IT Support & Services for Education & Schools

As ICT becomes more widespread and more sophisticated within schools, ICT technical support has attained a higher priority. ICT budgets are being increased year on year and these figures are expected to grow rapidly in direct proportion to the challenges brought about by the large amounts of ICT equipment and technologies adopted within the education sector. The management of a schools ICT provision has become more important and critical to its overall success.

The environment is fast changing for schools, with a new government and a new direction, but the need for quality ICT systems and support is as strong as ever. New technologies are driving the pace of ICT and learning which is creating additional pressure on training budgets and operational costs. A need to ensure continuous and integrated ICT provision with essential ICT equipment throughout the school and also promote its use across the curriculum is a high requirement by governing bodies.

In many schools the pressures and growth of ICT developments has created some fundamental, strategic and operational problems such as the need to compensate for a shortage of skilled staff. In many schools, the most common source of technical support is the school's own ICT support staff whom, in most instances, often have demanding teaching commitments and in the case of smaller schools; are lacking the knowledge needed to resolve highly technical issues, leaving the ICT infrastructure open to critical problems. In most cases the school are not able to pay the industry rates for highly trained in-house technical staff to manage and develop their ever changing ICT infrastructure. Equally, where investment towards in-house technical staff has been substantial, schools have been victim to staff leaving to join the private sector resulting in a large gap in important technical knowledge and experience.

By outsourcing your ICT support and service requirements to InSync IT, you can overcome these problems and ensure you have the required knowledge and skills needed for your schools ICT, when you need it at a cost that falls within your allotted ICT budgets. We specialise in the delivery of business class ICT support for the education sector, providing proactive support and services to schools throughout the Northwest and West Yorkshire helping you make the right choices for your ICT while taking responsibility for all of your technology assets. We understand that the education sector has unique needs and is continually reviewing ways to reduce costs. Our solutions and services help schools reduce their total ICT overhead via proactive ICT services covering your schools network and curriculum servers as well as your admin machines to give a cost-effective alternative to local authority ICT suppliers.

Our approach to schools ICT is straight forward; our service is transparent, clear, easily understood, dynamic and value for money. Our services range from delivering the simple foundations of ICT that all schools require through to providing twenty first century innovative solutions helping your school excel in ICT.  We understand how schools operate and how important it is that your ICT resources perform as and when you expect them to. A teacher who has planned ICT resources into a lesson needs to have confidence that they will be reliable and that the learning objectives are met, giving teachers real peace of mind when it comes to using ICT in lessons and dramatically reduces the load on busy ICT co-ordinators.

Whether your head of a school, teach ICT, or manage a school network, then you will know that building effective and reliable ICT solutions for education that support 21st century educational initiatives is a demanding and skilled task. Whether you are looking to install a single computer, adding users to the system, installing educational software or commissioning a laptop trolley or a full ICT suite we can help.  We are experts in providing ICT support to schools and with over 13 years of experience working with hundreds of schools we can offer a complete service supplying new ICT innovations for teaching and education.

As well as the usual support and maintenance services, we specialise in school ICT specific installations such as: projector installs and maintenance, amplifiers and speakers, interactive whiteboards and digital signage. We can take care of your networking needs including: wireless networks, network cabling, cabinet installations and network troubleshooting. We can also supply hardware and software such as discounted educational software and licensing along with any computers, servers and any hardware for your schools ICT infrastructure.

Our school ICT support packages can be fixed or as flexible as your establishment requires and all educational clients will receive a host of additional benefits which you can find in the long list below. Whether your school requires a set amount of support days per month and/or require our services just when you need us; in essence we are here to offer both proactive and reactive support packages which are tailored around your needs not ours. As well as onsite visits and in-line with our aim to reduce carbon footprints we try to fix most problems remotely, this helps to reduce transport costs, passing on savings to you and is more environmentally friendly.

Most of our clients got in touch with us following word-of-mouth recommendation. They now join the many satisfied customers that have utilised our service. We look forward to hearing from you and exceeding your expectations too.

For full details on the type of services and support packages we offer along with the associated costs and benefits, please click on the relevant sections on the menu to the right. If you require further information or have any enquiry, please don't hesitate to contact us today by phone on 0161 806 1188, via the Request a Free Callback link or by emailing us directly on info@insync-it.co.uk

IT Services for Education - Types of Support

We are based in Shaw near Oldham just off the M62 and able to offer a fast, efficient and professional service to schools in the surrounding area of the North West and West Yorkshire. With the ability to offer onsite (visits) and offsite (remote) support and services, we aim to provide you with the assistance you require in a timely fashion.

Our services can be obtained in one of two methods:

Offsite Remote

- With our remote support we can potentially cover anywhere in the UK providing the task can be completed remotely (see note below). We have trained and experienced engineers who can repair and resolve issues by connecting to your schools servers and computers over the Internet to diagnose the fault and perform a quick resolution, without the need to visit site. All you need is a working internet connection.

To provide the offsite support we use remote tools software which is a secure service and provides us with one time only access to your computers upon the end users authorisation. You can read more about the remote support process and proceed to download the tools by clicking Remote Support on the top menu. If connecting remotely isn’t an option, not possible or it is deemed an onsite visit is needed at any point in the process, an engineer can be booked in for you.

PLEASE NOTE: As mentioned above with remote support we can potentially cover any geographical area as long as you have a steady internet connection, but should a visit be required we can only efficiently cover certain areas which fall into our local catchment zones. Details of the areas we cover for onsite visits can be found on our Coverage Areas page.

Onsite Visit

- Wherever possible, support will be provided remotely via the phone, email or remote control software. In circumstances where it is impractical to resolve a support request remotely an onsite presence may be required. When an onsite visit is required, which is generally for anything that can’t be done remotely or if we need to bring equipment to you, we aim to provide quick response for schools in our catchment areas. Again details of the areas we cover for onsite visits can be found on our Coverage Areas page.

As well as site visits for problems and new equipment installations, we are able to offer regular or scheduled onsite visits to proactively maintain your systems and help prevent any potential problems which should be identified before they cause any ICT downtime in your school.

Regular visits and maintenance will increase long term reliability and enables efficient resolution to any impending ICT problems and over time productivity can improve significantly. We believe that face-to-face contact is the best way to get a true picture of the health of your ICT. We are also able to tackle any issues individual users may be facing on-the-spot saving the need for one or more calls.

IT Services for Education - Support Package Types

Services for Education - Rates, Extra Costs & Payments

All our charges and rates information is located in the ABOUT US section.

Within a school, any delays in the daily operations caused by ICT failure or inefficient systems is a headache to staff, teachers and pupils. Hardware and software is the backbone of any ICT system and they are vital to every school, small or large. However, all too often for whatever reasons schools that do not keep their infrastructure maintained find out the hard way.

This is why on-going maintenance and administration is essential to limit the amount of downtime and reduce disruption. Keeping your ICT systems operating at their best performance and having reliable computers via regular site visits or routine maintenance of your schools ICT infrastructure will improve your lessons and administration efficiency, your schools ICT provisions and ultimately reduce overheads within your school.

