Date: December 10th, 2014 To: Michael Green From: Steve Rippl Subject: Tech Dept. Executive Summary
It feels a little like the lull before the storm (the summer’s opening of the new school and the reconfigure). Of course there is the general day to day work of supporting staff and fixing the small things that go awry, but we’re making the most of the time to continue upgrades and improve our network as we can. Staff will soon be getting Microsoft Office 2013 (they’re currently on the 2010 version), we’re doing some work around calibrating and networking UPSs (uninterruptible power supplies) and we’re going around in the background upgrading switch configurations and installing the last of the new access points.
We’re experimenting with a Google Chromecast device for streaming video from a computer to a monitor or TV wirelessly. It’s a consumer grade device which means it doesn’t function ideally in an enterprise network setting, but it is very inexpensive and is very easy to use for staff so we’re giving it a limited trial. We’re also almost ready to give the Middle School some Android tablets, Cari Thomson wants 5 of her teachers to try them out. They are slightly cheaper than iPads, whether they have the same or greater value in a broader sense is still an open question.