An Interview with Tom Proudfoot, Deployment Services Manager at Apogee Corporation, on Deploying Managed IT Services (MITS) within the Education Sector
As part of our ongoing Case Study series with Craven College on their implementation of Managed Print Services (MPS) and Managed IT Services (MITS) within the Education Sector, we had the chance to sit down with Tom Proudfoot, Deployment Services Manager at Apogee Corporation. Through Tom and the relationship built between Apogee and Craven College, across the initial deployment of a Managed Print Service (MPS) solution at the College, Craven made the decision to pursue a Managed IT Service (MITS) solution. This evolving relationship with Apogee and Craven College through the CPC Framework expanded from a Managed Print Service (MPS) to the expansion into Managed IT Services (MITS), resulting in the technology refresh at the College.
At Apogee, we pride ourselves on our industry-leading "Service Excellence" but also on being a company you can trust. As part of our ongoing commitment to providing genuine insight into our Managed Workplace Services (MWS), you can read from Tom Proudfoot in his own words below or watch his interview here. This interview covers several aspects, but most importantly, it gives true perspicuity on the importance of having a trusted Managed Service Provider (MSP) as a partner while implementing Managed IT Services (MITS) in the Education Sector.
Hi Tom, can you tell us how Craven College and Apogee came to work together to provide a Managed IT Services (MITS) solution?
The relationship with Craven College started with a successful Managed Print Service (MPS) rollout. This rollout then led to conversations based on that relationship around Managed IT Services (MITS) and pain points that they have in terms of supporting rollouts and things like that with Adrian Lawson, head of IT at Craven College.
What do you feel was the main factor for Craven College evolving the relationship from Managed Print Services (MPS) to Managed IT Services (MITS)?
As part of the successful Managed Print Service (MPS) rollout that was carried out by Apogee and the Deployment Services team, relationships were built. They sort of found out what we were made of, if you will, what we can do at Apogee.
And that has led on to where we were having conversations around their ageing IT equipment. It was something I think they knew needed to be done. This was now the time for it.
They sort of found out what we were made of, if you will, what we can do at Apogee.
– Tom Proudfoot, Apogee Corporation
Can you tell us the central concern Craven College faced in their IT estate that they hoped to address through Apogee's Managed IT Service (MITS)?
I think the main sort of concerns with the College would be staffing, a small IT Department to deploy circa. 900 PCs or laptops would be quite time consuming. So, for Apogee, we were provided with a brief of what sort of solutions College wanted to achieve. We took that through the Crescent Purchasing Consortium (CPC) Framework documents, then went away, came back and gave some better ideas in terms of streamlining the process, if you will to solve those concerns.
Tom, could you explain your role in terms of both the deployment of Managed Print Services (MPS) and Managed IT Services (MITS)?
So, my role effectively is to run the field team to carry out this sort of works. We deploy anything from Managed Print all the way through to Managed IT. The guys and myself are completely involved from the start-up of a deal, from initial scoping out through to ultimately implementation.
My role was a strange one really. We obviously carried out the Managed Print Service (MPS) rollout, creating good working relationships with Craven College. We built up their trust and that evolved into myself from an operational side, sort of helping them with their journey, if you will, as part of the process. Leading to conversations around Managed IT Services (MITS).
What was the brief provided by Craven College for the deployment of a Managed IT Service (MITS) in Education? Has the College specific needs that a Managed IT Service (MITS) solution needed to provide for Higher Education?
One of the briefs that Craven College provided us was ultimately the deployment side that was taking the pain away from them free of their IT Department. With Managed IT Services (MITS) we manage everything from asset tagging devices, imaging them, ultimately deployed them to desk, carrying out training with end users while logging that and also bringing in an asset management system which wasn't previously there.
Then through the tender process there was a particular need for casting, Apple Mac's and also a laptop loan system. So that's something that we worked with. We found the sort of best fit in terms of a solution, the casting that was deployed was Screen Beam that's given the College a lot more options now to be interactive with their students, to cast from a mobile phone to a Mac or a Windows based device. In terms of the Macs, we carried out a fairly simple installation to desk of their devices.
And also the laptop locker system will be due this summer. That will allow and ultimately free up staff out of hours to loan the devices to people.
Tom, what was the reception to deploying a Managed IT Service (MITS) within Craven College? Particularly how did the teachers and students respond? Do you think teachers benefitted from the deployed Managed IT Services (MITS) solution?
All the devices that we handed over to end users, be those students, or staff, they have all been quite chuffed. I think the initial reaction when people are coming for their new equipment, it was going to be three years old and sort of cleaned up by the IT Department. I think they're all fairly shocked that there's such a big investment by the College.
Finally, Tom, how do you feel the Managed IT Service (MITS) deployment benefitted Craven College the most?
Well, all HP desktops, laptops, every mobile device is covered on the Apogee Care Pack for the duration of the contract. The sort of benefit for that for Craven College especially is it removes the ticketing system for their IT Department, it frees them up for normal work. All Care Packs are managed through Apogee's help desk and is automated as well on our Apogee Client Portal.
I think they're all fairly shocked that there's such a big investment by the College.
– Tom Proudfoot, Apogee Corporation
We thank Tom Proudfoot from Apogee for giving us his unique view on Managed IT Services (MITS) in the Education Sector. You can read the Craven College case study here if you would like to know more about how Craven College implemented Apogee's Managed IT Services (MITS) into higher Education. Apogee provides Managed Workplace Services (MWS) across the entire Public Sector, from Education to the NHS. You can read our interview with Apogee's Director of Public Sector, Paul Rylands, or watch our series with Craven College on YouTube to learn more.
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