InSync IT provides multi-vendor hardware and software support, including all makes, models and types covering servers, workstations, laptops, network equipment, projectors, printing devices and other related ICT equipment or software and within your school. Whether for existing systems or new systems, we specialize in troubleshooting, servicing and repairing a wide variety of hardware and software-related server, computer, related equipment and user issues or problems. From failed hardware components, software bugs and driver incompatibilities, to virus & malware problems, network connectivity problems, operating system problems, and re-building computers.

Administration and configuration of your systems is also of major importance in your school. Tasks such as adding new users and email addresses, through to configuring server scripts and files and folders are required to keep your school operational. We cover all aspects of administration and configuration on all hardware and software in your ICT Infrastructure both on the admin and curriculum networks.

To see the services we offer to get the best performance out of your ICT systems, see below:

Active Directory Support & Administration

– InSync IT has extensive experience in designing, planning, implementing and supporting Active Directory infrastructures for schools ranging from of a handful of users in one classroom to entire admin and curriculum networks consisting of hundreds of pupils and staff. InSync IT can maximise your schools Active Directory network, we can efficiently manage new pupils, computers, groups, printers, applications, and other directory-enabled objects either remotely or onsite. After a new year enters a school, lots of administration is needed on the server and computers, such as adding a whole new set of pupils, and moving the existing users groups around and arranging the class years, along with any new hardware introduced. We can complete this lengthy task for you and ensure a seamless transition at the beginning of a new school year.

Server Support & Administration

– A server is at the centre of any network infrastructure, therefore ICT support and quality ICT services is crucial for any school server. We will ensure that the server is maintained and administered correctly, from monitoring event logs and ensuring optimum performance through to resolving server problems such as crashing or disk problems. Also we take a proactive approach along with monitoring your servers in order to eliminate any minor problems before they escalate and cause any serious problems.

Workstation Support & Administration

– As well as server support, your schools workstations are equally as important to maintain and support. Maintaining your desktop or laptop computer systems can be a headache for the smallest of schools. Loosing even just one computer from an ICT suite or laptop trolley can cause problems and cause many pupils to be sharing one computer, which could compromise the learning time attained by each pupil. InSync IT use a combination of telephone, e-mail and remote support tools to provide clients with whatever level of service is required.  This can be from, adding hardware, or connectivity problems, through to ensuring the workstation is running as it should, virus and error free, whatever the need we cover all requirements.

Computer, Laptop & Server Repairs

– We can repair all problems with all makes of server, computers, laptop and related devices. Whether your server or device is completely dead, will not boot because it keeps restarting or is not running as it should, maybe you have a broken laptop screen? These are common issues that we can resolve quickly to get your equipment back to perfect health. We will give you a full quotation and discuss the best course of action for you before any work is carried out.

Software & Application Support

– Schools productivity today relies heavily on access to the right applications and the right data. When software becomes inaccessible or fails, lesson and work productivity plummets. Our software support covers all applications including the operating systems, so whether it’s a Sage, Antivirus, Windows or similar application causing issues or requiring upgrades, then we can easily resolve or find a solution.

Preventative & Routine Maintenance

– Servicing your ICT equipment regular can help maintain efficient operation and also detect problems which could ultimately lead to complete failure and data loss. Doing regular preventive maintenance or servicing like you perform on a car will prevent any major problem from occurring which can lead to costly repairs or damage to your computers. We can arrange this regular maintenance for you, to an interval that suits your needs and budget.

Virus, Malware & Rootkit Removal

– Virus and spyware attacks are becoming more frequent and more serious. Spyware removal and Malware removal is very tricky. We can remove all Adware, Malware, Spyware and Virus’s from any computer. Malicious software removal is very time consuming so we advise to collect, repair and return your computer saving you the hassle. Rootkits are extremely harmful, and usually go undetected by antivirus programs. Once infected by a rootkit, it allows the attacker to mask intrusion and gain root or privileged access to the computer and, possibly, other machines on the network, and use it to hack other networks and computers, making the attack to appear as if it was from you. We can detect and remove rootkits using special tools and utilities.

Fault Diagnostics & Troubleshooting

– We can resolve small problems to more advanced problems, using our experience, diagnostic tools and troubleshooting. Maybe you’re pupils are having login issues, getting an error message on the screen or something isn’t working as it should, please give us a call and we advise on and find a solution to your problem.

Should you need to discuss any of these services, have questions or you require a quote, please give us a call on 0161 806 1188 and we will be happy to help.

A robust, reliable and secure computer and communications network is essential in today’s school ICT environment.  The data network must support internet, voice and video communications, surveillance systems and more, upping the ante for network performance. At the same time, the need to support many computers across your schools site and with the advance of mobile classroom and internet technologies has made network availability critical while pushing the needs for keeping things secure. Schools simply cannot afford network bottlenecks or downtime so having the right ICT network in place is the first step to improving efficiency and unlocking potential for network and wireless devices.

InSync IT provides a full range of network and communication support services designed to meet these educational imperatives. Our qualified and experienced engineers have the expertise to complete network assessments, infrastructure design, project management and implementation, along with on-going operational support. More importantly, InSync IT helps ensure that the network infrastructure can support mission-critical devices, applications and services, including internet speeds, VPN links, IP-based voice networks and video communications.

If your school already has an ICT network we can assess how securely and efficiently your current system is performing. We can then identify ways your system could be improved and implement those improvements for you. Alternatively if planning and implementing an ICT network from scratch, we can design, supply and implement every detail of your ICT network whatever your requirement or size of your school. Whether you simply want two or more computers to share a printer or require to be connected to the internet through to requiring a fully networked ICT suite or mobile laptop trolley, we can take care of every detail and requirement.

Please see below to find out what related services we can offer you:

Network & Wireless Design & Configuration

– Our engineers are skilled in designing and installing a wide range of networks on different operating systems. Whether wired or wireless on a LAN or WAN, the data network is the backbone of your schools ICT system. Poor networking results in poor performance and data loss. We work closely with our schools to provide a network solution that is designed to meet your current needs and is capable of being upgraded or expanded as your needs change in the future. From installing and configuring wireless access points, mobile laptop trolleys, re-patching computers and phones or configuring a network printer so all pupils can access it, no matter what your school network related issue we can fulfil all your requirements.

Network & Wireless Security

– We can secure and lock down your wireless router, access points and devices to prevent “piggybacking” which is where unauthorised devices or indeed pupils freely connect to your wireless network and use your internet for free and possibly are able to connect to your network. This can be a security risk and also slows down your network access. Most schools are unaware that their network is wide open for hackers and anyone to connect to. We can check your wireless settings and network security and if needed implement enhanced security and passkeys to prevent unauthorised users on your network.

Network Storage

– We can supply and install network attached storage on your school network which enables you to store your curriculum or admin data, mirror files and folders for redundancy, or use it for backing up your data from your network devices and computers.

