Robert Hughes, an apprentice with Information Technology specialists Solex Systems who works on the sophisticated wireless communications network at Howells School, Denbigh, is the Microsoft IT World Skills Apprentice of the Year for Wales.

IT wizards, Josh O’Brien, left, and Robert Hughes, of Solex Systems, with Howells School pupil Saffron Yates, from Rhydymeudwy, near Ruthin.

The 20-year-old from Borras Park, Wrexham, won the North Wales award recently with Solex colleague Josh O’Brien second and the pair went on into the national final where as well as Robert winning, Josh, 19, from Bersham, came fourth.

Robert, a second year apprentice with the Saltney-based company, said: “The work we do at Howells has been key to winning the award.

“As a company we have been involved in upgrading all their IT systems and they really are very advanced now which is brilliant in terms of giving you a good grounding in an industry which changes on an almost daily basis.

“The competition at the final down in the Sony Theatre in Bridgend was very intense. We had four hours to assemble and configure a PC and the people we were competing against could just walk round and watch what you were doing which was a bit nerve-racking.”

Josh added: “Howells really is a good place to work because there are complex systems here with fibre-optic and wireless technology so you have to keep up with the latest innovations.”

The Solex apprentices are on a work-based assessment programme with Deeside College and Solex Director Mark Hill said: “They spend two days every week at Howells and it’s been a very important part of their learning process.

“I’m very proud of them both, they’re doing an excellent job for us and for Howells which as a school has really embraced new technology in almost every field.

“They have made a big investment there – a few years ago IT wasn’t really a priority but that has certainly changed and they have a very comprehensive wireless set-up there.

“I’m sure there are very few schools nationally with the kind of advanced systems which they run – they can even control virtually all their devices remotely from iPads and iPhones.

“Their estates manager can even view all their security cameras from the comfort of his own home so it is a very progressive network.”

Howells School Trustee Robbie Locke has overseen the upgrade of the school’s IT systems and he said: “We’re thrilled that our IT technician has picked up this prestigious prize.

“We have a very good relationship with Solex Systems and have had for some time and we’re delighted that we have been able to help them win in what is a major award.

“We have a very high tech system here at Howells so they have a great training platform – fibre optic connections to our buildings, an internet phone system, whole-campus wifi, internet protocol security cameras.

“We even have internet TVs in the fitness suite and internet controlled thermostats for the school’s heating systems.”

Solex Systems was set up three and a half years ago by Mark Hill and David Powell and employs eight people.

The company specialises in a range of IT systems for public and private sector clients across the North West and North Wales but has domestic customers as far afield as Henley on Thames and overseas works in Serbia and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

External IT support vs Internal IT support

• Hiring an external IT support company is extremely cost-effective when compared to the price of having an internal IT professional. You pay for an external team whenever you need them, whereas an in-house IT professional/team need will be on an annual salary (normally starting from £18,000, depending on the experience and qualifications of that individual).
• Having an internal IT professional can be difficult to manage, due to sorting out holiday cover and various other employee requirements.
• The knowledge of an internal IT professional/team may be limited, whereas external IT Support teams are guaranteed to have extensive IT skills and expertise. You may find that external IT support teams are constantly trained and updated, which in turn, helps them to develop their current skills and experience. External IT Support teams are also professionally certified, giving you the peace of mind that they are there to get the job done, and properly! That’s why you’ll be happy to know that Solex Systems are an accredited Microsoft Silver Partner and a Microsoft Small Business Specialist. Having an external IT Support team also means that you won’t have to worry about supplying your IT Support team with constant training and certifications.
• The majority of external IT Support companies will have sufficient experience with working with businesses that are similar to yours, meaning they’ll have the ability to recommend a service that suits you and your company the best.

If you’re searching for an external IT Support company then look no further – At Solex Systems, we seek ways to improve efficiency and working practices for our customers, alongside delivering ‘best in class’ technical solutions and support. If you’re looking for technical support, school IT support/supplies, network support or any other type of IT support, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Competitors were tested on their ability to configure IT hardware and software, and set up a client/server network with a domain controller to specified requirements. The World Skills UK competitions focus on all the essential requirements for a successful career as a Microsoft IT Technician within any industry. By winning the competition, Robert has a chance to compete in the world finals being held in Leipzig, Germany in 2013.

