The Advent of the Ultrabook

What do you need to know about the Ultrabook?

An ultra-portable notebook, patented by Intel, defined by an extensive battery life, low weight and high-performance.

Using a solid state drive and the latest Intel Core i5 ULV processor, the Ultrabook is ultra responsive and surprisingly powerful for such a light and mobile device.

Introducing the HP Folio 13

We are very excited to be getting our hands on the only HP Folio 13 in Ireland next week to trial the product and showcase it at the upcoming CESI Conference.

Key Features of the HP Folio 13

PERFORMANCE
•   Windows 7 Professional
•   Latest Intel Core i5 ULV processor
•   128GB solid state drive
•   Intel Rapid Start Technology
•   USB 3.0
 
MOBILITY
•   Battery life up to 9 hours
•   Ultra slim 18mm design
•   Weighs just 1.49kg
•   Backlit Keyboard
•   Durable steel gray metal chassis
 
RICH FEATURES
•   TPM embedded security device
•   RJ-45 network connector
•   HP CoolSense
•   HP Imagepad
•   Up to 3-year business-class warranty

Check out the reviews

Please contact us to pre-order the HP Folio 13 or for more information.

New Recruits Mean Business

L to R: Pat O'Leary, Janet Millar and Marc WalshThrough the successful provision of ICT solutions to small-medium sized businesses and educational institutions since 1996, Net Communications has amassed experience, expertise, a strong reputation and close partnerships with brands such as HP, Microsoft and Apple. This has put the company in a strong position to grow its offerings and customer base.

MD Paul Roche recently seized the opportunity to expand the ICT for Enterprise team within the company with the recruitment of some well-known faces in the industry.

Leading the team is Pat O’Leary along with Marc Walsh, Technical Services Manager, and Janet Millar, Sales Support. The formation of this team has enabled the company to further develop their high-end technical services and solutions including Managed ICT Services, Cloud Backup and Disaster Recovery, Virtualisation, Unified Communications and Managed Print. Net Communications is confident that these solutions will deliver true business benefits to their clients.

“I felt comfortable making the move to Net Communications as I could clearly see potential for the company to work within the Enterprise sector. They have proven technical abilities and customer loyalty which shows the service-delivery model works; but what has me most excited is the software we work with in delivering solutions such as Managed Services, for example: the pro-active monitoring and alerting system is the best I’ve seen to date.”

Pat O’Leary.

The team has got off to a great start already with a new partnership with Cisco, a developed partnership with Microsoft, and the achievement of the HP Service-One Gold 2012 accreditation.

7 Considerations Before Switching to Digital Textbooks in your School

Few doubt that school books are an endangered species and that in the coming years eBooks will replace them in all schools. The digitization of heavy textbooks onto a slate or tablet PC device offers more benefits than the orthopedic, and this is coming to the fore thanks to schools leading the way; e.g.: St. Aidan's Primary, Wexford, and St. Coleman's College, Mayo.

Through our relationships with Principals we have found that there is a large variance in the level of confidence in the idea, understanding of how to go about such a change and a general feeling of "Where do I even start?" That is why, with the help of educational e-publisher Folens, we have compiled the following seven key points to consider, to help get you on the right track.

1. Strategy

   Define your immediate and long-term goals; a gradual transition is advisable to give students, teachers and parents time to adapt. Who will the device belong to? Will the school make an initial investment in some devices or will a scheme be offered to parents as an alternative to standard textbooks. E.g.: Offer a hire-purchase scheme to incoming first-year students for an iPad pre-loaded with the curricular books. There are options available such as Flexirent to make this affordable. Also consider acceptable usage policies.

2. WiFi

   A wireless network is necessary to ensure optimised use of the devices; although once the books have been downloaded using an internet connection, they will be available on the device offline.
   

3. Broadband

   How fast is your broadband? Can it handle multiple devices trying to access the internet at the same time? One of our ICT in Education Experts will be able to assess this for you.
   

4. Device

   Netbook or tablet? Apple or Microsoft? A trial or two might help you decide. Also consider warranty terms and insurance options and how the devices will be securely stored, charged and updated.
   

5. Expertise

   Some technical expertise will be required with the initial roll-out of the devices and teachers will need a small amount of training on the basics. Who do you have on your team with a flair for technology? Maybe someone is already using an iPad at home - could you incentivize them to share their expertise? Could you enroll the help of some tech-savvie students? Our ICT in Education team is also available to provide this expertise.

