ICT training equipment

The new employee at the IT training company, will need to be supplied with new equipment to ensure they can fulfil their duties effectively, to optimise customer satisfaction. The IT trainer will have to visit other businesses to train the staff to a certain skill level in various different fields. As they have no fixed location, and would not spend much time if any at the headquarters, some equipment is not suitable to be used.

Hardware equipment such as a desktop computer for each IT trainer in the office would not be necessary as this is costly and inappropriate. A laptop computer per employee would be much more appropriate as this is portable and can now be purchased for reasonable prices.

A laptop would offer many things to the business, including the obvious factor of added mobility. Also the cost of buying one machine, compared to two or more for every employee would be beneficial to the business financially. Having many desktop computers will also take up a large storage space in any office facility. This would reduce the need for a large business premises if any is needed at all, therefore reducing the running cost of the business. As keeping cost to a limit is a key focus of a small business, a laptop over time would provide this, meaning it is an essential for any IT trainer. 

To put this purchase into context, a brand new laptop with a high spec from the dell website can be purchased for around £500. This would enable each IT trainer to store all relevant files on the one machine, and run all types of software on it.

“Designed specifically to meet the unique needs and requirements of small businesses.”

Computer manufacturers have seen an increase in purchases of laptop computers and have now begun to build specific systems to suit the typical needs of any small business.

With figures being revealed that recent estimates suggest that a third of businesses now have people working away from the office for more than 20% of their time, mobile devices are essential.

Laptops are not the only portable devices on offer to a business, in a report entitled “Out-of-office experience” Gareth Morgan suggests other devices and how they can be used to maximize the potential of a business.

“Some enabling devices such as the iPhone may be regarded as too frivolous for business today, notes Benjamin Gray, an analyst with Forrester Research. In all likelihood, however, such gadgets (PDAs, BlackBerry’s and even PCs were progenitors) will permeate into enterprises because executives buy them and ultimately demand support, he says.”

The view of Benjamin Gray is that many new devices currently on the market, supposedly meant to be used for business, are often used by ordinary members of the public for everyday use, as they are often not complex enough for a business use. Often on these very small portable devices the screen is not big enough to use instead of a laptop, and for an IT trainer, this equipment would be highly inadequate to train others. A BlackBerry would be a good use as a phone and some of its additional extras, but is not appropriate to completely replace a laptop.

“Despite the enthusiasm for mobile working, some questions remain, particularly over forms of connectivity. For some, mobile broadband has meant 3G services offered by mobile operators – Orange, Vodafone, T-Mobile and other – have provided businesses with high-speed wireless access. The use of 3G laptop cards has enabled organisations such as Nottingham NHS Health Informatics Service to deliver office-like functionality to mobile staff.”

The size of the screen is not the only problem with these devices. The different forms of connection to the internet, and what form the internet takes is not quite up to scratch. The internet seen on devices such as the iPhone is not the same as the one seen on a normal computer. Phone companies help to offer mobile broadband anywhere with 3G laptop cards, which would be needed by the IT trainer.

Other forms of hardware that would be needed for each IT trainer would be a memory stick to transfer and back up data, but still remains portable. An external hard drive could also be used for similar uses but would offer a larger back up resource. The most important piece of hardware that is not the laptop itself is a printer. User manuals help sheets and other important documents can be printed out for clients, limiting wastage and increasing the effectiveness of the training given. The printer would need to be laser or inkjet, probably the latter as they are cheaper to buy and can come in quite a small size.

Each laptop would need a piece of antivirus software to protect the system from any attacks. This is not very costly and good software can be obtained for free, such as AVG.

Other basic software packages that include a word processor, spreadsheet software and a presentation program would be needed to produce material to be used in training.