Network Devices, Routers & Switches

– With any network infrastructure there is network hardware, such as switches, routers network cards and wireless adapters, we can supply, install and configure all your network devices to enable school network connectivity and security. Furthermore we can maintain and support these devices to ensure performance, network uptime and reliability.

Internet Connection Installations Upgrades and Support

– Most schools will inevitably be connected to the internet but some smaller school may want to connected to the world via the internet to gain all the benefits and to enable communications and internet connectivity. We can arrange the whole process for you. Alternatively if you already have an internet connection and are having problems such as slow, intermittent or being disconnected, we can resolve issues with your current connection and resolve the problems and if needed, upgrade your connection. We can also liaise with local authorities, who generally supply these connections to the school and work with them to resolve any issues the school may be having.

VPN & Point To Point Links

– If a school grows and expands its technology, it might extend to remote buildings or new ICT suites. To do this links between the main building and the remote end may be needed, VPNs (virtual private network) and other point to point methods can be encompassed using Internet, Ethernet or fibre optic and mobile connections. We can install and maintain these wide area networks between buildings and remote locations as well as commission VPNs used by home workers or teachers to connect to the schools resources, ensuring reliability and security while still keep performance and keeping the costs to a minimum.

Staff & Pupil Home & Remote Access

– With the popularity of the internet, and an opening up of the broadband speeds in the home and mobile markets, a new range of remote access capabilities can be explored. We offer a multitude of techniques to provide remote working solutions which allow you to reach your school objectives, enabling secure and reliable connectivity between the school or remote locations, ideal for teachers working from home accessing and marking pupils work done early in the day during an ICT lesson. Many schools are turning to remote working for teachers to help them plan lessons using school resources on the network not usually accessible from home. Even pupils can use remote access for home tutoring and again giving access to the pupils own and shared files on the school network from home or remote educational locations. We can advise on and implement any  fast, secure, efficient, and cost-effective means to access staff and pupil email, data, and critical software from anywhere at any time with our remote working solutions.

Should you need to discuss any of these services, have questions or you require a quote, please give us a call on 0161 806 1188 and we will be happy to help.

Purchasing ICT hardware and software can be a time-consuming and bewildering task for any school. With technology evolving all the time, specifications and compatibility issues can arise between your schools ICT systems and anything new you want to buy. So when you need new hardware or software for your school, we help you choose from the hundreds of brands of antivirus software, PCs, monitors, printers and any hardware of software you require at low prices. We can provide informed, impartial advice helping you make the right choice for all your ICT systems because we have experience with what works best. Our vast knowledge means we can source, supply and install the right products for you and with being an educational establishment we can also source reduced price software and licenses for use on your school network.

We only use branded quality equipment such as Microsoft, Dell, HP and Toshiba to name a few and whether it’s a complete new laptop or new server through to upgrade parts, software and peripherals for existing systems, we make it our job to select the most suitable products and solutions to meet your requirements and at a budget to suit your school. We not only supply it all but if needed, we can provide an installation service. To see an example of what we can supply please see the list below:

Computers, Laptop & Servers

– As well as being able to supply all makes and models of off-the-shelf computers and servers from branded manufactures such as Dell, HP and Acer we can also custom build your servers and computers to a specification you require, giving any needed advise along the way.

Education & Special Needs Hardware

– We can supply special hardware for schools, from preschool through to secondary education. Whether it be rugged cameras or microscopes, we can advise and supply any educational devices for your school.

Network Devices

– We can supply all makes and models of a vast range of network devices such as routers, access points, hubs, firewalls, network cards, cabinets, network storage, patch leads and any related network accessories.

Printers, Scanners & Copiers

– We can supply all makes and models or printers, from small desktop inkjet printers to larger lasers printers with multifunction capabilities. We also are able to single function devices such as scanners, photocopies, and fax machines.

Peripherals & Accessories

– We can supply all makes and models of a range of peripherals and accessories such as, cameras, monitors, speakers, KVM, projectors, mice, keyboards and much more. Whatever your needs we can advise and source based on your requirements.

Toners, Cartridges & Consumables

– We can supply all makes and models of printer consumables and spare parts.

Components, Spares, Cables & Adaptors

– We can supply any cables, spare parts and components such as graphics cards, memory, hard disks, and many spare parts for use with your existing computers and devices.

Licensing & Renewals

– Licensing can be a complex and time consuming issue with an organisation. InSync IT can provide you with accurate licensing quotes and subsequently manage your renewals so you have an easily manageable software estate, ensuring you stay within the law and don’t fall foul to heavy fines accompanied with unlicensed software. With educational establishments we are also able to obtain discounted rates for many titles.

Operating Systems

– Do you require an updated Windows or similar operating system for your computer or server? We can supply all operating systems to match your requirements, we can then also offer a full installation and upgrade service to install your up to date software. With educational establishments we are also able to obtain discounted rates for many titles.

Application & Utilities

– Need Microsoft Office or Photoshop? If you need a utility or application for a certain task, we can advise and source a suitable title for you. With educational establishments we are also able to obtain discounted rates for many titles.

Education & Special Needs Software

– We can supply special software for schools, from preschool through to secondary education. With educational establishments we are also able to obtain discounted rates for many titles.

Insurance Quotes

– We can supply you with quotes for replacement equipment for an insurance claim, then continue on and purchase as well as a visit to your school to install and configure your new replacements.

Should you need to discuss any of these services, have questions or you require a quote, please give us a call on 0161 806 1188 and we will be happy to help.

ICT security has become one of the major issues facing schools in today's digital age and investing in preventative solutions is a must if schools want to protect pupils, confidential data, critical assets and funds. InSync IT understands that security and protection is a critical part of any schools ICT infrastructure, so we evaluate every risk, large or small that may threaten your pupil’s and staffs wellbeing as well as your ICT systems, we will then then move on to ensure that the risk is neutralised. We offer a comprehensive form of risk management, firstly providing a full security audit and then suggesting a full solution.

Hackers, virus’s and spyware continue to innovate and refine their delivery on attacks, making it increasingly difficult for schools to maintain robust network security. Attacks and security breaches are not just limited to external sources; worryingly, they can originate from internal devices brought in by staff and pupils such as USB memory sticks. With this we offer solutions that will enable you to monitor and protect your security from the inside, such as server, staff and internet monitoring and security policy implementation to lock down your computers using security policies, through to physical and visual security such as locks and CCTV.

Our expertise provides security and protection technologies for schools that help safeguard pupils from illicit internet content and protecting critical curriculum data, along with prevention of a costly and disruptive security breach. Comprehensive security solutions, including firewalls, virus, malware and spam protection and removal, intrusion detection and prevention, data encryption, web traffic & content monitoring, end point security, event monitoring, mobile data security, permission management, content protection and more can be used to circumvent these issues.. Remote monitoring and management allows us to rapidly detect and mitigate security breaches, and keep pupils secure and defences up-to-date as security threats and schools needs change.