Solex Systems (Dave Powell, Director) said:

“We are so pleased for Robert and Joshua, Their progress has been excellent and they are both integral members of our team. The hard work and dedication they have both shown in work and in college since starting their apprenticeships has been outstanding.”

Deeside College assessor Becky Pill said:

“Robert and Josh both performed extremely well in this competition and deserve their success. They are both fantastic students and have also received excellent guidance and tuition from the team at Solex Systems. We are extremely proud to have had two Deeside College representatives in the All Wales final.”

Robert Hughes, Support Technician

Solex Systems are a specialist provider of IT Support and Computer Services in Chester, Wales and the North West. Specialising in Server and Network Support, Web design/SEO, Network Maintenance, Network Infrastructure and Audio Visual installations.

All engineers at Solex Systems are Microsoft Certified Professionals. For further information, call Solex Systems on 01244 784200 or visit www.solexsystems.co.uk

We can arrange technical support visits, which will take place on an agreed cyclical basis. These visits are to maintain and add to the functionality of a school’s network, so that the network is performing reliably and working to the best standard possible. The school determines the nature of the work that is undertaken on the scheduled visit; they will list the priorities and sign off any completed work at the end of the visit.

This may include:

-       Network trouble-shooting

-       Fault diagnosis

-       Network and classroom printer support

-       Adding computers to the network

-       Adding new users to the network

-       Installation and support for core software

-       Advice and assistance with other software

-       Advice and support for peripherals such as scanners, microscopes, cameras etc

-       Internet connectivity trouble shooting

-       Pre-Ofsted check of curriculum computers

-       Interactive Whiteboard fault finding and calibration

-       Routine network administration tasks

-       Update Service Packs

-       Update patches

-       Update anti-virus software

A skilled technician, who will call at the office on the day of each scheduled visit, is responsible for all of the above work. The technician will work by the school’s own procedures and will sign-in upon arrival.

After being handed the prioritised list of work by the school, the technical will go about each piece of work to the best of their ability while making a record of all completed work. Regardless as to whether the technician completes all of the work in that visit, it is the responsibility of the school to ensure that any outstanding jobs are carried over to the new prioritised list of work, ready for the next visit.

Unlimited telephone support is another IT support service we offer to all schools. A dedicated helpline is available and all faults are dealt with by experienced staff with educational experience.

In addition to the above IT support services, we also offer schools remote support, prioritised call out, software support and hardware support. Why not contact us for more information on our School IT Support?

Two trainees from Wrexham have won through to the final of the competition to find Wales’ best up and coming Microsoft IT Technician.

20-year-old Robert Hughes and 19-year-old Josh O’Brien, are both employed as apprentices at Solex Systems Ltd, and undertaking a ICT Professional Competence NVQ through Deeside College.  They came first and second in the North Wales heat of the Skills Competition Wales Microsoft IT Technician event held at Deeside College.

They will both now go forward to the all-wales final which will be held at Bridgend College at the end of April.

Deeside College assessor Becky Pill said:

“Robert and Josh both performed extremely well in this competition and deserve their places in the final.  We are extremely proud to have two Deeside College representatives in the All Wales final.”

Solex Systems (Susan Parry, Manager) said:

““We would like to congratulate Rob Hughes and Josh O’Brien on their success in winning the North Wales Regional World Skills Competition and wish them the very best of luck when attending the following heats in South Wales”

Backed by the Welsh Government through the European Social Fund, Skills Competition Wales promotes the importance of developing a highly skilled workforce. The Microsoft IT Technician competition is run by Deeside College Technical Support Team.

Contestants had to configure IT hardware and software, and set up a client/server network with a domain controller to specified requirements.

