Home Access in Kent - All Comments

re: Open Source Technology and Home Access

Anon1 — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:27:44 GMT

The key question is, how do these schools rely on ICT?

I am all for Open Source, however, it has to be managed in the correct way. For example, if Kent decided that Open Office was to be adopted across the county and they would support it, it leaves the schools with support.

I agree it has a place in the future of schools, but not as a whole - I would say for backend services only.

The User interface which Microsoft has is familiar everywhere... Why change from what everyone is comfortable with?

Regarding expertise, that is the problem with Open source, what happens when the manager leaves? At least with RM CC3/CC4 (Or school solution), you have the backing and support of a company which has been established for many years.

re: Open Source Technology and Home Access

AlanDay — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:28:50 GMT

I'd like to take you up on your offer and see it working. I am a Becta ICT Mark assessor, and would be most interested to see how a school running open source compares against this benchmark.

It is notable that many schools express how great their ICT is using open source, yet I know of none that have been awarded the ICT Mark, and none offer their services via the ICT register of best practice. The challenge? the first school to meet the ICT Mark assessment criteria using open source as their main operating system (desktops and servers). That would have real impact and set the school up as the only open source lead school.

Can open source help a school achieve e-maturity? I hope so, because thats when it will be accepted.

re: Open Source Technology and Home Access

Artie Ball — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 07:21:28 GMT

We are running a Linux based backend with the Karoshi management system used to carry out administration functions. Our system is in my opinion far easier to maintain and operate than a vanilla Microsoft infrastructure. Yes of course we have to have the knowledge and expertise to work with Linux, but the same would apply to anyone maintaining a Microsoft system with any degree of competence. If you want everything done for you with no flexibility and the attendant costs, then by all means adopt a system such as CC3 (Sorry RM). In our case if something does not work the way we want, we can sort it out or create the required functionality ourselves, we do not have to wait for Microsoft or RM to fix it for us. I welcome anyone to come and have a look at what we are doing.

re: Open Source Technology and Home Access

Paul Sharrad — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 05:00:23 GMT

I cannot comment on what has gone wrong at Swadelands after I left but would like to point out that the client computers were actually standard 2000 and xp clients so not very hard to maintain. I was also not the Network Manager as the school didn't have one at the time. The best technician I have ever worked with maintained around 350 client computers on his own which indicates how efficient the whole network was. Unfortunately he moved up to Leeds for a career move.

re: Andy Hutt - Vision for the Future

Andy Hutt — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:04:38 GMT

Becki & Alan - thanks for a great day, full of good presentations and thinking. It was a brave move to have the facilitated discussion groups and it worked well! Congratulations on your courage and I’m looking forward to seeing the results from Demos.

Andy

Andy Hutt

Andy Hutt — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 22:49:09 GMT

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