Once they’ve identified schools’ five- or ten-year organizational priorities, the service provider can work with school leadership to optimize year-over-year costs to accomplish these goals. The strategic advice offered under a flat rate system can lower a school’s technology cost in yet another sense. The long-term strategic planning offered by flat-rate providers can ultimately reduce technology costs.
#Flat rate it support software
Rather than simply replacing the same software or hardware year-over-year, a school can rely on the flat-rate provider to suggest changes that are either more cost-effective or better support the school’s longer-term instructional needs. With a flat rate agreement in place, IT firms draw upon extensive knowledge of the broader educational technology landscape, enabling them to recommend specific software or hardware purchases that will add significant value to school programming. The last thing they have time for-generally speaking-is monitoring the latest trends in educational technology. From hallway duty, parent communication, student recruitment, and enrollment, to emergency readiness and transportation, school leaders constantly juggle dozens of competing priorities. The technology costs associated with flat-rate agreements also buy schools’ expertise. Under a flat rate agreement, staying ahead of the curve is part of the provider’s job. The IT service team identifies preventative maintenance needs so that the school doesn’t have to do so. Think of the flat-rate system as a safety net. This model makes financial sense as well: rather than paying an exorbitant cost to fix something “on fire,” schools can pay a much lower flat rate that includes ongoing maintenance and repair that preserve the long-term integrity of their technology inventory. Because the IT service firm regularly monitors a network’s switches, for example, the school can largely avoid unplanned service outages or other disruptions that could negatively impact teachers or students. Whether these systems include the school’s wireless infrastructure, such as cabling and WAPs, or hardware like student Chromebooks or staff laptops, under a flat-rate system, the service provider keeps tabs on the most critical aspects of school technology programming.Īs a result, schools can avoid otherwise preventable technology issues. Flat-rate IT services optimize both service quality and overall technology costs.Īs part of many flat-rate IT service agreements, schools can expect the service provider to conduct ongoing maintenance and monitoring of the school’s core IT systems. When a school leader knows how much she’s paying for IT services each month, she can better understand, for example, how much money she can devote to classroom library purchases or to a new curriculum she’s hoping to use for the following school year.
Consistency in the IT space allows schools to focus their attention on other priorities that directly support student learning. Schools know exactly how much they’ll pay each month, as well as the scope and quality of services they can expect from their provider. IT services and technology costs are no different.įlat-rate IT services allow schools to operate with no surprises. Whether it’s the number of teachers they need to hire for the next school year, the number of desks they need to purchase to meet the needs of an expansion, or knowing the ELA or math curriculum they plan to use for the next school year.
Like most organizations, schools perform best under conditions of certainty. Flat-rate IT services offer a “no surprises” solution to volatile technology costs.
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