Lets here it for IT people

[angrychair]

In the span of days, without notice, universities and schools all across this nation and workplaces from state govt to presidential campaigns, just went virtual and online.

There are IT departments across this country that just went into "doomsday" mode, many with barely enough of a budget to keep things running, much less "go virtual...in the cloud...you know" are now being asked to do the nearly impossible in a lot cases. But they will do it.

The amount of work and effort this has spun up and the cost and work hours required to do it cannot be understated.

As an IT person going through it right now, I can tell you its a lot. a hundred different things no one planned for or ever spent a single penny to account for the effort it would take.

All hail the IT people. They will be working overtime to do all they can to do their part in this pandemic and never say "no" or expect a "thank you". Its just how we are. Just don't forget them, they are there, everytime you need help logging on.

[A HERETIC I AM]

1. "Hear"

[Skittles]

2. *hear

and thank you.....

[sinkingfeeling]

3. Yes.

[mr_lebowski]

4. At my office we just have a vpn ... I click one button to log in that's pre-configured

and then I click a shortcut on my home PC desktop that calls up windows remote desktop, which logs into my work PC ... et voila, I'm sitting at my work PC ... on my home computer.

I take it your situation is considerably more involved?

[angrychair]

6. Well more big picture than that

As just once example:
universities and especially public school systems, may not necessarily be geared for such huge increases and demands on systems nor have the resources to facilitate it, most public school districts, especially rural ones, have 1 IT person, sometimes 2.

I work in state govt and only a small percentage of people have the ability to use remote access.
Ramping up like that is a huge resource suck.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

10. Not the same situation at all ...

That's like comparing a garden hose for a campfire to a 3-alarm fire with hoses, trucks and people running around a city block while vandals are trying to unhook the hoses and cars are parked in the way.

[mr_lebowski]

11. I'm quite aware of how/why the situation could be much more involved

was curious to hear the OP's situation with a bit of detail

[milestogo]

5. When I give a user a computer, the VPN app is already installed and configured.

I show them how to use it, and test that it works first thing. Now that's because almost everyone will want to work from home once in a while, but it sure comes in handy when there is bad weather or an epidemic.

[angrychair]

8. More bigger picture

As just once example:
universities and especially public school systems, may not necessarily be geared for such huge increases and demands on systems nor have the resources to facilitate it, most public school districts, especially rural ones, have 1 IT person, sometimes 2.

[milestogo]

12. Yes, and at a university students have their own computers, which could be any kind

and if they aren't able to connect directly to a campus network, its not so straightforward.

[Mister Ed]

7. We'll keep 'em flying.

I'm an IT worker for a company that produces medical devices and supplies. Lives often depend on the products built by the workers we support. We won't let them down.

[angrychair]

9. +1