New Contract Update

[Bill Bixby]

Don't like this bit - 'The new infrastructure will also allow teachers and students to gain access to the network and resources securely via personal devices such as smart phones, iPads, tablet PCs and laptops'.
 
http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/1162

[Marc]

I was reading up on the information from google this morning as well. Staff and pupils being able to access the network from those various devices listed on the Northgate website will probably end up being a nightmare - at the start anyway.

[Gerard]

you think they would inform us first before the media lol...  will be interesting to see how it pans out

[Bill Bixby]

you think they would inform us first before the media lol...  will be interesting to see how it pans out

Sure start as you mean to go on, ignore the schools, the actual users of the system.

[casper]

you think they would inform us first before the media lol...  will be interesting to see how it pans out

Why would they inform us mushrooms? lol

[Telone]

Just read the Northgate blurb on their web http://www.northgate-is.com/view/news/item/1162
 
I can smell the bulls**t from here. 
 
 
 

[JMcB]

The new infrastructure will also offer greater device connectivity - allowing teachers and students to gain access to the network and resources securely via personal devices such as smart phones, IPads, tablet PCs and laptops.  Broadband provision will be improved with schools being provided with up to 200Mb.

 

[New2C2k]

DEPRESSED

[casper]

The five year contract will see Northgate design, implement and manage a completely new and innovative Private Cloud (Insert missing words) environment for all schools in NI, providing secure access to resources online, 24 x 7 from a wide range of devices.

Just realised that there's two words missing from this - 'cuckoo land'.

[Si]

I'd like to see what this 'wide range of devices' is.  Because this is cloud computing, it shouldn't matter what device you use to access it.  I have a funny feeling however that to access this cloud, Northgate will be requiring schools to buy access licences for devices connecting to it.  Or some other asshattery that will cripple schools budgets.

They have also been green lighted as a 'prefferred supplier' which means the Education boards think its just fine and dandy that Northgate can slap a 100% mark-up on any item they sell to schools.  Fantastic.

[Bill Bixby]

Hi Guys

Atleast give it a chance, reading from the info on google talking about upto 200mb lines into schools, and from what I have been told the solution NIS are putting in place is very impressive.  No that anything would be better than the RM front end.  Bring on a complete windows solution!

I'm with christy on this, even though she's clearly the mole as she's only posted for the first time today and has been registered for several years.

[casper]

Some interesting reading here
http://www.techmarketview.com/ukhotviews/archive/northgate-wins-northern-ireland-education-contract

[casper]

This seems to be their Cloud based system

https://www.northgate-academy.com/RegForm/UI/RegistrationForm.aspx

[New2C2k]

Some interesting reading here
http://www.techmarketview.com/ukhotviews/archive/northgate-wins-northern-ireland-education-contract

Costing at least 10s of Millions of pounds, Why, what for? I doubt we will notice any difference from Northgate the same old churn of the mill rubbish, with Wireless laptops that dont work, User accounts that can take decades to get logged on (with only 50Mb storage space)  and prices of products at least 3 times there value, I wonder why this is allowed to go on with all these government budget cuts it makes no sense to continue on with a overpriced contract who bankrupt the schools when buying IT equipment?   

[casper]

And wouldn't you know it can't create an account - doesn't work lol