DrBeaker

In a business it made sense at one point. Staff getting tablets, phones etc in order to support the business and be flexible etc. Now with GDPR, encryption, proxy servers etc some of the el-cheapo devices people use it makes no sense. Especially moreso in schools where people will have el-cheapo devices that might not work with the network/guest security e.g. HP Stream devices and Fire tablets used to be a PITA for us.

InventryEvac does a print of all the signed-in users. But you have to wait for the printer to print them all, which I think it is a bit daft. The iPad thing was never taken off the drawing board for us.

The issue we had was caused by our Antivirus Trend picking up SIMs files as a problem our MSP found out! Never seen that before. But sort of funny it thinks SIMs is a virus!

How did you achieve this? Scheduled tasks etc? WoL?

With the amount of 3rd party apps running on the SIMs server, have you ever had any issues with moving everything across? E.g. CPOMs, Inventry, Groupcall, Cunninghams/BioStore off the top of my head run on ours. We migrated our Server last year to a new one, but it took FOREVER to get the 3rd party bits installed and working in order to get everything sorted.

Seems to further add to the general opinion that Ofsted doesn't have a bloody clue when it comes to anything technology or IT related in schools. I don't know which one I'm more concerned about. Their lack of interest or lack of concern about it.

How are you managing and transfering anything like Groupcall or 3rd party apps to the new server?

Simple answer is make the company supply and manage their own kit and software. Not your employees, not your problem. Remember as soon as you touch it, it's forever YOU who have worked on it. We've had this discussion with Inventry and their PC when they told me I could install Antivirus on it. No mate, not my kit, not my problem.

Not too sure about the Papercut client. But would you maybe willing to share some ideas for Xibo? Used it before in a previous school and it worked really well. Going to set it up in this one when I get chance. I'm always curious how other schools use it and deploy it etc.

Will say that although my experience of Cunningham's isn't particularly a positive one, it does seem to work. No point going with someone cheaper who promises the earth but can't deliver.

Can you change the mouse/cursor speed ?

Used Cunninghams in 2x schools - only the catering manager deals with them usually. But their support is very questionable IMHO from experience at both. Surly, unhelpful, unresponsive etc. YMMV. One time we had a problem with the reval units. They told the catering manager as they had an IT person onsite (me) that "the reval was only a computer so get your IT person to open it and connect a keyboard and monitor". Err NO. That's not my job, that's what we're paying YOU for. It was at least -10 Points to Cunninghams in my book for that attitude. We also had an issue in September where they wouldn't come out to site, unless they were paid upfront. I believe the tills are on Windows 7, so is their office PC and they've still not put any plans in place AFAIK to replace or upgrade them. None of that is my kit so not my responsibility. Watch this space.

Well.....they have said having a school dog would benefit everybody. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-47655600 I'd have one in my office, he can sit by the radiator in a little basket. I'd take him for a walk every lunch hour.

THAT is a VERY good point! Sometimes schemes like this "forget" to include the support staff. Which then creates an even greater divide between "them" and "us" than there already is. Which isn't exactly going to contribute to the wellbeing as a whole.

At one place, we used to get a free tea/coffee at break in the staff room every school day, but that was it. It did help with being able to go chat with staff for a few minutes outside of any IT issues which was good. However miss that timeslot and tough. Everything else you had to pay for yourself. No facilities in the staff room to make anything. Not even a communal kitty for coffee etc. I do find here that the structure of the school day, doesn't allow any socialising outside of any actual IT issues. I can go the whole day without a human or face-to-face interaction with another adult. So I do think the wellbeing is something that needs working on in a lot of schools. Myself however as I have a kettle in the office and it's only me, I make a drink whenever I want. I have invited some staff up for a coffee who have partaken in a chat and coffee.

That seems a bit deceptive then though with the printer. Same as with any processes though, any failings aren't to show people up despite what people think. They're to identify what works, what doesn't, what we can improve on and things we'd like to improve on (wish-list). I have my plans for improving, upgrading and replacing things. Realistically a lot can't be done due to resources, time, budget etc. Those are beyond my control and pay grade. E.g. I identified when I started the amount of IT problems they have here, including no spare computers - plan is to get some spare ones purchased as that - spares. It's a bit odd that no-one recognises how much IT is used and needed in schools, even Ofsted - from electronic registers, internet, PowerPoints, projectors, sound systems etc etc.

This .... is why I don't agree with IT people being told to do PAT Testing. We're simply not qualified in that area. I'm certainly no electrician. I was always told PAT Testing itself is basically a farce. Simply as it covers the electrical safety at work bit an employer is legally obliged to do. E.g. if a metal kettle shocked you and wasn't PAT-tested, they'd be issues and possible liability. If it has been tested then they're covered. Bear in mind I've seen in another school mains plugs pass a PAT-test, to find the plastic case itself crumbling away in the mains socket - so how on earth did that get passed? But oh know it's safe, it's got a green PAT test sticker on it.

Congrats. Don't forget to keep visiting here though, the knowledge and wisdom of all is what contributes to this great forum.

Hi All, Just curious as to how other schools and IT teams have dealt with any Ofsted inspections etc. Do they ask to see anything IT-related such as IT plans, IT suites, budget etc? Or is it simply a case of only stuff related to the teaching of students? Thanks

I have a WV-58U and a W-96H. For me the W-96H was a more updated versions of the legendary F-91W. All cheap enough to replace if they get badly damaged. Don't have to charge them either.

There's a hell of a lot of stuff that goes on here without me being consulted or informed about them - so it's not just you. Ironically CPOMs was one of those systems. They don't understand that every additional service that goes onto an MIS system either slows it down, or adds more complexity when it comes to any problems. I've seen companies use a groupcall xporter job that simply gets imported and run (seems to be the de facto standard that works), seen others use a batch file, seen others have an installer that simply runs a service on the server. A lot of our processes staff seem to run are paper-based and then need inputting onto spreadsheets all the time. I'm sure they can be improved and streamlined to make life easier all around. But if they don't want my help, what can I do.

Looks like it's https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/p/office-lens/9wzdncrfj3t8?activetab=pivot:overviewtab# and it's just a photo to PDF/doc converter?

We're currently having issues where SIMs seems to want to reinstall itself, times out, waits and then trys to reinstall itself again. Then goes in a loop like that. Anybody getting anything like that?

That's kind of shocking, that something that should be fairly straightforward - is actually massively complicated.

Anybody getting any weird issues e.g. SIMS seems to be reinstalling itself from the SOLUS3 agent?