Derby Diocesan Academy Trust (DDAT) appointed Link ICT Services in 2021 to provide remote ICT support to their Central Team. Since then our advisory role has expanded to include procurement advice and support to establish a new site in Bakewell.
Remote support desk
The aim of our appointment was to ensure any IT issues the Central Team staff members encounter can be resolved swiftly and smoothly without having to wait for a technician to be on site. Our remote support is available from Monday to Friday, from 8:30am until 5pm and our dedicated remote support technician is on hand to assist with any issues that come through to us by phone or via our ticketing portal.
IT Consultancy & Advice
Having provided their IT Support, we were also able to offer advice to improve other aspects of their IT infrastructure. This support has included helping DDAT procure and purchase new devices for their Central Team.
Effective Procurement
As part of our procurement process, we helped to define the most suitable technical specification each IT user needs from their IT equipment in order to perform their role effectively. We supported the set-up of various devices, ranging from Microsoft Surfaces to HP ProBooks.
As well as new devices, we have also restored damaged and unusable devices by replacing the keyboards and screens and these are now used as spare devices if needed in emergencies.
Competitive Rates
Our procurement involvement has supported DDAT to purchase IT equipment at competitive rates and verifying the devices purchased were not under or over spec’d. This analysis of each device and its users may have saved them money and improved employee efficiency.
Implementing MS Azure & Cyber Essentials
As part of our thorough onboarding process at DDAT, we also migrated the organisation to Microsoft Azure for device and user management.
Microsoft Azure, in combination with Microsoft Intune, allows us to change policies remotely when required, deploy applications, run virus scans and remotely manage and monitor various other aspects of their devices.
Microsoft Azure also allows us to oversee users within DDAT from one central place. This is hugely beneficial as it allows us to log users out of their sessions if their account is compromised. It also allows us to manage multi-factor authentication across their tenancy and enforce restrictions and policies for all users to keep compliance with their Cyber Essentials certification, which we also assisted them with completing. Having this certification enables them to be further protected from cyber-attacks.
Along with Microsoft Azure, we also support their use of Google Drive to allow all users access to secure, managed cloud storage. This has benefitted them as it allows for greater collaboration between colleagues and streamlines their file system.
New site support
In 2021, the Central Team moved to a new site in Bakewell, Derbyshire. The site was built for multipurpose training events for those working within the education sector. From governors to school business managers, these events are supportive of the progress of the teaching profession and play an important part in helping to learn even more about school needs.
At the Bakewell site, Link ICT played a crucial role in specifying and installing the technology required for the training rooms. This included the installation of a Logitech video conferencing kit which enables those that join in the meeting remotely, can enjoy high-precision cameras and sensitive microphones so all within the meeting are able to hear conversations and see content clearly.
Clevertouch technology
Meetings involving larger groups also have the option to use a high quality, 4K, 86″ Clevertouch Technologies interactive screen which enables easy viewing, as well as touchscreen functionality for enhanced learning. We also installed another 65″ Clevertouch Technologies display screen in one of the smaller training rooms for smaller meetings.
IT Network
Another technology solution we recommended for the site included the installation of a Cambium IT Network to deliver improved internet connectivity. The number of devices being used by organisations is ever-increasing which can slow down performance if the network is overloaded by demand. DDAT has found that by using Cambium Networks equipment, they have been able to maintain optimum performance speeds and by having un-faltered connectivity, they have been able to deliver all their teaching and learning sessions without interruption. By upgrading to Wi-Fi 6 DDAT now enjoys much higher network speeds.
Contact Link ICT Services
If you think your business could benefit from the wide range of services Link ICT can offer, please do not hesitate to get in touch.