way I see it, £10k savings almost covers the cost of a part time INA, so its their choice. Thanks everyone for your posts.

Hi everyone, Last year, we spent £13k on toner feeding very hungry (unreliable & poor quality) Dell printers. This is in addition to the cost of four aged photocopiers/printers. I halved the photocopier contract costs by introducing MFDs (Xerox 7855s) which we have connected the majority of office users to, moving the Dell printers to the skip. We have also got four large capacity Xerox 8050/8070s on an existing (not particularly cost effective imho) contract which was in place when I joined and still has 3+ years to run. We have introduced secure print options for the MFDs and have also reduced the number of printers in residential houses down to one. I have reduced the printers/MFDs down from 75 printers, to 33. However, we have 18 classrooms (over three buildings) and 9 residential houses (we are a special needs school & college with some boarders). We have succeeded in putting two printers into shared resource rooms which straddle some of the classrooms, this leaves me with 14 classrooms and 9 residential houses who all insist they need their own printing facilities - so a total of 23 printers (including desktop MFDs for the houses). Our students range from 7-19 years and, as the 6th-formers and older have some independence, we are looking at connecting the college classrooms in one building to one of the MFDs when their current Dell printers finally die. However, we are left with a total of 12 classrooms in three buildings and 9 resi houses who insist they need their own printers as "students can't be wandering outside of class unaccompanied to pick up printing". I calculated that last year, the Dell's cost £200 each per year to run (toner and ICT repair time as printing issues are responsible for 30% of our calls). I have £3.5k budget this year for toner (outside of the MFD and Xerox leasing contracts above) and one less member of staff, so I am keen to try to rationalise a little more and push the printing onto these cheaper per-copy options. I will need to apply for funding for the new printer solution, so this budget excludes that also. How do other schools deal with classroom printing? My background is corporate, where 100+ staff share one MFD per floor, so I have little comparison to make! Are there any suggestions for cost-effective, bomb-proof (pref laser) colour printers? Thanks everyone

Morning Everyone, I am wondering if anyone else has come across the same issue as ourselves. We installed some new PCs over summer with Windows 7 and Office 2010. We also rebuilt some existing machines with the same config. All these machines, when you select clipart in the Office apps, and choose Find more at Office.com, are getting this web page error: http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/images/?CTT=6&ver=14&app=winword.exe. Anyone else had this and managed to solve it? By the way, I have added *.microsoft.com, microsoft.com, office.com and office.microsoft.com into the Sophos firewall but it doesn't look like a firewall issue - it looks more an MS link issue to me. Thanks A

Morning. I took over a very small ICT Services team in a local boarding special needs school in December last year. They already had Sophos Antivirus, Email and Firewall Protection in place which is supported at the web appliance end by a third party. We have had continuing issues with regard to network speed, Skype dropouts and trying to run Dragon Dictate on iPADs through the firewall and have come to the conclusion that Sophos is probably not flexible enough for our future needs and possibly resource hungry. We tested Sophos UTM last week, but still can't get the iPADs to work through the firewall using configuration settings recommended in posts online. Our supplier has put forward Watchguard vUTM as a potential solution but I have no knowledge of this product. We are paying just over £4k annually for our solution (350 users or 300 PCs including BYOD for children). I was wondering if anyone had any experience of solutions that could meet our requirements and recommendations? Thanks very much.