Here is a list of the related services we can offer:

Antivirus, Spyware & Malware Protection

– Having up-to-date Antivirus and Anti-spyware software is and essential step to protecting your schools systems and data. These threats come from many sources, such as emails, the internet or downloaded files to name a few and if you are unprotected you risk the possibility of losing critical data or having your network attacked. InSync IT can help with a complete Antivirus and other threat protection solution and can put together a security package that meets your schools ICT Infrastructure and your requirements.

Firewalls, ISA & Proxy Servers

– Firewalls & Proxy Servers are a layer of security that sit between your school and the internet and are a good way to help prevent attacks from hackers and criminals. We can supply and configure routers with built in hardware firewalls, which will prevent you from being wide open to hackers. For more advanced and larger school installations InSync IT can also supply and configure a range of dedicated firewalls that have been designed for high security uses, such as Microsoft ISA Server amongst other gateway security products or if needed work alongside your local authorities and setup or maintain a solution they provide.

Security, Password & Access Reviews

– Passwords in many cases are the only line of defence to your ICT security, so making sure these are secure is of upmost importance. All too often passwords are not used, too obvious or written on post it notes on monitors, this could leave your network wide open to unauthorised access or abuse. InSync IT can review you security structure and report to you our findings and if need be implement access solutions, such as forcing strong passwords, passwords of minimum lengths or introduce extra layers of security such as fingerprint readers or other security protection listed in this section.

Spam Prevention & Protection

– Spam and junk email messages are not only a burden to sort through as they arrive in your inbox in-between legitimate correspondence, as the volume of spam messages grow, they continually eat away at your schools resources such as bandwidth and storage. Moreover, spam can introduce viruses onto your network and sudden spikes in spam and viruses can severely impact or even shut down your mail servers or worse still your whole network. InSync IT can offer solutions to prevent Spam and enable the filtering of your email to ensure almost all spam is removed from your schools email, through use of software and filtering devices, spam can be caught before it reaches the end user. With many packages available we can advise on the most cost effective solution for your school and its ICT infrastructure.

Security Policy Implementation

– Most schools recognize the necessity of having a security policy, but designing and successfully implementing one throughout your organization can be quite an intimidating task. InSync IT have experience in many schools where security needs vary. Security doesn’t just protect systems from outside attacks; schools also have to protect the network from unauthorised internal activities, hence we can help protect your network resources and prevent access to specific areas or devices on a network to specific users or groups of users. Maybe you want to restrict access to a particular file or folder, or prevent a specific program from running and maybe you want to prevent internet access from a specific computer, these are just some of the policies that can be implemented in order to protect your ICT systems.

End Point Protection

– There is a difficult balancing act between protecting your network from threats and providing your staff and pupils with the flexibility to download or upload the information they need to portable devices, like USB drives. The proliferation of devices, from memory sticks to music players, PDAs, CD/DVD burner drives and more, only increases the potential for compromising the security of sensitive data. InSync IT can provide your school with effective endpoint security and protection solutions to monitor network endpoints and control which devices can be plugged into the network that can significantly increase security, while preserving the flexibility your schools needs, and preventing data leaks.

Web & Content Filtering

– Many schools may not realise the hidden costs of having a completely open Internet usage policy. The explosion of social networking sites such as Facebook & Twitter means that people are socialising wherever they can get online and this means while staff and pupils are in school and in lesson time, but it’s not just about time wasting. There are now legal implications that schools face should pupils under their duty of care be found to download, accidentally find or exchange pornography or offensive material. Another often overlooked factor is the effect this type of surfing has on the schools Internet connection. Bandwidth is consumed by users sharing YouTube videos and downloading large images which means a slower Internet experience for everyone else on the network not forgetting costing money in bandwidth allowances, leading to loss of connection and vital email communications. InSync IT can provide solutions that will cover all the problems associated with web content, with the implementation of a web filtering solution. Whether restricting users to specific sites, access at certain times or even blocking by category, we can tailor a solution on a per user or group basis, to alleviate any problems and any potential legal implications.

Activity Monitoring

– Monitoring staff and pupil activities in school has proved to be very helpful for an organization. Many schools are following this practice in order to safeguard their interests. Once you start monitoring your ICT users activities, it gets lot easier for managers to scan any kind of abuse or illegitimate activities conducted in the school by any of the staff or pupils. With computer activity monitoring software; the problem of misconduct is easily solved as one is able to trace all the on-going live desktop activities. Also with a sense of being monitored make staff and pupil conscious of their time utilization, and this exercise helps in boosting lesson and work productivity and increasing outputs. InSync IT can advise on the available options and install the software and train your managers on how to administer the software.

Internet Bandwidth & Usage Monitoring

– Monitoring network bandwidth use helps administrators identify slowness and bottlenecks. Slow performance over a network connection is frustrating for users, and sometimes the problem arises from poor bandwidth limitations. We can setup utilities or software to keep track of traffic on the network or also on the internet gateway. This can be used for fault finding, helping you monitor your Internet usage so you don’t exceed your monthly ISP usage allowance or categorizing a network's usage to see if a connection or device is being abused and used for the wrong reasons such as illegal downloads.

Health & Event Monitoring

– The enormous volume of system events generated daily is a valuable source of information for organisations.  Growing threats to continuity call for an approach that includes real-time monitoring of the network. This is, however, an overwhelming task without the proper tools and knowledge. InSync IT are experts at analysing events to use for fault resolution or other purposes and we offer as a service or part of a contract; proactive network monitoring solutions which will provide us with a real time analysis and reports the status of a server or device, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, ensuring your antivirus is up to date and security patches are installed or if your internet or server is offline, by getting advanced warning of any impending problems. We aim to prevent any school ICT downtime from happening by fixing the problem upon being notified, sometimes before you even notice.

Physical & Visual Security

– We can supply many different types of physical security, such as security marking through to locks, projector or computer cages and chains for your equipment to help prevent theft.

Fire & Security Protection

– We can supply and install simple smoke and carbon monoxide detectors inside your school through to full fire alarm systems used to protect server rooms and your classrooms.

CCTV & Access Control

– InSync IT are able to supply, install and maintain all types of CCTV enabling you to protect your school and its ICT assets.  From simple single camera installations through to advanced multiple camera or IP-based video surveillance where digital IP video is captured by network-connected cameras and transmitted over the network. Whatever the solution you or security personnel can monitor the cameras internally or remotely across an Internet connection and manage video surveillance recordings and resources. As well as CCTV we can protect your offices with access control such as a simple digital lock on a server room through to multiple card swipe door access systems.

Should you need to discuss any of these services, have questions or you require a quote, please give us a call on 0161 806 1188 and we will be happy to help.

In today’s educational environments, constant availability of applications and data is critical to school operations. Downtime and data loss can doom any school and its ratings by loosing children’s or admin work which is unrecoverable. Unfortunately, too many schools are unaware that they lack effective disaster recovery and continuity strategies.

Backup and Disaster Recovery is perhaps one of the most important elements of any ICT Infrastructure.  Without an adequate Backup & Disaster Recovery strategy in place, any school runs a very high risk to loosing valuable admin and curriculum data which can even lead to pupils suffering and complete ICT shutdown. 

