Education IT Supported Hardware
("Keeping the main thing the main thing.")


Overview of the Challenge

The primary mission of Education IT is to provide support and maintenance to the College of Education computer, network / firewall, videoconferencing, and administrative database infrastructure.  To that end, we provide support for a wide variety of hardware in a range of contexts and purposes.

Due to limited staffing and rising complexity / proliferation of information technology systems, it has become evident that Education IT is unable to provide specifications or support all kinds of emerging technologies.  Below is a list of the hardware that we do support, and a few examples of the kinds of hardware we are unable to support.  Our goal in seeking to understand our own limitations is to maintain the highest levels and quality of support to the Education IT infrastructure by filtering non-essential activities that drain resources from "the main thing" we know how best to do.

Regarding hardware that we are unable to support, we have attempted to provide some general advice (below) for how users can research and locate items they need, contact vendors, and initiate a purchase.  These are the steps we would take when researching a new technology.  COE users are encouraged to regularly engage in healthy IT research practices to raise awareness of technology possibilities and limitations related to specific disciplines.  Our research advice is listed below.  Occasionally the Education IT team receives requests for recommendations and ordering information for equipment that falls outside of our area of expertise. We need to let our users know that, while we would like to offer assistance for every technology-related need, there are limitations to the numbers and types of technologies can support. The Education IT team does not have expertise or S&E budget or time to evaluate and support all Technology.

Even though there are some things our small IT team cannot support, in almost every case support of some kind is available!  Vendors and manufacturers provide comprehensive support systems, sales teams, web sites, software updates and downloads, and documentation to help users with specific makes and models of hardware.  Individuals should be able to use these resources to determine what they need, initiate a purchase, and learn how to install, use, and troubleshoot personal technology independently.  And there are some excellent Internet resources for finding reviews and needs assessment for equipment that we may not be able to support (see research tips below).


Supported Hardware


Unsupported Hardware (a partial list, typical examples)
    
 (We can offer general advice regarding product research, Purdue technology vendor info, purchasing practices, and links to campus organizations that may be able to help.  But the items listed below are outside of our expertise, and we are unable to provide specific specifications, model numbers, installation, support for them.)    


Unfunded Projects: Hardware not Supported
(if funding is provided to comprehensively address these, we can offer technical advice, but cannot assume technical responsibility for research projects)

Thank you for understanding our limitations and helping us focus on our primary mission!


How to Research, Locate, and Purchase Emerging Technologies

If equipment you need is not on our list of supported hardware, here is some general advice that should help you find what you need...

Research

If you have an idea about what you need, search the vendor links below for the specific item(s) you have in mind.  Once you get product and vendor information, you are ready to begin the Purdue purchasing process. 

If you do not know what you need, you probably need to spend some time conducting research.  Research is a healthy (though some times challenging) part of learning about the practical application of technology.  Sometimes the thing you are looking for will be referenced in a web site, document, or product description that is unrelated to your actual need.  Being sensitive to, and following subtle leads will often lead you to a serendipitous discovery of exactly what you are looking for.  Reading product descriptions on technology vendor web sites can be extremely valuable and enlightening.  Reading product reviews (such as CNet reviews) can help you steer clear of problematic products.  Below are some web sites that can get you started.

http://www.CNet.com (general technology product reviews, and technology news)

http://reviews.cnet.com/Camcorders/2001-6500_7-0.html?tag=ont.camc (digital camcorder reviews)

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews (digital still camera reviews)

http://www.zdnet.com (product reviews, and technology news)

http://froogle.google.com/ (price comparison)

http://www.pricegrabber.com (price comparison)

http://www.pricewatch.com (price comparison)

http://www.google.com (general search engine)

http://groups.google.com/groups?group=comp&hl=en (Google Technology News Groups)


Purdue Vendors

These are some vendors that we would recommend to you.  They have hundreds of thousands of items and can be searched online (use the "search" box on each home page  i.e. "digital camera").  These vendors can be found in the Purdue purchasing system and you and/or your secretary can initiate a purchase of equipment as needed:

http://www.provantage.com/ (computer accessories, consumer electronics, A/V)

http://www.cdw.com/ (computer accessories, consumer electronics, A/V)

http://www.globalgoved.com (computer accessories, consumer electronics, A/V)

http://www.govconnection.com/ (computer accessories, consumer electronics, A/V)

http://www.dell.com/ (computer accessories, Pocket PCs)

http://www.JourneyEd.com/  (misc + software)


The Purdue Purchasing Process

Most purchases can be made through the Purdue purchasing system.  If you want to purchase from a vendor that is not found in the Purdue purchasing system, you may need to submit a Purdue Form-12 to the EDU business office.  If you have any questions about how to place an order through the Purdue purchasing system, you can ask one of the following:

  • The College of Education business office
  • Your program area secretary
  • Your departmental head secretary


Other Purdue Resources

While Education IT may not be able to help with some things, other entities on campus have larger, more comprehensive IT departments that may be able to address your need.  Information Technology @ Purdue ITaP has many offices and addresses a wide variety of IT issues:  http://www.itap.purdue.edu/

 

Purdue University College of Education Education IT