[UniMacTech] How do you handle software requests and images?

[Mark Dorset]

Hi Adam,

> I'm particularly interested in:-
> * How do your users request software - do individuals or faculties /  
> departments / colleges make the request?

A variety of ways. If it's a big purchase or something for several  
users, it can often be something that's budgeted. We also get one off  
requests from individuals which come in through our Request Tracker.

> * What factors are considered when approving a request?

- Cost (both license and time-wise)
- Does the request really make sense? (Often users tend to ask for a  
solution rather than providing a description of a problem, and blindly  
granting them their request may not resolve it best).
- Are there free and/or open source alternatives

> * Do you install all of the software on one image, or have  
> specialized images for different areas? Additionally are you  
> providing an image for faculties / departments / colleges or for  
> general open access labs?

We use a deployment system based around Radmind (www.radmind.org).  
This lets us create any number of different images based on smaller  
building blocks, and allocate those images to any number of machines.  
We provide images for both staff and open access labs.

> * How do you handle similar software (e.g. GIMP and Photoshop) - do  
> you install both, or only one application of a type?

We generally include the free software like GIMP as a default for  
every image - this helps when we get a request for Photoshop but all  
that is required is some basic image manipulation, and we can say  
something like 'Well, we could buy photoshop if it's really the  
required application, but you have a program there called GIMP which  
is already installed on your machine and may do exactly what you need  
right now'. For those that do need photoshop, we add it as an  
additional app.

> * How many applications do you install (total per image)?

Depends on the image. Our base systems usually consist of a bare(ish)  
Mac OS X install, plus:
- Firefox
- MS Office
- Burn.app
- Endnote
- Gimp
- iPhoto
- iTunes
- skEdit

Others may add:
- Sibelius
- Photoshop
- Creative Suite
- iMovie
- iDVD
- etc

hope this helps!

cheers,
Mark



--
Mark Dorset -- Interim IT Manager -- 03 9348 7112
Trinity College, Royal Parade, Parkville Victoria 3052, Australia
aim:goim?screenname=mdorset