Here at InSync IT, we realise the importance of having an adequate backup strategy.  We have a number of Backup, Disaster Recovery & High Availability solutions to suit every possible methodology, strategy and budget and we can advise you with an appropriate solution for your school. Please see below to find out what related services we can offer you:

Computer, Laptop or Server Failure Recovery

– If you server or computer failed completely or you have dropped your laptop or having problems accessing your schools system and data. InSync IT can offer solutions to get you back up and operating in no time. Whether buying new equipment is needed to recovering or transferring data from damaged equipment, we can re-establish your school operations as quickly as possible.

File & Data Recovery

– If data has been deleted, a file or folder on a laptop or USB memory device lost, had a virus change or delete your files or worse still has your server or computer failed completely, InSync IT can attempt a file and folder recovery on damaged, changed or deleted data and if needed back this up to another destination for immediate access.

Password Recovery

– Lost a password to your computer, device, email or even your router, we can attempt to recover the old password, if we can’t we will reset and reconfigure any settings, to give you your secured access back once again.

Onsite, Offsite & Online Backups

– Every school should use at least one form of backup on a daily basis. If you lost your critical admin or curriculum data, what would you do? If you do not have backup or your current backup has failed, chances are it would destroy the smooth running of your school. If you are lucky, you would gradually work your way back. There are many ways to backup your critical school data. Now with the advancement of the internet and it increased speeds other options are now available. InSync IT can provide many levels of backup solutions, these are often used together to add extra levels of protection and peace of mind. The main solutions we offer are:

Whatever your requirements, we can advise on what solutions are available to you and then implement your chosen methods based on your requirements and budget. We advise on monitoring backups and making sure that the school is aware of how to monitor backups closely to make sure they are completed successfully, if this isn’t done then when the data is needed and there’s been a problems for the last month then this is a bad situation for a school to be in and could end in major operational problems. If you sign up to one of our monthly contractual support package, we monitor and look after your backups as part of the package, eliminating this problem.

High Availability, Load Balancing & Failover

– If you require a high end, high availability disaster recovery solution, InSync IT can design and implement a solution that fits your school requirements. From simple solutions such as onsite standby hardware, RAID, extra domain controllers, mirror copies of data and dual internet connections through to advanced options such as offering a service to clone your servers and keep regular snapshots of them, so in the event of a disaster we can initiate the rapid restoration of your infrastructure. Further options to replicate the data on all your servers to Hot Standby Servers (HSS) at our data centre partners is a high end advanced choice.  We can advise on and tailor a solution to meet you requirements and budget.

Power & Communications Availability & Protection

– Protecting your power and communications is equally as important as any other part of your computer network. Without power or communications your schools ICT systems are redundant. InSync IT can install devices that protect and ensure if in the event of a power cut or surge, that your expensive ICT equipment is protected. Devices such as Uninterruptible Power Supply’s (UPS) or Surge Suppression devices can be added to any computer, server or network device to prevent damage and retain uptime of you mission critical systems.

Hacker Recovery

– If your server has unfortunately been targeted by hackers, we can remove the intrusion and make sure all traces of the hack are removed, removing access to unauthorised hackers, we will then report on our findings to you and offer solutions to how any future attacks can be prevented and minimized, either by tightening security or upgrading and adding devices to your network.

Fire or Flood & Burglary Recovery

– Should the worst happen, we can get your back up and running as quick as possibly with our disaster recovery services. Whether it is new equipment that is required, data recovery or aiding the police or insurance companies, we can cover all disaster situations, to get your school back up and running as quickly a possible.

Should you need to discuss any of these services, have questions or you require a quote, please give us a call on 0161 806 1188 and we will be happy to help.

There’s no escaping it, technology is a necessity in today’s schools and is a critical tool to successful teaching of our children. Using the latest technology trends that fit your schools environment and keeping your infrastructure up to date, drives your school to be more successful and productive.

InSync IT offer professional consultancy, installation and project management services for schools looking for fair and impartial help, advice or solutions on all aspects of improving and expanding their ICT Infrastructure & Technology.

Embarking on a new ICT project or installation within your school is a daunting prospect without a team of experts to support you. You need to know that your ICT system will meet all the requirements of your school today whilst ensuring that, as educational demands on the use of technology grows, your system will grow  too, and that any on-going ICT support and maintenance costs remain low.

Whether you're looking to deliver a one-off ICT project, guidance and advice on an existing or proposed ICT development, are considering a complete new server and infrastructure upgrade or just need one or two extra pairs of hands to meet a deadline or cover staff on holiday, InSync IT can cover all these requirements.

Our consultancy services and solutions ensure your schools ICT requirements and projects are delivered on time and within budget and if needed, with phased switchovers to minimise the impact on your day to day curriculum operations. Also when equipment is used, we use only leading ICT software and hardware manufacturers but we are equally happy to work with your own preferred brands and suppliers if required.

So if you require our consultancy or installations services you can find out more about what we have to offer below:

Computer & Workstation Installations & Upgrades

– You may be building a new ICT Suite, thinking of adding one or more classroom laptop trolleys or require one or more computers or your replacing your existing computer or upgrading the hardware and software in your existing computers. We can help you in any of these situations.

If you are looking to purchase new computers then we can discuss with you your exact requirements and then put together a specification that can exactly match your school’s needs. Alternatively if you are considering increasing the performance of your existing computers with an upgrade; this could be a memory upgrade or storage capacity upgrade, then we can supply and install any internal or external hardware device on your desktop or laptop computer.

InSync IT can provide advice and implementation for all manufacturers of hardware as well as OEM or built computers, along with all software and operating system platforms such as Window XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 and more. All data can be migrated from the old equipment if needed and the old equipment disposed of or recycled and the data on them safely destroyed.

When installing, upgrading or replacing systems, our engineers are expert in performing parallel installations with phased switchovers to minimize disruption and downtime wherever possible. On completion our engineers will thoroughly test everything and make sure all applications and data are present necessary and spend time with the ICT co-ordinators to help familiarize them with the new equipment.

Server Installations & Upgrades

– A server is at the centre of any school network infrastructure, therefore choosing and implementing the correct hardware and server platform is essential. Whether you’re considering implementing your first server or an additional server such as a new file or email server, or embarking on a server virtualization project to consolidate servers, with experience and as experts in school networks, we can confidently carry out server installations and upgrades.

If your existing server is slow or no longer able to meet the needs of the schools requirements, rather than replacing the whole system, upgrading either the hardware or software platforms might be a better alternative. Also if your existing server software platform no longer provides the functionality needed by your school, we can provide sound advice regarding server software and migration of ICT services plus data and pupils onto new servers and platforms, without unplanned ICT service outages.

If a new or upgrade server Install is the route you believe will work for you then we can help. We would be able to come and visit you to share with you our wealth of knowledge we have built up over the years. Server updates are needed on a regular basis to keep your server up-to-date. Obvious though this is, it is surprising how many schools leave this until something goes wrong and then fire-fighting is required. This is something we advise on and aim to prevent.

