Collaborative Support

Key Benefits

• Unlimited telephone, email and remote support for all your administration computers and servers including SMS, FMS and SIMS Gateway.
• Up to six on-site support visits to resolve technical incidents that cannot be resolved remotely.
• Greatly reduced pay-as-you-use (PAYU (Adobe PDF, 48KB) (Adobe PDF, 48KB)) prices for additional on-site support and installation visits
• SIMS and FMS upgrades undertaken if requested
• Four SIMS credits
• Annual technical forum hosted by Schools ICT Services for IT11 Network Managers, ICT Technician or ICT support providers to be able to meet peers, share best practice and receive ICT updates
• Annual service review meeting and management report.

Service Details

Please note: This service is designed to work collaboratively with schools that have their own ICT Network Manager, ICT technician or ICT support provider.

It includes:

• telephone, email and remote support (where available) in the use of SIMS, SIMS upgrades, SIMS Gateway, and for an unlimited number of administration ICT incidents, including technical FMS incidents
• installation, configuration, and support of SIMS and FMS software updates within one month of release if requested
• support for upgrades and configuration of SIMS software updates within one month of release
• advice on the basic use of Microsoft Word and Excel in support of SIMS
• access to software at greatly reduced prices
• Four SIMS credits
• access to SIMS and Office specialist training and documentation at discounted prices.
• help liaising with suppliers or hardware support providers where we have an existing contractual or operational relationship
• one on-site visit per term (on request) (six altogether) when an incident cannot be resolved remotely – this applies to administration computers and servers only
• access to a tested hardware catalogue.

The service does not include:

• SIMS Annual Maintenance - this should be paid direct to Capita
• SIMS and FMS data fixing – if your data needs to be sent away for fixing by a third party, this may result in an extra charge. For more information see IS40-A RBUSS Remote Backup service
• assistance or advice in the day-to-day use of FMS, or Capita licensing for FMS – for more information please refer to the Finance services
• support for the ‘curriculum’ network – please refer to our pay-as-you-use (PAYU) rates (secure document) (Adobe PDF, 275KB)
• teachers’ laptops – these are classed as curriculum computers and therefore supported by your school’s own ICT network manager, ICT technician or ICT support provider. Pay-as-you-use (PAYU) visits are required to support these computers
• other on-site support – please refer to our PAYU rates (secure document) (Adobe PDF, 275KB)
• backup or restore procedures - for more information see IS40-A RBUSS Remote Backup service
• resolution of hardware or software incidents caused by third parties
• replacement of faulty hardware
• disposal of ICT equipment
• implementation of national or local initiatives or projects.

Pricing

Funded Support

Getting The Most From Your Service

To help us give you the highest levels of customer service, it is important that your school or academy does the following:

• contact the Schools Service Desk by telephone, email, service desk tool or HECTA to log all incidents and service requests
• do not allow third parties to make unauthorised changes to your administration systems, hardware, software or ICT infrastructure
• ensure all administration laptops are brought onsite and connected to the network regularly (at least weekly) to receive updates
• incorporate training into the school or academy’s development plan to ensure the best use is made of the available software.

What Your School Needs To Do

To help us give you the highest levels of customer service, it is important that your school or academy does the following:

• make sure your technical support provider is able to support your ICT infrastructure – they should be proficient in both technical skills and systems standards, and where possible demonstrate that they conform to national or internationally agreed standards such as the Framework for IT Support (FITS) or the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC)
• update your antivirus software on all servers, workstations and laptops at least weekly, or when advised by the supplier or Schools Service Desk
• keep your ICT equipment in good working order
• ensure all your computers have supported versions of Microsoft operating systems, Microsoft Office and other supported software – for more information see our Schools Application Services brochure
• ensure staff using your computers and systems are fully trained and have adequate access to support if they have a query or operational failure
• review your ICT ‘acceptable use’, ‘e-safety’ and ‘security and governance’ policies every year. Ensure all users have agreed and signed your policies before using your ICT equipment, email system or accessing the internet
• maintain a reliable backup and recovery procedure
• ensure your servers and critical computers are covered by a suitable hardware maintenance
• budget to replace your hardware and software within a reasonable period of time, typically five years
• put in place good working practices to contribute to a secure ICT environment. In particular, ensure that laptops taken off the premises are used in line with your ‘acceptable use’, ‘e-safety’ and ICT ‘security and governance’ policies
• dispose of old computers and ICT equipment responsibly by using a secure WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) compliant process
• demonstrate best value principles by buying goods and services from reliable suppliers, using guidance and advice from ICT professionals

Quality Assurance

To help us give you the highest levels of customer service, it is important that your school or academy does the following:

• make sure your technical support provider is able to support your ICT infrastructure – they should be proficient in both technical skills and systems standards, and where possible demonstrate that they conform to national or internationally agreed standards such as the Framework for IT Support (FITS) or the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC)
• update your antivirus software on all servers, workstations and laptops at least weekly, or when advised by the supplier or Schools Service Desk
• keep your ICT equipment in good working order
• ensure all your computers have supported versions of Microsoft operating systems, Microsoft Office and other supported software – for more information see our Schools Application Services brochure
• ensure staff using your computers and systems are fully trained and have adequate access to support if they have a query or operational failure
• review your ICT ‘acceptable use’, ‘e-safety’ and ‘security and governance’ policies every year. Ensure all users have agreed and signed your policies before using your ICT equipment, email system or accessing the internet
• maintain a reliable backup and recovery procedure
• ensure your servers and critical computers are covered by a suitable hardware maintenance
• budget to replace your hardware and software within a reasonable period of time, typically five years
• put in place good working practices to contribute to a secure ICT environment. In particular, ensure that laptops taken off the premises are used in line with your ‘acceptable use’, ‘e-safety’ and ICT ‘security and governance’ policies
• dispose of old computers and ICT equipment responsibly by using a secure WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) compliant process
• demonstrate best value principles by buying goods and services from reliable suppliers, using guidance and advice from ICT professionals

Terms & Conditions

Support