 Skills Competition Wales aims to find Wales’ most talented trainees across a wide range of skills, including fields such as automotive engineering, aerospace, construction skills, catering, accountancy, media, and information technology.

It involves colleges, Sector Skills Councils and training providers running competitions across Wales.

• Skills Competition Wales offers learners a chance to test, benchmark and raise their skills levels and provides valuable competition experience for those who enter and progress onto WorldSkills UK competitions.  The next World Skills event takes place in Leipzig in July 2013. For employers, competitions not only help drive up the quality in apprenticeships and vocational education, but also motivate employees to achieve success.

WorldSkills UK competitions are the feeder route for competitors to go forward and represent their Country at the biennial International ‘WorldSkills’ competition – the world’s largest skills competition.

Technical Support Visits

Technical support visits are arranged in advance with the school and are done to maintain and add to the functionality of the school network. These are regular half-day visits, when specific work is undertaken depending on what the school wants the nature of the work to be. The school decides the priorities and signs off the completed work at the end of the visit.

By working closely with the curriculum consultants, our technicians are able to pass on good practice relating to Learning and Teaching when using the equipment. Upon arrival, the technician will call at the school’s main office and sign-in, before being handed a prioritised list of work for that visit. The technician will record the work done during the visit.

Please note that it will not always be possible for technicians to complete all jobs during a visit and that it is the responsibility of the school to ensure that any outstanding jobs are carried over to the new prioritised list of work, ready for the next visit.

Unlimited Telephone Support

In terms of telephone support for schools, a dedicated helpline is available; experienced staff with educational experience will deal with all faults. All calls must be logged on our service desk on 01244 784200. 

Remote Support

Remote support us now offered, at no additional cost, in order to help resolve faults in the quickest possible time.

Prioritised Call Out

Prioritised call out is the process in which a pool of engineers can be accessed if a fault cannot be resolved via telephone or remote support. These technicians will have an excellent level of experience with primary sites and curriculum applications, covering servers and workstations on site.

Hardware and Software Support

Solex Systems will cover parts and labour for replacement of component parts, and assist you in resolving software issues on site (subject to exclusions).

Network Infrastructure

We will assist you in the maintenance of your cabling infrastructure by fault finding, repair, equipment and design of network cabling systems.

 Contact Solex

For any more information on our School IT Support or our school supplies, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Many businesses are unaware of actually how common a ‘disaster’ can be and fail to understand the detrimental effect it can have on a business. Due to the continuous growth of vicious viruses and malware threats attacking our systems and the chance of a natural disaster, preparation is key. Unfortunately, less than half of all organisations have a disaster recovery plan and only 43% of companies bother to test their plan annually according to studies by the London Chamber of Commerce. Don’t allow your business to become a part of that statistic – instead, keep your business secure and prepare for the worst in order to ensure that your business is always up and running, no matter what disaster it may encounter.

So, how can a ‘disaster’ actually affect a business as a whole? Well, besides loss of important data, production and significant financial loss, ‘disasters’ can also create loss of business and customers, loss of credibility and various other cash flow problems including the failure to pay employees. It’s no surprise then that 90% of businesses that suffer a disaster have to shut down within two years of the disaster.

Solex Systems are a leading disaster recovery provider delivering long lasting solutions to businesses. At Solex, we like to ensure that a business’ data is completely secure and we will make sure that a comprehensive data backup takes place; this can be done using a traditional tape device, external hard drive or offsite backup. Once this is done, we will test your disaster recovery plan in order to make sure it’s full proof and the best it can be. This process includes a realtime recovery test, which we will do by simulating the loss of your server and assessing how quickly your network can be back up and online. We even use the latest snapshot technologies and baremetal restore functionality.

For more information on our disaster recovery services or any further IT support, please do not hesitate to contact us. Please feel free to talk to us via our live chat or call us on 01244 784200 for a quotation.

*According to a study by Touche Ross.

For those who are unfamiliar with networks; a network allows two or more computers to share resources, exchange files and much more. Telephone lines, cables, satellites, or infrared light beams are just a few examples of how the computers on a network could be linked. Computers networks are extremely beneficial for schools, as they allow students to broaden their education through technology and share resources between one another.