Server software including Windows Server, Exchange Server, SQL Server and Terminal Server are some of operating systems and applications we provide at discounted educational prices. We can install and commission these successfully on both physical and virtual server platforms such as VMWare.

Software Installation & Upgrades

– If you have just purchased, or are considering purchasing some new software for your school and you aren’t sure whether it will work or unsure how to install it, maybe you need a software package upgraded or reinstalled or you just need advice on which software package to choose for your particular requirements? If you have any software related issues then we can help. We offer a software installation service that will take the confusion and stress out of getting your new educational software up and running on your network. We will ensure that all software is installed correctly and that it is compatible with your operating system, in addition will carry out any software updates required.

If an operating system needs upgrading or reinstalling, we can backup all the data prior to the process, documents, pictures and emails all can be recovered and restored after the operating system is installed. We backup the system before making diagnostic checks, updating where necessary and uninstalling software that can potentially lead to an unstable computer. Installing, deleting and updating software can be rather confusing and sometimes catastrophic. It is often difficult to know which items to uninstall and which of those to upgrade.

If you require software to be installed on multiple computers throughout your school, we can initiate a rollout of all software automatically negating the need to visit each PC. Our main objectives are to deploy our software solutions quickly, at reasonable costs and with minimal disruption to your school.

Printer & Peripheral Installation

– InSync IT can install and configure any printer or peripheral along with the drivers and included software. With items such as, printers tablets, scanners, faxes and modems, dual monitors, digital cameras and many more educational devices such as microphones and microscopes, our engineers are trained to perform various setup and configuration services for almost all the types of peripheral which are available at this point on the market. Training and walkthrough will be provided after installation of the new equipment, to help the ICT co-ordinators familiarise themselves.

Equipment Moves & Relocation

– When you need to move some or all of your ICT systems from one location or site to another or maybe during construction works in your school, InSync IT understand the complex process of ICT relocation and that it takes careful planning and testing to ensure a time efficient and successful relocation of your schools ICT equipment. We provide our computer support and transport resources to work together with your school to ensure a seamless transition. We move ICT equipment safely and securely; servers, cabinets, desktops, monitors, whatever you need relocating, we can aid you in every step of the way. Following the relocation we will test everything to confirm the equipment in functioning correctly and that it has been reconfigured correctly upon re-commission. We will be on site to implement and supervise every aspect of your move to guarantee your needs are met. Moving is also an ideal time to carry out upgrades, should anything such as extra network points or a new hardware be needed for example, rest assured InSync IT can handle this for you as well as disposing of your old unneeded ICT hardware.

Migrations & Roll-Outs

– ICT migrations and roll-outs such as new computers, new servers or network upgrades can be a time consuming and costly process. There are so many risks involved from equipment failure to unscheduled downtime or loss of system availability, that most people tend to put off these important upgrades until the last minute or even after it’s too late. InSync IT has an experience with a wide range of migration and rollout projects in many schools, and have the knowledge to ensure they are conducted in a smooth and prompt manner, avoiding any disruption to your working environment.

Project Management

– Our engineers have a great deal of ICT project management experience that can be utilised if these skills are lacking within your schools employees. Coordinating large numbers of separate stages to ensure that your project is completed on time is not an easy task. Simply ensuring that hardware and software is ordered in time for the network build is no easy task for those not used to it. With experience of hundreds of projects we can work to very tight deadlines if your project needs to be completed quickly.

Infrastructure Review & Refresh

– For many educational establishments the ICT infrastructure is essential to the day to day operations, driving and facilitating teaching processes. There are a variety of reasons why schools seek to review or refresh their infrastructure. Their systems may simply be out-dated, the size of the school may have  changed following an extension or addition of a new building or they may wish to take advantage of new technologies to consolidate or reduce operating costs. Whatever the reason, InSync IT work closely in partnership with the school to design an ICT infrastructure that is specific to their evolving needs.

Licensing Checks & Reviews

– Licensing can be a complex and time consuming issue within a school. InSync IT can provide you with accurate licensing quotes and subsequently manage your renewals so you have an easily manageable software estate, ensuring you stay within the law and don’t fall foul to heavy fines accompanied with unlicensed software. As educational establishments receive discounted software licensing for many titles we can advise on which will benefit you the most while saving money within your ICT budgets.

Server Virtualization & Consolidation

– Virtualization is one of the strongest trends in the IT industry at the moment. Server virtualization allows users to maximize physical resources in the most efficient way possible. Server virtualization functions by running multiple, independent, virtual operating systems on a single computer. InSync IT can save your school money by consolidating your servers, cutting unnecessary costs such as hardware purchase and power savings and all while improving the efficiency and availability of your ICT, as more servers can be added instantly at the click of a button, without the long process of setting up a new physical server. There are many benefits to consolidating your servers, please call to ask us how virtualization can fit into your school.

Design & Documentation

– We are able to design any system, procedure and stationary related to your ICT Infrastructure, perhaps you want a new backup plan and all related paperwork or want technical documentation, system specifications or site information such as username and password information, IP addresses and any important information relating to your ICT equipment or network. Whatever your needs we can design and document these for you.

Auditing & Asset Management

– We appreciate how important it is to understand your full schools ICT resource inventory; what you have, where it is and how it is being used. Working to your requirements we will visit site, in or out of school hours, to methodically record the details required. All ICT assets can be tagged with a unique identifier as part of an asset register if required or naming conventions added to computers. A comprehensive report, produced to your specification, is then provided to you and any recommendations are made, such as notifying on unlicensed or illegal software, old or broken hardware or anything that may require an update or upgrade.

Equipment Removal & Recycling

– InSync IT covers all aspects of waste ICT equipment disposal we work with you to ensure that you maintain compliance with the latest legislation, including the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive (WEEE), the Data Protection Act and the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directives. We can destroy data on old equipment to government standards to prevent data misuse, aiming to give you peace of mind.

Staff & Holiday Cover

– For many schools with small internal ICT team or a staff member allotted the ICT tasks, such as an ICT co-ordinator, having someone away for any length of time can create a problem. Maybe you have a large project and need another pair of hands to help your fulfil your ICT requirements while meeting completion timeframes. To help customers lower the risk of ICT problems during these periods, we can provide pre-arranged or emergency remote and on-site support or cover.

Software Development

– InSync IT provides a complete outsourcing service for bespoke software development, support and maintenance. Our development engineers have many years experience of delivering large and complex software development projects. We understand the risks and issues inherent in such ventures, and we work closely with our customers to ensure that our projects are always delivered successfully and on time.

Should you need to discuss any of these services, have questions or you require a quote, please give us a call on 0161 806 1188 and we will be happy to help.

With the growing technology available to schools and with increasing ICT budgets given by the government, the opportunity is open to school to buy new audio and visual educational equipment coming in to the market every week. Products with varying specifications and new capabilities and with so many options you need to be sure that the person installing your equipment knows what they are doing and that your money is being spent on the correct equipment.

