[ubuntu-uk] School websites

[Simon Greenwood]

On 24 June 2011 10:03, Gordon Burgess-Parker <gbplinux at gmail.com> wrote:

> **
> On 24/06/2011 08:52, Sean Miller wrote:
>
> On 24 June 2011 08:45, Gordon Burgess-Parker <gbplinux at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> As an example - in a quoted UK IT sector company, we (the Group Finance
>> Dept) decided that we wanted a reporting tool to sit on top of JD Edwards,
>> our ERM software. After research we decided on Hyperion which is (or was 15
>> years ago) one of the best in the business. So we bought it. The IT dept
>> flatly refused to install it because we (the Finance Dept who needed to USE
>> it) hadn't consulted them first...!!!!!!!!!!
>
>
> I bet you'd have been pissed off if the IT Department had decided to take
> it upon themselves to prepare the annual accounts without telling you...
> swings and roundabouts...  if the management accountants are going to
> evaluate, install and support software why have an IT department at all?
>
> I'd have not been amused either...
>
> Sean
>
>
> Not so. How can the IT dept evaluate a FINANCIAL reporting application?
> Especially an internationally-recognised market leader? The IT dept is a
> SERVICE dept. If the MD says "I want such and such a software because I
> think we can benefit from it, the IT dept shouldn't throw a hissy fit just
> because the MD didn't consult them about what software HE wants - they
> should buckle down and install it.
>
>

As a grizzled sysadmin I have to disagree entirely. What happens when the
software stops working and the IT department is expected to fix it? The IT
department is there to provide a service but they can't provide it if they
don't how to support it.

There is a balance to be had: I'm not sure if this is still the case, but BT
and other former subsidiaries were still providing Windows XP and Internet
Explorer 6 as the standard build on new desktop machines a couple of years
ago with very locked down machines, to the point where it does actually
prevent people from doing work, but ton the other hand you really don't
people installing torrent software to download last night's Coronation
Street (yes, that's extreme but the middle is neither of those).

s/

-- 
Twitter: @sfgreenwood
"Is this your sanderling?"
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