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List:       suse-linux-uk-schools
Subject:    RE: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Costs of RM vs "other" options - advo
From:       "Grainge,  Derek" <DGG () wellington-college ! berks ! sch ! uk>
Date:       2002-03-06 10:35:29
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> Essentially - RM provide everything they seem to think they 
> want (though how much they know about what they want is an 
> open question, IYSWIM) and a single point of support. 
> 

Sorry, this is not an answer to your question, but a comment on RM et al.
You will find a number of schools that swear by RM, and others who have used
them and moved on.

Reasons for RM:  managed support for servers; you can pay for workstation
installs; their standard install covers many of the things schools want.
(office apps plus internet access and admin tools for example).  If you
don't have the technical skills in-house this is a very good way to go.  (I
had better add Viglen as well there, as it also provides similar services to
the WIndows schools market)

Reasons against RM: you have to do things the RM way, and if you want to do
something different you could end up with an inflexible solution.   Last
time I looked at it, RM wasn't able to support the 100+ CDs we run across
our network.  They also tweak M$ networking in proprietary ways.
Documented? 

Re your scare story:  a long time ago we started with RM.   We installed the
cabling, they supplied the server and stations.   In those days they were
happy to sell Novell to schools.   Within weeks it was obvious they'd
screwed up the server installation, and they had simultaneously made a
decision to restrict support to universities, and to stop selling it to
schools.  The concept of continuing to support what they had already sold
eluded them: their Novell people were removed from the schools department.
Therefore responses to support calls would take days as I was shuffled round
the RM empire.    I became pretty expert on Netware 2 and 3 installation as
a result.

The school also uses a Mentor database from Capita.   I know we have logged
at least one support call which has not been properly addressed in approx 2
months.

The reason I mention this is not to whinge about the companies concerned
(all right it was...), but to point out that when you buy a commercial
service you cannot take support for granted.   And why was this technician
allowed to produce his complicated system without documenting it?  That
sounds like bad management.


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