Computer Maintenance Survey: Your or IT Dept???

Apr 13, 2006 19 Replies

I have been very curious whether SolidWorks users do their own computer maintenance, installs, debugging, & dealing with virus-adware-spyware software...or NOT.



Can you answer quickly for a self-informative survey of this SolidWorks group hereabouts?


  1. Yes, I manage-Fix everything.
  2. I handle SolidWorks software installs
  3. I handle all software issues on my Desktop/Laptop
  4. No, the IT guy does it all.

I will tally the results after a week.



Thanks - Bo



  1. Yes, I manage-Fix everything.

But to put this into perspective: We are a very small company (12 peeps) I am currently the only SW user here As far as the IT guy, that would be me for the whole company (I actually know how to change my desktop wallpaper... I am like a superhero around here... Yep, its that bad!!!)

I have had both. And when I had both the IT guy had enough and just game me the keys to the city. It's much easier to do it your self then to make the IT guy have to get off his arse to help.

KMaren

As a 1-man show, I do everything. I occasionally get help with things that involve opening up the box, but as far as software-it's just me.

jk

We have 7 seats of SW, all installed and maintained by myself. We have

4 workstations in engineering which were spec'd by me. The remainder are our older workstations trickled down through the company. I handle/try to handle anything SolidWorks related. Everything else is in the hands of IT. There are probably another 40 computers, some of which also use SW Viewer. I maintain the latest versions of Viewer and eDrawings on the server for anyone requiring them. As for the system I use everyday, I'll try to handle any non SolidWorks related issue and ask for help from IT if I can't resolve it.

Rich

I have a pretty good situation here in that I pretty well have free run of whatever, but also an IT dept that considers my knowledge & expertise valuable. It's also a 2-way relationship in that they are good at what they do. We each have our own areas of what we do & know better than others, but work well together. If it's a SW issue, that's me. If it's a SW issue that's related to hardware, or other software, that's mostly us. If it's an ACAD issue, I try to avoid it. :-)

WT

we have a consultant who takes care of networking/security; I do everything else

1 - Another one man band who has to do it myself.

When I go to companies to make recommendations, I usually try to get a sense about their IT departments. Sometimes you get lucky and get IT people who understand that they are there to help, that the company doesn't revolve around them. Most of the time, IT folks, good or not, don't understand what engineers need (best exemplified by the ng poster a month or so ago who advocated game cards and 17" monitors for CAD users).

I think it's best if the IT dept has someone dedicated to engineering, or better yet someone inside engineering who understands IT. Most of it isn't that difficult.

Matt

Bo wrote:

1- Just me but all the knowledge I get from this newsgroup - backed up by a very powerfull voodoo doll that really scares the heebeegeebees out of my machine.

TTFN

Jonathan

>
  1. manage everything, occasionally I even set up other companies systems.

John Layne

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i am inbetween a 1 and 2. i do a lot of computer stuff and i also do a lot of setup. but i also keep 1-2 IT staff going constantly to implement what i figure out. so that just makes me a demigod. i support < 20 seats of SWx and show users the rest of the story in Windows beyond the basics. CAD setup is always beyond the call for IT people, i wish it was otherwise. i could better spend my time actually doing work. iQ

Did you notice that IT people and cousin it, both speak the same language. I am sure that they say the same about us.

1.absolutely everything - build,install,manage,debug and fix.

My frustration with SW bugs, late sp, and regressions killed my interest in new releases for the very reason it takes up too way too much time to mess around with for a solo. Got off the update band wagon and it helped a lot with productivity.Now there isn't a compelling need to keep up with all SW issues every day. Will pick the time to come back when it seems like there are a good number of features I could really make use of and wait for its sp5. The software is functionally v.good - if only it worked better out of the box and SW had their act together. Sometimes I think it would be nice if I was in a small company that had a specialist IT person to remove the overhead from my productive day. At other times it is an interesting pursuit that brings variety and challenge ...+ and - in everything I suppose.

I wish I could get off the upgrade band wagon, unfortunatley when my customers upgrade so do I.

John Layne

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We often handle minor non-SolidWorks issues ourselves, but our IT guys have the primary responsibility. We also have to get their agreement when we buy new workstations. It's OK, they're good guys.

Jerry Steiger Tripod Data Systems "take the garbage out, dear"

We have a small company here (4 SW seats) and:

  1. I try to fix everything :-)
  2. I handle the SW software on all 4 seats and the eDrawings viewer on the other computers in the office
  3. I handle all software issues on my Desktop/Laptop
  4. We have an external IT guy for the server, network and security issues

\/\/im

Wim, reviewing all the other dozen plus posts, it is OBVIOUS, that all replies above noted that the users replying handle their own workstation &/or others to for installs and maintenance.

That "self-help" attitude goes from single designer-users to larger groups.

Only the network activity has some IT help, and that is likely companies which are a bit larger.

I hope SolidWorks personnel read and copy this string of replies and takes into account that it is key single users of SolidWorks who keep their product running right in all the myriad ways it takes to make that happen.

Then SolidWorks management has to make those key user's lives easier and more consistent to keep them in SolidWorks for the long haul.

Bo

I did it all since 98+. I do it now with another. Works out pretty well until MSoft changes OS.

1, 2, 3.

"Jerry Steiger" a écrit dans le message de news: snipped-for-privacy@individual.net...

Same here

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