InSync IT offer a complete audio visual installation service from design right through to maintenance. We are always at the forefront of technological developments in the audio visual world so we can guarantee that by using us you'll be getting the best audio visual solution available. From standard and short throw projectors, projector lamps, projector screens, smart boards, interactive touch screens displays, amplifiers and school hall projector and audio installations we are sure we have a solution for your schools needs.

Projector & Screen Installations

– We are able to offer projector and screen installations for a variety of applications and on any scale in your school. Our installation teams are fully trained professionals and working with you, we can design and install projection equipment to help you get the most from your training room, classroom and meeting room.

Projector Maintenance

– Maintenance is essential to maximise the usable life of projectors. InSync IT offers a projector maintenance service. Our engineers will routinely clean the filters, strip out any dust from inside the unit, re-fit and re-align all projectors and clean any lenses. Should the bulb require replacement we are able to supply and install bulbs for any projector make and model.

Interactive White & Smart Boards

– Interactive whiteboards or smart boards are increasing more popular in schools and are fast becoming a standard tool in classrooms of today. We can supply and install different types of smart boards with or without integral short throw projectors. As well as the physical installation of the board and cabling we can setup, configure and calibrate the board, host computer and integral or remote projector.

Digital Signage

– Digital signage is now being used by many schools. With digital signage schools are able to promote, advertise or advise visitors via engaging interactive and large screens in the reception of their school. InSync IT can help customers gain the competitive advantages of this technology by advising on and installing the relevant equipment.

Audio & Speaker Installations

– Along with the visual systems such as using projectors there is the need for audio and speaker systems. InSync IT can provide the service of installation of audio visual systems in school halls and classrooms to complement projector and smart board installations. We can design and install a system to meet your requirements as well as your budget.

Should you need to discuss any of these services, have questions or you require a quote, please give us a call on 0161 806 1188 and we will be happy to help.

With the growing access to many online and communication technologies available, schools are becoming more and more connected by use of the variety of options available to them. We specialise in many online and communication services for schools, from complete website or VLE design, setup and hosting to voice and internet and video conferencing. Maintaining an up to date website copy is usually most important for local governments and schools, for example ensuring school dates are up to date.

We can provide a complete one-stop-shop for domain names, email and website design and hosting services and for that more personal communication we can get you connected using video conferencing services such as Skype. With the potential to use web cameras and dedicated handsets or microphones to speak to other pupils or staff members in other schools, we can give advice, supply and implement anything your require to get you connected. Please see below to find out what related services we can offer you:

Web, Intranet & VLE Design & Maintenance

– Whether you want to amend an existing website or VLE or want to publish your school on the internet and want a new website, we can design and maintain this for you. If you prefer, we can do the initial work of design and build your website for you or even just simply provide a basic page then hand over control to you to get you started. You can then edit and make changes to the website yourself. If you have internal website such as an intranet for staff and pupil resources, we can design and build and maintain these also.

Domain, DNS Registration & Maintenance

– Setting up a domain name can be a minefield. We will help with choosing a suitable domain name and organise a setup, either to reserve or use for school websites or emails. Along with the initial setup, we can help with renewing, transferring, closing or even help selling your existing domain, where we can deal with every stage. Once you have the domain name, we can administer your domain for your particular needs, such as FTP, Email or WWW, configuring the relevant name server records. If required, due to complexity of domain configuration, we can explain every step to you should you wish to then take control of your domain yourself. We ALWAYS register the domains in the customers’ names, unlike most registrars.

Email & Webmail Configuration

– Usually staff in the school will have email access, but in some cases email access is required for the pupils. We can configure either your own domain email or your free webmail addresses to use in your school using Outlook or similar email client software hosted on your computers.

Email Signatures & School Newsletters

– Email is a great way to advertise your schools key dates and make parents aware of what your school has planned. Whether it be a simple footer or signature on your email through to a email newsletter, we can help design and implement and solution for you.

Skype & Video Conferencing

– Schools now are introducing video conferencing for both staff meetings and pupils during lessons. We can supply and setup any hardware or software needed to get you on your way to being able to gaining the advantages of this technology whether it be used internally or over the internet. Skype is a packaged form of this technology and allows users to communicate with people by voice, video, and instant messaging over the Internet. We can configure your existing devices with or without use of a computer to enable you to gain the advantages of Skype and video conferencing.

Social Media & Networking

– If you're school hasn't embraced social media networking as a major component of your public front, its due time to hop on board. InSync IT can set up with an account on sites such as Facebook, Twitter and similar social media sites to enable you to communicate and publish to the wider audience.

Should you need to discuss any of these services, have questions or you require a quote, please give us a call on 0161 806 1188 and we will be happy to help.

Cabling is a crucial part of any ICT infrastructure no matter how large or small the school. With ever increasing levels of bandwidth and a greater reliance on network devices a high quality data cabling system is essential. A badly designed or installed cabling infrastructure can negatively impact on the day-to-day running of the school. Correct design and implementation of structured cabling installations will provide cost savings and allow future-proofing of your network infrastructure.

We specialise in the installation of a variety of cabling installations and solutions for any size of school, including low voltage, Cat5, Cat6, FTP and fibre optic network cabling through to voice and electrical as well as CCTV and security cabling infrastructures.

For all requirements from single sockets to large network installations through to linking remote buildings together, InSync IT can help schools develop an efficient cabling plan for new facilities that will allow for flexibility and growth. They can also identify problems in existing cabling infrastructures, consolidate cabling management and hardware, and redesign networks for improved performance.

Prior to the commencement of any installation, comprehensive surveys and enquiries are made to ensure that the installation covers the current and foreseeable future requirements. All installations are completed to high standards and guaranteed quality of work. Below are more details on the solutions we can offer you.

Voice & Data Network Cabling

– At InSync IT we provide a full cabling service including voice and data integration. We are able to undertake Cat5e, Cat6 and FTP cable installation and maintenance, whether updating an existing facility or implementing a new facility, meeting the latest standards and specifications. From site surveys and infrastructure planning and design through to installation and on-going maintenance our engineers have years of experience along with all the necessary testing and terminating equipment to complete a professional installation and they will ensure that your system meets not just your immediate needs but is easily scalable for the growing demands of your school. Whether a simple single additional network point, a repair/replacement of faulty cabling to the installation of a full structured cabling network, you can rest safe that when we attend site we do our best to work around the day to day running of your school ensuring the smooth delivery of the project from initial planning through to delivery and handover.

Network Testing & Troubleshooting

– 75% of network faults are due to cabling not being tested properly during installation. All our CAT5e, CAT6 and structured cabling and fibre optic installations are fully tested upon installation. As well as new installations we can perform tests and reports on existing networks, so if you are having issues with a specific data point on your network or your network is running slow, we can run network cabling health checks which entails testing your existing cabling infrastructure to find out if there is any shorts or breaks and that it meets the requirements of the current hardware and the amount of users on your system.

