The issues caused by outdated IT infrastructure are a continual problem for school ICT managers. Optimising older systems to keep them running effectively and retrofitting new hardware and software are only two elements of this situation.
Old IT isn't energy efficient, scalability is complicated, and maintenance and repairs are expensive. School IT systems must also comply with the Department for Education's guidelines on IT standards. These guidelines require that systems are secure, remain operational even if a device becomes obsolete, are energy-efficient, and provide reliability and durability.
Additionally, Research by Three UK revealed that 74% of 2,000 parents are concerned that a lack of access to the latest technology may limit their children’s future job opportunities.
Threat actors are also targeting schools due to the large amount of personal and financial data they have on their systems. Additionally, as schools are either state or privately funded, threat actors may believe this could mean a 'semi-guaranteed' payout for them if they use ransomware.
The Cyber Breaches Survey Education Institutions Annexe 2024 published by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, found that 52% of primary and 71% of secondary schools identified a cyber security breach or attack in the past year.
Schools also incur other costs from outdated systems, and their impact shows that IT support for education is important.
The hidden costs of outdated IT
- Financial: Legacy system maintenance is expensive and time-consuming.
- Operational costs: Legacy systems can be slow, making it difficult to run a school effectively.
- Security risks: The BBC reported how cyber attacks can impact schools by disrupting administration and education; outdated IT compounds this issue by increasing the attack surface.
- Scaling issues: As schools grow in popularity, the demand for IT infrastructure increases. Outdated systems can hinder the school's ability to scale up effectively, limiting the expansion of technology resources to meet the needs of additional students and staff.
- Department of Education Standards: Meeting the DofE standards is another pressure. These include cyber security because schools hold personally identifiable information and special category data. To protect itself, a school must have comprehensive and robust cyber security.
At Texaport, we provide school ICT managers with various education IT services customised to each school's needs. One of these services is a comprehensive IT audit, which can help you identify issues and problems.
Assessing your current IT infrastructure (through an IT audit)
An IT audit involves examining your school's IT infrastructure, including devices, services, software, network, cabling, operations, policies and protocols.
Once this has been completed, you'll have a report detailing your infrastructure's strengths and weaknesses and the steps you need to take to address any issues. This process may sound complex, but an audit has several benefits.
You can identify problems before they cause issues, or you may have underused IT. And it can improve the day-to-day running of your school.
Five red flags that can indicate problems are:
- Slow performance
- Frequent downtimes
- Security vulnerabilities
- End-of-life devices or software
- Compatibility issues
An IT audit can also help you develop a flexible long-term strategy and plan for your school. At Texaport, we provide schools with a comprehensive audit as one of our support services for education.
Following your IT audit, you will likely identify areas that need attention. Texaport's expert IT support for schools can offer solutions and ongoing maintenance to address these issues.
Augmented IT support: Supplementing in-house teams
If your school lacks in-house specialists for areas such as server management or cyber security, an augmented IT support service can provide the necessary expertise. This cost-effective approach means you'll have access to specialists when needed. Another benefit is that you'll be able to meet but exceed the DofE's guidelines.
An audit can help you optimise your existing resources, such as your software. For example, Texaport assisted a company by maximising the value of its Microsoft 365 subscription by thoroughly reviewing its plan to ensure it was being fully utilised.
This service is part of our holistic approach to IT management, which helps schools to get more from their technology and keep their systems secure.
Ongoing support options for schools (holistic IT management)
What is a holistic approach to IT management? At Texaport, we look at the whole picture—your data, infrastructure, everyone who uses it and how they use it. This way, everyone in your school can use your IT productively with minimal disruptions. The last thing any school's ICT manager wants is problems during tests and exams.
Another aspect of this approach is continually monitoring and maintaining your IT infrastructure so it runs efficiently. This also helps reduce your attack surface.
You can ensure your school's systems are up-to-date and compliant with legislation such as the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act (2018), as well as Health and Safety regulations. By adopting a proactive rather than reactive approach to IT management, you'll also be able to identify issues before they arise.
Future-proofing your IT infrastructure is essential. Texaport can help you with our IT support for education services. Our specialists can help with issues from servers to cyber security, networking to upgrading your equipment, all within your budget and as and when you need help.
Ready to future-proof your school's infrastructure?
Parents are aware of how important up-to-date IT is for their school. Outdated IT impacts pupils' education. Your school may not be able to meet its legal requirements, it's expensive to maintain, and it exposes your school to cyber threats.
A comprehensive IT infrastructure audit will help you identify risks and issues, allowing you to create an effective IT strategy. Implementing this can be time-consuming and difficult if you don't have access to specialists, so an augmented IT support service can help.
By partnering with Texaport, we'll provide your school with education IT services, including 24/7 expert support and advice. Your school will be able to meet its legal obligations and provide its staff and pupils with the secure and reliable IT experience they need to work and learn effectively.
