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Question of the Day: What's the most interesting small town you've visited in South Africa?
IT support for schools
- Thread starter JJRM
- Start date
labratza
Expert Member
good question as I am starting a company and would like to approach the schools
nic777
Expert Member
Do the schools need IT support? Does the school have money for IT support? Thats my first questions....
graviti
Senior Member
Almost all schools that have an IT infrastructure of some kind have in house support. 95% of school support requests require immediate assistance. They can't wait for some external company to arrive.
For example, my computer won't start due to a blown PSU. We actually carry spares so within 5 minutes its back up and running and I can actually continue my lessons. If it isn't up and running straight away a spare unit is brought in whilst they repair the broken unit. No company can offer that turn around time, which educators have to demand as their day is broken up into 45 minute deadlines. Not unless they are paying a ****load more than the salary of an in house technician that is.
And then the schools that don't have in house will barely have the infrastructure to warrant a retainer contract. Rather just make the schools aware of your presence. Offer your service for quotations, and make yourself available for emergencies. Don't expect retainers. If you are persistent you may end up a preferred supplier.
For example, my computer won't start due to a blown PSU. We actually carry spares so within 5 minutes its back up and running and I can actually continue my lessons. If it isn't up and running straight away a spare unit is brought in whilst they repair the broken unit. No company can offer that turn around time, which educators have to demand as their day is broken up into 45 minute deadlines. Not unless they are paying a ****load more than the salary of an in house technician that is.
And then the schools that don't have in house will barely have the infrastructure to warrant a retainer contract. Rather just make the schools aware of your presence. Offer your service for quotations, and make yourself available for emergencies. Don't expect retainers. If you are persistent you may end up a preferred supplier.
Our school has someone who does the Networking for the IT room. Always considered it pretty dumb as networking could and should be done by the IT teacher. For example, if she needs to change out a broken computer or rearrange them(They each have a number designation for easy identification when collecting work), then they have to call in the IT guy and he would have to assign the IP address, etc..
Also, we have a network in the office. Few PCs hooked up there too, although Telkom may have set that one up as a standard network when they connected the ADSL.
No clue how the contract is done, but I guess if no one at the school knows how to set up a network, then someone has to be called in to do it. Did you guys think of asking around with the local schools and seeing what the deal is ?
Also, we have a network in the office. Few PCs hooked up there too, although Telkom may have set that one up as a standard network when they connected the ADSL.
No clue how the contract is done, but I guess if no one at the school knows how to set up a network, then someone has to be called in to do it. Did you guys think of asking around with the local schools and seeing what the deal is ?
Fulcrum29
Honorary Master
Well, I have an agreement to support the support of all IT at a few schools. Some of these have a fixed agreement and others I will never charge more than R100p/h (all tiers)… This is only a special clause in my company I keep for these schools and as I said I support the support. I also manage all of these infrastructures with CentraStage from which I do not profit and only with a fixed agreement, this at times includes certain hardware. This depends on you, most IT companies I work with charge their standard tariffs for all levels of service and only provide discounts on software and hardware. There is much to say, but I cannot share information in my trade…