Email storage limits, how very 1997

Recently, we have had a rash of external hard drives coming in to be repaired.  This is alarming because in every case these drives were being used instead of shares on a network resource (a server, a NAS, or a SAN).  There were no backups, there was no redundancy, therefore in every case there was a loss of productivity for a significant period of time and in some cases, complete data loss.

Wow.

This reminds me of an article I read on the website for Mann Consulting.  I came across their company after they were featured in a story on NPR and I talked about it on this blog.

Here is an excerpt from the Mann Consulting Blog:

"If you're being asked to lower your email storage by your IT department, it might be time to have 'the talk.'  The one where you explain that you can go to a retail store and buy 1,000 gigabytes of storage inexpensively but that you have to keep your inbox smaller. You don't have time for that.

When your employees start going home to get real work done, or using their personal email accounts because work email is too restrictive, you have a problem...

IT departments used to control everything.   Now they're fighting to keep that control, but information workers have caught on-they've learned how self-reliant they can be.  ... bridge the gap so that the IT people can ensure security is preserved, and the non-technical business people can get work done."

I think they have an interesting take on the role of an IT department in the future workplace.  Technology professionals need to be more responsive to their clientele regardless of their relationship to the customer (internal or external).  More often than not IT "professionals" exhibit a crab mentality, promoting oneself by pulling others down.  

But, that is probably a discussion for another day.  Right now I have to help a co-worker recreate a year's worth of work.

Safeguard your data, folks!

Fall Advisory Meeting and COE Accreditation Visit

iTech was first accredited by the Council on Occupational Education in 2002.  Periodically, we need to be reaffirmed by the organization for a maximum of 6 years.  For the last 14 months our staff has been performing what is known as a self-study on our school as a whole and each of our individual programs.  This past week a visiting team came from all areas of the country to assess that document and evaluate our school.

We are very happy to announce that for our reaccreditation visit, iTech had zero findings, zero recommendations, and two commendations.  (That is very good.)  Go team!
 One of the things that the COE looks at during this process is our advisory committee. Working with members of the local community who are business leaders is very important for us to provide relevant instruction that prepares students for the workforce.  Your input helps us develop our curriculum and establish partnerships that help not only our students, but you as well.  With our campus located in Immokalee, we are well aware of the commitment that it takes for our Advisory Members to travel out here for these meetings, but we are eternally grateful for your membership and everything that it means for our students and for our school.

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our Fall Advisory Luncheon this year.  We had a great turnout.  Our Spring Advisory Lunch will be on Friday March 13th from 12pm to 2pm.  I hope you can join us then for some great food and an opportunity to be a part of what makes this school great.