There are many advantages of installing a school network:

• The network provides its users with the ability to store and share and manipulate information. This is great for allowing students to share their work between classmates or to provide teachers with the ability to assess a student’s work or share information with the whole class via computer.
• The network can control what resources particular users can access. This means that if there are any resources that need to be kept private or hidden between teachers or other users, the server will ensure that students or other users cannot see these resources.
• Students are able to access and moderate their information from any computer in the school that is connected on the same network. This means that a student could begin an assignment, save it onto the public network and re-open it from another computer for further editing. This is perfect for group studies as students working in a group can access the same file from various computers in the school.
• Having a network that shares important files such as registration or course schedule files can save time and effort for the school as a whole. Teachers will no longer have to carry around paper-based copies of either, and any administrator in the school will be able to access the information to check on a student’s absence or something similar.
• Anyone can be connected to the network, which also means that anyone can be restricted. Students, administrators, teachers and even guests can all be connected to the network and any outsiders won’t be allowed access.

If you’re keen to know more about school IT support or network installation in general then please feel free to call us or join us on our live chat.

If you really are starting up a new business and you’re unsure of which IT supplies and support you’re going to need, then consider the following:

• Network installation and network security. Installing a network will allow you and your colleagues to share resources over two or more computers, exchange files or allow electronic communications. At Solex Systems, each time we install a new network, we follow a tried and trust method which allows us to build a network correctly the first time, regardless as to whether you’d like as little as five users on that network to as many as 200 users. Our reliable network security service will protect your new business’ network from any potential viruses, worms, Trojans or malware threats.
• VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol). VOIP is a great method of telephonic communication and it’s extremely cost-effective since it uses the Internet to connect calls as opposed to using a phone line. Solex Systems’ hosted phone system is completely future proof and we will be more than happy to keep your brand new business firmly up to date on any new features which we may introduce.
• Server migration. If your new or existing business is looking to start up or move to a different location then our server migration service will benefit to you in more ways than one. After carefully planning the migration process, we will perform the migration by preparing the old and new servers, before theactual move, which will be done with extra care in order to ensure your business’ new or existing data is completely secure. We also offer server support and server updates.
• Disaster recovery. When starting up a new business, you must think about the possibility of losing all of the business’ new data even though the thought of this may not be something you wish to consider. If you happen to lose all of your new and important data then your company’s reputation could be at stake if you fail to recover from the particular disaster quickly and effectively. Losing data can also be really disheartening, especially when there’s simply no way of recovering anything back.
• Messaging services. Similar to disaster recovery, Hosted Email Continuity is designed to prevent data loss that can result from an email outage. Hosted Email Continuity also guarantees that your new business will be able to allow user to continue sending and receiving emails with minimal interruption, meaning you won’t lose any contact with clients.

Whatever IT support or supplies you’re in search of, allow Solex Systems to get your new business on its feet in no time at all.

That’s why, at Solex Systems, our main aim is to provide schools with end-to-end support, ensuring that no education time is wasted. As a specialist provider of school IT support in Chester, North Wales and the whole North West, Solex Systems has what it takes to provide schools with the best possible school IT support and supplies money can buy. So, why not make your school completely secure for 2012? What’s more, our vast knowledge of servers, software and networks guarantees that we can do the job properly and accurately.

We are also an accredited Microsoft Gold Partner and Microsoft Small Business Specialist and as such, specialise in helping new and existing businesses maximise their potential benefit from technology within the workplace, but also when it comes to education. Within our School IT Support service, we can also help to keep your network and data secure, as well as being on hand 24-7 whenever you need us.

So, don’t fall short on education due to technical problems this year. Instead, allow Solex Systems to take care of absolutely everything technical and computer-related. You won’t have to worry about rushing around and trying to source the problem, instead the school can feel at ease knowing that no education time will be wasted thanks to a reliable School IT Support team.

For more information on our School IT Support service or any other services for that matter, visit out live chat online or call us now on 01255784200.