Blog - How K-12 Schools Can Quickly Eliminate Tech Problems

How K-12 Schools Can Quickly Eliminate Tech Problems

In Education, Technology Planning by Ken Nero

Now more than ever, we depend on technology to run our schools and our lives. When the “internet goes down,” most schools are at a standstill until they are back online, costing precious learning time.

It’s not just the BIG problems but things like file access, password protection, being able to print and recovering files or versions of files that were accidentally overwritten or deleted. All of these are common needs in today’s schools.

Every school must have a way to get back up and running quickly should something happen or even ELIMINATE tech problems before they start.

That’s why we’ve created a list to help you determine how ready your K-12 school is for these issues so you can stay focused on learning and not have to worry about these all-too-common occurrences.

Check off all that apply:

  • Does your IT company answer their phone LIVE and respond to emergencies promptly?
  • Is your IT company easy to reach and highly responsive (responding within an hour) when you need them for non-emergencies?
  • Do you know if your IT company proactively monitors, patches and updates your computer network’s critical security settings daily? Weekly? At all? How do you know for sure? Hint: Most don’t!
  • Does your IT company offer proof that they are backing up ALL your data, laptops and devices?
  • Does your IT company meet with you regularly (at least once a quarter) to report what they’ve been doing, review projects and offer new ways to improve your network’s performance instead of waiting until you have a problem to make recommendations?
  • Does your IT company provide detailed invoices that clearly explain what you are paying for?
  • Does your IT company explain what they are doing and answer your questions in terms that you can understand, NOT in “geek speak” and routinely ask if there’s anything else they can help with, no matter how small?
  • Does your IT company proactively discuss cybersecurity with you, make recommendations for protecting your network from ransomware and offer employee training, so they don’t fall victim to a scam?
  • Has your IT company provided you complete network documentation, or do they hold the “keys to the kingdom” refusing to give you admin passwords so you’re totally helpless if something goes wrong and you can’t get a hold of them?
  • Do techs arrive on time and dress professionally, and do you look forward to working with them, or do you cringe every time you have to make that call?

If your current IT company or technician does NOT check the boxes on every point, you could be paying for substandard support. This could jeopardize your data and your network’s security and cost you countless hours in lost productivity and instruction time because you and your staff are spending time dealing with problems that shouldn’t exist. If that’s the case, then it’s time you see what else is out there and make sure you’re getting what you pay for.

To schedule a free 10-minute discovery call to see how we can get rid of your tech issues, CLICK HERE, or call 212-334-6481.

IKON Business Group is a trusted IT Support Provider in New York that specializes in K-12 Schools.