Q+&+A

__Question 1__ I am curious about the purchasing procedures for our desktops, laptops, netbooks. We have talked a lot about new technology but not a lot about how much all of the things on our refresh schedule actually cost per unit, what discounts or advantages we get by having Dell as our sole provider, and how the cost per unit breaks down so we can see exactly what we are paying for.

After the discussion on Tuesday, January 31, 2012, I don't believe the question is as much about price as it is about supporting multiple technology platforms (i.e. Dell, Apple, etc.) in the district. Consequently, I have formulated the response accordingly.

Information Services staff work with district and campus-based Instructional Technology staff to determine what equipment will be refreshed based on campus priorities. One of the greatest advantages to standardizing on a particular vendor (i.e. Dell) is the speed at which we can repair equipment in the district. The RRISD computer technicians are Dell certified which means that we get paid by Dell to perform any warranty work on RRISD computers. There are several advantages to participating in the Dell Warranty Parts Direct program. In addition to being paid by Dell to do warranty work, computer repairs are performed by district staff members that are knowledgeable about the district including campus locations and campus staff. This arrangement allows RRISD technicians to work with the appropriate campus staff to repair computer equipment very quickly. Generally, a service ticket that is opened in the morning is completed by the end of the same day. A service ticket that is opened in the afternoon is completed by noon the next day. Although we maintain a small inventory of computer parts necessary to do repairs quickly, we can order parts online with Dell and have the parts available to us the next day. Consequently, standardization of equipment results in reduced costs for maintenance of equipment. There is considerable research available on the "total cost of ownership" or TCO.

Supporting multiple brands of hardware will increase the inventory of equipment that will need to be kept in the district and will increase the time necessary to make repairs. If additional support staff is not added to maintain and respond to questions, then the length of time necessary to solve problems would have to increase.