SupportNet History
SupportNet is a support consortium initiated in July 2005 by REMC 1 to support schools and other non-profit agencies in the Western five counties of Michigan's Upper Peninsula (Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Keewenaw, and Ontonagon). It has since expanded to include Iron county as well.
SupportNet was a natural fit for those entities that REMC was already providing Internet services to, integrating another layer of service to streamline troubleshooting and repairs.
SupportNet was conceived as a joint effort to improve technical support services in our small, rural schools.
SupportNet is intended to meet a number of needs, including: more extensive coverage, deeper knowledge-base, increased documentation, improved reliability and usability of technology systems, support continuity, implementation of best practices, real-time on-demand support through a centralized full-time help desk, and enhanced technology integration, all with transparent reporting and consoritum direction.
Of course one of the key underlying premises is more efficient use of limited district tech support funding through standardization and economies of scale.
REMC 1 is a service agency of the Copper Country & Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School Districts.
Schools and agencies participating in SupportNet include the following:
SupportNet staff consists of on-site support staff, central office support staff, and a number of interns from Michigan Tech's Computer Networking System Administration and other computer related programs manning the helpdesk.
SupportNet is continually working to do more centrally, as the Support staff can remotely take control of computers, and are able to share the keyboard, mouse, and screen with the end user in need without any inefficient travel time.
Support requests can be opened on the web, through email, or over the phone, all of which result in a support ticket being generated (an RT ticket). All support requests should go through this system for accountability, documentation, and reliability.
Additional questions can be directed to the SupportNet Manager, Hayley Sargent.
SupportNet was a natural fit for those entities that REMC was already providing Internet services to, integrating another layer of service to streamline troubleshooting and repairs.
SupportNet was conceived as a joint effort to improve technical support services in our small, rural schools.
SupportNet is intended to meet a number of needs, including: more extensive coverage, deeper knowledge-base, increased documentation, improved reliability and usability of technology systems, support continuity, implementation of best practices, real-time on-demand support through a centralized full-time help desk, and enhanced technology integration, all with transparent reporting and consoritum direction.
Of course one of the key underlying premises is more efficient use of limited district tech support funding through standardization and economies of scale.
REMC 1 is a service agency of the Copper Country & Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School Districts.
Schools and agencies participating in SupportNet include the following:
- Adams Township School District
- Adams Township
- Arvon Township School
- Baraga County Road Commission
- Bessemer Area Schools
- Public Schools of Calumet, Laurium, Keweenaw
- Calumet Township
- Chassell Township
- Chassell Township Schools
- Copper Country Senior Meals
- Copper Island Academy
- Copper Country Intermediate School District
- Dial Help
- Dollar Bay-Tamarack City Area Schools
- Eagle Harbor Township
- Elm River Township Schools
- Ewen-Trout Creek Schools
- Finlandia University
- Forest Park School District
- Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District
- Grant - Copper Harbor School
- Hancock Public Schools
- Houghton County Road Commission
- Houghton Public Schools
- Ironwood Area Schools
- Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College
- Keweenaw County Road Commission
- L'Anse Area School District
- Lake-Linden Hubbell Public Schools
- Ontonagon Area School District
- Ontonagon County Road Commission
- Ontonagon E911
- Ontonagon Township
- Stanton Township Schools
- Torch Lake Township
- U.P. Kids
- Village of Ontonagon
- Wakefield-Marenisco School District
- Watersmeet Township School District
- Western UP Health Department
SupportNet staff consists of on-site support staff, central office support staff, and a number of interns from Michigan Tech's Computer Networking System Administration and other computer related programs manning the helpdesk.
SupportNet is continually working to do more centrally, as the Support staff can remotely take control of computers, and are able to share the keyboard, mouse, and screen with the end user in need without any inefficient travel time.
Support requests can be opened on the web, through email, or over the phone, all of which result in a support ticket being generated (an RT ticket). All support requests should go through this system for accountability, documentation, and reliability.
Additional questions can be directed to the SupportNet Manager, Hayley Sargent.