Having worked in the education sector for over 15 years, Talking Business is fully up to date with the IT Support demands made on schools, especially when it comes to Cyber Security, and the safety of Children using the internet.
Government guidance refers to filters and monitors appropriately limiting exposure without being unreasonably restrictive – quite a tightrope to walk when staff and pupils have their own phones and devices with 3G and 4G internet access. We work with leaders in the field to stay on top of the latest software, learning and development to keep your school up to date. If you need to collaborate with other schools as recommended in the governments guidance for buying advice, we can help with that too. We have a number of very successful partnerships we’ve established at schools. See our case studies for more detail.
IT SOLUTIONS TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS
Our IT support packages are tailored for you, providing remote support to a completely managed service. We can provide everything from network security, KCSiE compliant firewalls, telephone and wireless systems to CCTV, door entry and print management, helping you to focus on day to day school business. Thanks to over 25 years in the business, we can offer very competitive prices. By securing IT support from us, you can:
SAVE MONEY
Save thousands on staff costs, national insurance, pension schemes, sick days and other employee costs
NO FUSS
Avoid the need to recruit when engineers leave - Achieve consistency of network planning, management for smooth running of filtering, firewalls, CCTV, door access and phone systems.
WE'RE THERE WHEN YOU NEED US
Engineers on site, remotely or shared with other local schools.
CONNECTIVITY - BROADBAND & LEASED LINES
A leased line is a dedicated, fixed bandwidth data internet connectivity product capable of carrying large amounts of data (VPN or virtual private network traffic and phone calls). A leased line is a type of internet connectivity however, it’s not the same as the normal Fibre or ADSL connection. It is used for allowing devices to connect to the internet, carry out phone calls, enable staff within a business to remote access their office work (from their homes) and to link PC’s and servers in different corporate offices. Leased lines can also be used to link two locations together. An example of this could be linking a data centre and corporate office together.
TELEPHONE SYSTEMS FOR SCHOOLS
Talking Business has a range of phone systems that we can provide to schools, providing a highly tailored service at the best price. IP Phone system features are perfect for schools as they can now be integrated with SIMS and other CRM systems. This allows click and dial from screens with the system recognising when a parent or student calls in, opening their record on SIMS. Having worked with schools, Talking Business understands one of the biggest advantages is the ability to deploy SIP lines to replace ISDN. These are virtual lines that come through an internet. They can save schools between 50%-60% on line rental as well as lower call charges.
WIRELESS NETWORKS - B.Y.O.D
Talking Business work with a number of different manufacturers, in order to supply the best wireless solution to each individual school. We work with Fortinet, Huawei and Ubiquiti. All three have different strengths that allow us to cater for all requirements in the educational market. Our systems allow students to connect their own devices to the wireless network. This will allow the school to give secure internet access while actively monitoring students’ internet activity. This is an important aspect of the KCSIE regulations, as schools need to show that they are pro-actively monitoring internet access.
GDPR FOR SCHOOLS
The General Data Protection Regulation comes into place in May 2018 and has a number of implications for schools and the way they handle data. Specifics schools need to consider for the GDPR are surveillance, subject access and pupils personal information, biometric use for cashless catering or borrowing library books, publishing of exam results, taking photos in schools. Talking Business can guide schools on the new guidance for 'Bring your own device' (BYOD) and security requirements for cloud computing, making sure your school is not in breach of new regulations. We can also guide you on SSL certification for websites and compliance with remote access to IT systems.