The IT Factor: 5 Skyward Tech Offerings for 2018

#Product Updates

Tom Kellnhauser

by Tom Kellnhauser

Tom Kellnhauser IT Industry Specialist

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It’s commonly known as the “it factor”—that certain something that sets one thing above the rest. Are you fueling your Skyward system with the right services from our information technology team?

We realize it’s hard to keep up with everything, so we’re shining a light on five IT services you can leverage to take some weight off your shoulders and help bring your district operations to the next level.

1. Disaster Recovery

“Expect the best, but prepare for the worst.” You’ve heard it said, but are you ready? With Skyward’s Disaster Recovery service, your data will be saved to a remote off-site location a minimum of once every week. If a disaster occurs, all you have to do is contact IT services. Our team will immediately recover your data from the last backup stored with our hosting partner, ISCorp, and make it accessible to you from any computer with Internet access. With a disaster recovery service in place, you can be confident knowing that if the uncontrollable happens, there will be a team standing behind you, ready to put you back on your feet.

2. Database Tuning

As your district changes over time, your database must also evolve if it’s going to continue meeting your needs. But sometimes it’s hard to determine the most effective way to bring about those changes. Consider having a member of our IT Services team come to your district to perform a database tune-up. Our technician will scan your database for internal corruption and configure the start-up parameters. We'll also perform a database dump-and-load to Type 2 storage areas, which will improve performance, manageability, and maintenance. It’s a simple and effective way to ensure your software will continue functioning with the speed, reliability, and efficiency you’ve come to expect.

3. Security Assessment

Data accessibility and data privacy go hand-in-hand and are top of mind for many districts. How secure is your data? We’re here to help you answer that question using a three-step security assessment process to discover gaps and recommend ways to fill them. First, we’ll test your current security setup by probing for weak spots in your network from the inside and from the Internet. Next, we’ll review your district’s security policies and provide a thorough, written assessment of your current weaknesses, rated by their severity. Finally, we’ll provide your district with a straightforward course of action to improve the security of your network so you can rest assured your data is secure.

4. On-Site Hosting with Network Assistance

If you’d like to host your Skyward software onsite, but would prefer to let us handle the legwork for your system, you’re in luck! Our IT Services team can set you up with an HP server with which to store your district’s data on site. Then, you can turn the reins over to us. We'll monitor your software, diagnose and repair any issues, load all updates, and handle any other database administration tasks. By lifting these responsibilities from your staff, you’ll free them up to focus on other important tasks, essentially enabling your district to do more with the same amount of internal resources. You’ll also enjoy the peace of mind that comes with fail-safe backups, the highest levels of security, and a trustworthy team by your side.

5. E-Rate Recommendations

We’re in year three of five for the current version of E-rate. Funds from this federal program offer an unprecendented opportunity for you to invest in new infrastucture, especially in the areas of broadband and wireless. Many schools have specific goals in mind, but others don’t know where to start or what they need the most. If that’s you, get in touch. We’ll send an IT Services engineer to your school to do a walkthrough, assess your current setup, and suggest areas for improvement. E-rate funding is a great way to bring your district’s technology in line with your vision, without laying a heavy burden on your budget. We’ve had schools tell us they don’t know if they should apply—that the process is lengthy and difficult. Our recommendation is to power through. It’s not as bad as you might think and if you fill out the forms correctly, there is a very good chance of being funded in category two during 2018. Why wouldn’t you do it?

If you have any questions or are looking for more information about these or any other IT services, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d love to chat with you and see how we can help you put your district a cut above the rest.