Telephone Systems & PSTN Cabling

– As well as structured cabling we can install and maintain PSTN and BT phone system cabling. We can supply and install new phone sockets or can extend existing fax and ADSL lines.

IP CCTV Cabling

– We can supply and install twisted pair data cabling for IP CCTV security systems and cameras, from single to multiple camera points. We can first and second fix or integrate new and existing systems for security installation companies or systems integrators.

Fibre Optic Links

– Fibre Optic cables are traditionally used for external building links, network backbones & where data needs to be transmitted over longer distances and its immunity to Electro Magnetic Interference, however due to the lower costs involved nowadays, fibre optic cabling is being more and more widely used. We can install fibre optic links between buildings or long distances within the workplace along with the relevant network devices and the configuration and integration of the cabling into the existing network.

Network Cabinet Reorganisations

– For ICT data cabinets that have become congested and cramped with multiple patch leads and equipment, we can provide colour coded patch leads and reorganise equipment to provide greater space and traceable patching, and if needed we can supply patch charts.

Linking Buildings

– If you have outbuildings or locations onsite that require data or voice links, we can advise on the best method, whether it be via wireless links with external antennas, overhead via a catenary wire or underground in ducting, we can cover all stages of the installation.

Electrical Work

– We can perform electrical work to coincide with any other ICT work such as fused spurs for network and ICT equipment or cabinets.

Should you need to discuss any of these services, have questions or you require a quote, please give us a call on 0161 806 1188 and we will be happy to help.

In today’s ever more demanding educational environments, where the pressure to deliver results and with cost continually being monitored to ensure that absolute value for money is achieved in every component part of a service offered to a school. Imagine then, being able to have access to state of the art technology at a fraction of a cost. ICT costs can be preserved by using Hosted ICT Services as a partly or fully outsourced service, achieved by eliminating the costs associated with running servers and other technology in-house.

Hosted Cloud computing is the future. A cloud network will provide you with a comprehensive range of ICT services without needing to buy and maintain internal servers. Any Windows desktop applications, third party programmes and Exchange email services are delivered straight to your computer, using a secure internet connection. With Hosted Cloud computing, your school could enjoy a flexible, reliable, up-to-date ICT network, at a fraction of the expected cost.

There is a growing number of services that are now being delivered online or in the Cloud. InSync IT offers a wide range of Hosted ICT Solutions to suit all requirements.  From hosted websites and VLE  to Dedicated Servers and bespoke, fully managed online backup, we’ve a package to meet all of your ICT needs however large or small and no matter which hosted ICT solution you choose, you’ll always be fully supported by our dedicated ICT support service.

To find out how Hosted and Cloud solutions can be an advantage to your school, please see the list of services we can offer you below:

Thin Clients

– A Thin Client is a "Micro Pc" which is far less complex then a traditional computer. They are a small compact device that take up very little desk space. Thin Clients are energy efficient as they use up to 80% less power compared to a traditional computer. Thin Clients are also silent running as they have no moving parts. Thin clients work alongside a server which allows connections and sessions to be hosted on the server from the thin clients. You may already have a server that has the ability to support thin clients. Terminal Server by Microsoft is one of the main server platforms that support thin clients and the benefits are that all software and user data is located centrally on the server, and the thin clients require very little or no maintenance once setup. We can advise on the cost implications of moving to or commissioning new thin clients and a possible required server in your school, from here we can implement the solution we have advised for your educational environment.

Online Backup

– Every school should use at least one form of backup on a daily basis. With the advancement of the internet and it increased speeds, remote online backups using the internet are now an option. Either used as a primary backup method as an additional or replacement option to existing backup solutions, online backup carries out data backups on nightly basis across the internet without any intervention. There is no need to worry about inserting tapes or swapping drives every evening before leaving the school and the data is both secure and encrypted and then backed up to our data centre partners.  Harnessing the power of the Internet, the schools data can be easily backed up online and stored safely.  Restoring data is just with a few mouse clicks away and a download of the latest backed up files can be used to restore any missing or corrupted data on your network.  Any failed backups can be automatically flagged and an email sent without the need for a staff member to see if there has been any unsuccessful backups jobs.

Email Security & Spam Filtering

– Spam and junk email messages are not only a burden to sort through as they arrive in your inbox in-between legitimate correspondence, as the volume of spam messages grow, they continually eat away at your schools resources such as bandwidth and storage. Moreover, spam can introduce viruses onto your network and sudden spikes in spam and viruses can severely impact or even shut down your mail servers or worse still your whole network. InSync IT offers our clients a complete line of email security services, with distinct advantages over appliance and software solutions. Our services require no hardware to buy and no software to install. With a simple change of your domain(s) MX records, your mail is routed through our servers, filtered, and the good messages are then passed on to your network. The entire filtering process typically takes less than a second. As a bonus, whenever your network is unavailable due to an outage, scheduled maintenance, or other event, InSync IT queues your mail for up to five days, promptly delivering to you when you come back online.

Website & VLE Hosting

– InSync IT offers a range of services to cover your schools website and virtual learning environments hosting requirements. Whether it’s a single page, static website or a large and detailed site, we can supply the web hosting for your school. A fully managed service, with secure servers in our data centres, supplied by high-speed connections, this service will allow you to get the best from your websites without the worry of managing the server.

Hosted Exchange & Email

– If your school doesn’t have its own email server or even email, hosted Exchange and email is a great alternative to running email servers locally in the school or managing the plaform yourselves. Our Enterprise based Exchange and email solutions allows us to manage your email accounts and setup from a control panel and not have to worry about managing backups, DR, and making sure it’s available 24x7. Email and data is stored on a cloud platform providing redundancy, security and fast connectivity from wherever you are. This allows users to access their email, calendar, contacts and shared files by a variety of means, including Outlook®, Active Sync and Outlook Web Access (OWA), which are all provided. InSync IT provides hosted Microsoft Exchange and email solutions for our smaller schools or those who want to minimise their reliance on in-house servers. This provides our smaller schools with all the functionality of Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange as used by larger educational establishments.

Should you need to discuss any of these services, have questions or you require a quote, please give us a call on 0161 806 1188 and we will be happy to help.

Stuck with how to move files or rename files or want to know how to use the new microscopes that you have just purchased and installed in your school? From the smallest query to a full training session on Microsoft Office or even advice on setting up a new computer.

We can give impartial  friendly advice for all aspect of ICT related questions or queries, as well as  training sessions for many educational ICT related  topics and software.

We can offer the following:

General ICT Advice

– We can offer general help and advice on all aspects of technology, computers and ICT in your school. Our advice is impartial and tailored to fit your individual circumstance.

Buying Advice

– Not sure what laptops to buy or what software or device will be suitable for your school, we can give all aspects of buying advice whether buying from us or sourcing yourself.

Training & Help

– We are able to provide training on all modern aspects of school ICT, from basic use of laptops to supporting your own infrastructure. Whether it be Windows help, or you want to know how to build or edit your own website, just ask and we can help.

Should you need to discuss any of these services, have questions or you require a quote, please give us a call on 0161 806 1188 and we will be happy to help.