Information Technology
Equipment and Software Standards
The following are standards set by the Information Technology Services Center (ITSC) for Pueblo School District No. 70 (PSD70). Here you will find information that defines the minimum required specifications for hardware and software for new and existing technologies in PSD70. They should also be used as a guideline for accepting donated computers for use in the District. These specifications are developed to maintain a standard direction and guide technology based on the Technology Plan for PSD70. They allow technology in PSD70 to remain within policy guidelines set forth by the Board of Education and ITSC.
Specification requirements are an essential tool to maintain a clean, productive system / network environment and allows our District to grow along with new, evolving technologies. The specification requirements provide consistency and compatibilities among students, faculty, and administration. They allow technology to follow curriculum standards and maintain a complete and consistent learning environment for students within our District. They also provide a basis for maintaining system operability and reliability.
All purchases of technology for PSD70 for the use in curriculum, administration, or other district purchases MUST fall within the standards stated below. Any purchases that does not fall within these standard specifications at the time of purchase will not be supported by PSD70's ITSC unless otherwise approved by the Director of ITSC. Any purchase orders that do not follow these standard requirements or do not accompany special authorization will not be approved.
Grant funds are not excluded from these requirements! Any grants that require exceptions to these guidelines must first be approved by the District Grants Coordinator and the Director of ITSC before purchase or acquisition of any equipment outlined in the grant.
Requirements to support basic Windows Vista features
PCs that meet the following specifications will run the core Windows Vista experiences at a minimum:- 800MHz x86 or x64 central processor
- 512MB of system memory
- DirectX 9-Capable graphics processor with 32MB of video RAM
Requirements to support basic Windows XP Professional features
PCs that meet the following specifications will run the core Windows Vista experiences at a minimum:- 600MHz x86 or x64 central processor
- 256MB of system memory
This list will be updated to meet current minimum standards and may change frequently.
Minimum Standard Specifications |
|
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Pentium 4, 2.0 GHz |
| Memory RAM | 512 MB SDRAM minimum |
| Hard Drive | 40 GB IDE Hard Drive |
| Floppy Drive | 3.5" 1.44MB diskette drive (optional) |
| CD-ROM Drive | 24x min. CD-ROM drive |
| Zip Iomega Drive | Not Applicable |
| Operating System | System must be accompanied with OEM License! |
| Monitor | 15" SVGA Monitor |
| Video Adapter | SVGA Compatible Video Adapter |
| Keyboard | PS/2 or USB (recommended) keyboard |
| Mouse | PS/2 or USB (recommended) Mouse |
| Sound System | Optional (but may be necessary for student lab computers) |
| System Case | Not Applicable |
| Expansion Slots | 2 minimum PCI Slots |
| External Ports | 1 minimum Serial Port, 1 minimum Parallel Port, 2 PS/2, 2 USB, 1 Video |
| Network Adapter (NIC) | 10/100 mbps NIC |
| Warranty | Not Applicable |
| Additional Software | All software MUST be removed from the system. Exception: OEM License for the Windows Operating System. A physical license and documentation for software MUST accompany the machine. |
| Donated Equipment |
1. Schools receiving the donated equipment will be responsible for all software, hardware, and related costs for the equipment
(related costs include but not limited to network infrastructure and any other costs associated with supporting the equipment.) 2. If the school wishes to have network access for the donated equipment, ITSC will assist in setup, configuration, and ongoing maintenance of the equipment for no more than two years. 3. After two years, the school will have a choice to replace the equipment with newer, updated equipment if they would like continued, network and technical support by the Department of Technology or may use the equipment as a stand-alone device whereas all support and costs of the donated equipment will solely be the responsibility of the school. |
It is also necessary to purchase a current license for Symantec Antivirus; without Symantec, the computer will not be allowed on the District network!
Computer Workstations
The following PCs are approved for all student labs, classrooms, offices, and other District use:
- Dell Latitude Series Notebooks
- Dell Optiplex Series
- Gateway E-Series Workstations
- Gateway 450/460 Series Laptops
- Gateway 675 Series Laptops
- Gateway M275 Series Tablets
Software
The following software requirements must be met for all newly purchased or donated software to qualify for approval and support: All software must be Windows 2003 compliant and minimum software requirements must fall within the Minimum Equipment Standards (as shown under the link above)
Below are the standard software packages and applications that are available district wide and are accompanied by district site licenses. The following applications are to be used for educational and administrative purposes only. Other software packages must be accompanied by its original physical license as mandated by Board Approved District Software Policy File: IJKA.
District-wide Software Applications
- Microsoft Office 2003
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Power Point
- Micrsoft FrontPage
- Microsoft Publisher
- Microsoft Photodraw
- Norton Antivirus Corporate Edition
- Adobe Acrobat Reader (license free)
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0
- IBM Client Access Express
Printers
Only workgroup printers will be approved and supported and will be deployed in strategic locations for staff and student access. Xerox quote and customization information.
Donated Computers
As nice as it is, it is easy to get a donated computer that ends up costing more money than it is worth. These costs can be incurred by not having the computer properly licensed and can also occur in support costs. Because of this we have had to limit acceptability of donated machines.
It is absolutely imperative that you have the original OEM license for a machine. Basically what ever came with the machine when it was initially purchased. The reason for this being that if we do not have that information it is necessary to purchase this license. Also without this license we can not install any district software be that virus protection, Microsoft Office 2003, or any other software that owned by the school district.
Expected cost of a donated computer:
~$50.00 for Microsoft License Agreement
~$20 Anti-Virus Software
~$100 OEM license
A sticker like the one following, either on the computer or in the computer documentation, signifies a qualified OEM.
Note that it says "Certificate of Authenticity."
These machines are equipped with the required hardware to facilitate the majority of software applications in the district and are of high quality to ensure reliability and compatibility with the district's network and application systems. Gateway is a member of the Western Inter-State Contract Alliance (WSCA) and agreements have been approved for use by all governmental entities within the State of Colorado including all state agencies and local public bodies including the cities, counties, public schools and institutions of higher education. Below are the minimum requirements for Pueblo School District 70. You can increase/change options where designate to fit educational/administrative needs.