I'm ruling my I.T. dept!!

[3Dfx]

Im the youngest member of the I.T. dept... by some margin and im the one putting forward all the ideas LOL

1: re-arrange office to create more space
2: lock down / remove all user installed 3rd party software
3: use wireless networking for nearby employee laptop homes
4: allow VPN access for home workers
5: Change from DELL etc to Compaq & HP.


wooo...im happy.. and the end users think im "THE MAN"

[Enverex]

Change from Dell.... to Compaq.....

Lock Down / Remove all third party software is going to make everyone really happy......

NS

[Bindibadgi]

Originally posted by NightShade737

Lock Down / Remove all third party software is going to make everyone really happy......

NS

Oh yea, youll make friends there!

[TiG]

Doesn't matter if it makes them happy or not, If its not needed to do there job and if its 3dFX's job to ensure the office is secure then he needs to do it.

Glad to here you've having some luck there 3DFX. Why more from Dell to Compaq or HP tho?.

TiG

[steve threlfall]

Originally posted by 3Dfx
5: Change from DELL etc to Compaq & HP.

And install some q tec psus while your at it

[Moby-Dick]

Actually The compaq stuff isn't what it used to be since the HP change.

Disclaimer : The following statements are not a personall attack , I'm just trying to play devils advocate here

1: re-arrange office to create more space

good plan , but you know it will get cluttered quicker as everyone uses all this free space to dump stuff in

2: lock down / remove all user installed 3rd party software

why in the name of everything that is holy did you allow it to get on there in the first place ! A controlled IT environment is a safe one , but you will still have to strike a balence between an uber locked down system where user have to log a call to fart and some hippy pinko commune system where everyones a domain admin "coz like it would be favouritism otherwise man ". The problem that I personally face is that as an outsourced IT department, I dont actually own the IT system so unfortunatly our hands tend to get forced on certain things

3: use wireless networking for nearby employee laptop homes

this on the face of it would seem like a good idea , BUT who is your external connectivity provided by? You may well be breaking their T&C's by sharing their bandwidth out. How close are you aiming for ? You'll end up spendong more on kit for that sort of connection than you would installing a 512k DSL line on each house


4: allow VPN access for home workers

great plan , but what are you going to use as a VPn appliance? Standard windows stuff is ok for PPTP VPN's but its not all that secure ( especially if you dont have a pretty draconian security policy for password length, complexity and expiration set ) Are you aware of the impact on your external connection its going to have ? Will you be letting users own PC's into the VPN, or just work configured & locked down . How will they connect? if its via a dsl line, have you got adequate security on the laptops them selves? how will you enforce security on employee's own PC's ? Have you got sufficient suppoort capability for a lot more phone based support rather than perhaps your usual deskside support?

5: Change from DELL etc to Compaq & HP.

this sounds like change for changes sake ? can you justify it on a cost basis rather than brand snobbery? I've worked with both compaq ,dell and IBM kit and they all have their strengths and weaknesses.

Its good to be a vector for change , but make sure they are well thought out or you will rapidly become "THE GIMP"

[Richie]

Originally posted by 3Dfx
wooo...im happy.. and the end users think im "THE MAN"

Give em a few days after implementation when their fav 3rd party progs are not available any more


Totallyt agree if its needed... just saying their view may change

[Slick]

Originally posted by TiG
Doesn't matter if it makes them happy or not If its not needed to do there job

ever heard of a word called motivation?

[joshwa]

I personally think HP and Compaq make cr*p laptops, and computers .

[spazman]

Originally posted by www.josh.org.uk
I personally think HP and Compaq make cr*p laptops, and computers .

hp laptops are good.

[nichomach]

I'm a little divided on this; the last Compaq desktop I got was pretty cack, but we've got a few Evo N800v laptops in service, and they're pretty good machines. Our standard desktops are Dell Optiplexes and they're great machines, reliable and easy to service. Our servers are Dell Poweredges and they're fine machines, although we have an HP box as well which is good enough. We have tons of Dell laptops in service and they're excellent machines (currently we're buying Latitude D600s), and I feel that currently HP and Compaq machines are overpriced. Personally, I wouldn't do a blanket change of all machines just because of the brand name anyway, and I think moving from Dell to HPaq is just going to cost money.

[Butuz]

Interestingly why did you drop dell? Got some dell servers here and theyre super, not got any workstations tho so don't know what theyre like.

Butuz

[Steve]

The college I go to uses Dell exclusively now - and to be quite honest the kit is very good. We also have a pair of clever technicians who actually know what they're doing (rare sometimes!) The head of IT is OK too, though on the negative side he looks like Harold Shipman.

The one thing I'm really with 3dfx on is locking down the 3rd party apps on the computers. Security at my college is pretty good, it has to be. It seems that some students think they're uB3R H4X0r when they find their way around something, and I'm like "you prick! You've got a computer at home, fart around with that - stop wasting my network bandwidth!" If people were more responsible there would be less program problems that arise from security (for example clip art catalogues breaking because of a lack of write permissions - fixable, but annoying!)

Anyway, back to "the office." If you prevent people from installing programs - great! On top of that, lock the internet settings so they can't change that (and browser hijackers can't either.) Also consider something like Spybot S&D to keep spyware at bay - it now has a browser helper that actively stops downloads of some adware.

Have I been going on a bit? I'll stop now!

[G4Z]

Well, on the compaq vs Dell point, in my last job we had compaq/HP workstations and in this one we have dell, I would say that on the whole the DELL PC`s seem to be better thought out in terms of repairs and use of space ( we have the optiplexSX270`s coming in now and they look NICE) and I found the compaqs to be just generally a pain in the arse to service ( particulary when installing windows for some reason it they would often refuse the CD-Key). we have some DELL and compaq servers where I work now and we are also getting a DELL SAN installed and it is the daddy (86 terrabytes). I have allways found dells customer service top notch the parts almost allways arrive next day. so whilst I would never buy a DELL for myself I would deffo say dell comes out on top against compaq.

[XTR]

Originally posted by 3Dfx
Im the youngest member of the I.T. dept... by some margin and im the one putting forward all the ideas LOL

1: re-arrange office to create more space
2: lock down / remove all user installed 3rd party software
3: use wireless networking for nearby employee laptop homes
4: allow VPN access for home workers
5: Change from DELL etc to Compaq & HP.


wooo...im happy.. and the end users think im "THE MAN"

send all the employees on a Kaizen & Standard Operations course

[Steve]

G4Z, the Optiplex's are what they have at college!

They ghost windows onto them, so setting them up is a breeze once the first one is done!

Nice machines - Celery 2ghz I think, if I remember rightly.