6. Support

   Do you have an ICT co-ordinator and/or an ICT support contract for technical support? How will technical support for the devices be financed?

7. Leader

   In the success stories we have seen to date, there has always been a strong leader figure pushing forward, communicating to their colleagues, the parents and students, co-ordinating the implementation. Who will it be in your school?

Want more advice like this? Check out Folens' Educational Technology Blog.

ICT for Education Video

John Brennan - Principal of Oulart NS, Robert O'Leary - Principal of Sacred Heart Senior NS, Pat McKenna - Principal of Pobalscoil Neasain, Ann Marie Whelan - Education Manager of HP Ireland and Paul Roche - MD of Net Communications, discuss ICT in Education. 

Your Data Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan

Ask yourself "How long can I afford to be without my critical systems and data?" 70% of companies that suffer a serious data loss are out of business within two years.

Implementing a business continuity solution is not as complex as you may think, the first step is a plan.

1. Detailed audit ensuring that all critical data is being backed up.
2. Daily backups and a full backup at least once a week.
3. Quarterly backups and restore tests.
4. One copy of your backup stored away from your system, offsite for security.

Are you using tape backups?

Tape based backup solutions fail regularly. It is a cheap, 50 year old technology that is highly unreliable at keeping data safe. 

Human Error

Without automation, scheduling and reporting, backups need to be manually looked after and carefully watched by employees. This takes up valuable time and makes the backup highly vulnerable to human error. Often, problems with the tapes or backup software prevent data from being backed up properly without anyone even knowing there is a problem.

We have a solution that will give you the confidence of knowing your data is secure and immediately recoverable in the aftermath of a data loss disaster. Datto Protection features instant onsite and offsite virtualisation and can be set-up and running within five minutes. It allows you to fully restore your servers within seconds.

Call 1890 89 89 89 or email info@netcommunications.ie for help with your plan.

Free A-Z of ICT Wall Chart

Free poster, the A-Z of ICT. Ideal for classrooms.

Download PDF to print (991KB)

Global Hard Drive Shortage

Thailand, the world's second largest exporter of hard drives (a.k.a.: hard disk drives), suffered devastating flooding in October 2011 and many manufacturing facilities still remain under water or non-operational due to water-damage. This has caused an unprecedented shortage of the essential computer component and the problem looks set to continue into the new year.

Western Digital, a leading Thailand-based hard drive manufacturer has warned supply may not normalise until March 2012. Predictions on the global shortage quantity range from 20 to 165 million units, over the next three to four months.

How will it affect you?

Manufacturers and distributors of desktop and laptop computers, external drives, backup drives and replacement drives currently have insufficient stock to meet demand. This may cause a delay in the delivery of new orders and because of fluctuating pricing, the period of time that quotations are valid for may be shortened. Our sales team are happy to advise, just call 1890 89 89 89.

NEW HP Slate 2

Announcing HP's new tablet PC, the HP Slate 2, available from 20th December 2011, pre-order now!

Create, edit and review content using a Windows-based experience with touch capabilities. Features an Intel™ Atom Z670 processor allowing for improved battery life and enhanced graphics performance.

VIEW DETAILS

HP ServiceOne Gold 2012 Accredited

HP ServiceOne is HP Technology Services' comprehensive new programme for top HP partners who have excelled in the provision of HP services and have achieved numerous certifications. It allows accredited partners to sell and deliver leading-edge business solutions with exclusive access to HP Technical Service Experts and HP Intellectual Property which includes highly researched processes, methods, models and technologies.

The ICT in Education Roadshow with HP

More than 50 Principals and ICT Co-Ordinators have attended our ICT in Education Roadshow at venues in Portlaoise, Dublin, Tralee and Waterford from September to November. The roadshow facilitated the sharing of expertise from Net Communications, world leading technology manufacturer HP and educators dedicated to learning more about ICT. It proved a great opportunity to discover the latest classroom technologies available to improve learning outcomes and cut costs in schools and colleges.

Some feedback from the event:

"Always informative and well presented. Helps us keep up to date."

William McAuliffe, Terence McSwiney Community College

"Very informative. Information like this is essential for ICT in Education to move forward. I would definitely recommend other teachers and schools to attend such sessions."

Denis Griffin, Moyderwell Primary School

"Very informative, good to see all the new stuff on the market."

Breda Ferris, Presentation Secondary School

"Very good. More informed as to what's out there." 

Teresa Lonergan Landers, Castleisland Community College

VIEW PHOTOS

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