Building an IT Department...

ZanthianZanthian Mitey Worrier Icrontian
edited September 2004 in Hardware
The company that I work for will be building a new HQ next year and I am the IT department as it stands currently. We have no servers and I run online backups right now. The President has put me in charge of coming up with a budget for the new building for anything IT related, including cables and wiring of the building. We currently have 21 computers all running WinXP and Office Small Business.

Having only been in the working world for two years, I have never designed an entire IT department before... I would like to get some suggestions on what equipment would be standard as a must have and what could be optional to increase functionality.

Also I would like to have the phones be voice over ip so any suggestions on brand and models in that realm would be helpful too.

I want this to be a very efficient department.

This will be a large undertaking for just myself and I am not certified as a system admin. What training would give me the best bang for the buck to prepare me for Running an entire IT department by myself?

Thanks for the assistance guys!

Comments

  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited September 2004
    All phones VoIP? You hate my mom, don't you?

    I'd recommend a digital phone system that runs off the traditional phone company backbone, though, if you're going for reliability. VoIP has too many variables that could cause an interruption of service, if you ask me. Not to mention the fact that the voice quality is noticeably lower than a real phone system, to my ears. In fact, your voice sounds clearer when I talk to you on your cell phone than when I talk to you on your home phone.
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited September 2004
    There is no training in this world that can teach/train you how to run an IT department :)

    Sure.. you can grab a whole mass of qualifications.. but the first time you hit a problem that wasn't covered in your courses.. you are going to get a big ass headache. Definitely get some training & consultation ... but you can gain alot from reading alot of forums like exchange-experts.com and seeing the standard, common problems that other admins & managers regularly :)

    For example.. outlook web access suddenly "stops" working. You don't have a clue what is wrong and the official line is "reinstall IIS". A long route when you can do it by replacing davex.DLL and two registry keys ;)

    Ghoosdum is 100%. Unless you are a sadist.. and enjoy pain.. don't go VoIP. Get a standard ISDN phone system like IpOffice or similar.

    Are you likely to expand the number of users/computers in the future?? :)
  • ZanthianZanthian Mitey Worrier Icrontian
    edited September 2004
    GHoosdum wrote:
    All phones VoIP? You hate my mom, don't you?

    I'd recommend a digital phone system that runs off the traditional phone company backbone, though, if you're going for reliability. VoIP has too many variables that could cause an interruption of service, if you ask me. Not to mention the fact that the voice quality is noticeably lower than a real phone system, to my ears. In fact, your voice sounds clearer when I talk to you on your cell phone than when I talk to you on your home phone.

    Let me rephrase then, IP Phones not VOIP phone service.
    EX. http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/phones/ps379/ps1855/index.html

    I want a phones system hooked up to a standard phone line but where the phones are hooked up via IP.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited September 2004
    You can hire an IT consultant for the initial setup. I would recommend it.

    I know of a GREAT company that would be more than willing to install a network in your new HQ. They come highly recommended :D
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited September 2004
    The phones that we have at work are Avaya. We've migrated from AT&T to Lucent to Avaya as the ECLIPS system evolved.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited September 2004
    primesuspect wrote:
    You can hire an IT consultant for the initial setup. I would recommend it.

    I know of a GREAT company that would be more than willing to install a network in your new HQ. They come highly recommended :D

    Yeah, that company is run by a buddy of mine. Installing your network would be a great excuse for him to come down and visit us! ;)
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited September 2004
    They are nice...

    Im not allowed to upgrade our skanky old Argent Branch.. it's so old.. it's powered by coal.. I swear :(

    Oh yeah.. and Sarcnet deliver first rate service :)
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited September 2004
    We installed a 3Com IP-based PBX called the NBX 100 a while back. It's a very nice system. A bit pricey, but excellent quality and a huge featureset, especially from the administrative side. It was a pleasure to admin that system.

    Expect about a $15,000 base price for that system though. :(
  • PressXPressX Working! New
    edited September 2004
    primesuspect wrote:
    You can hire an IT consultant for the initial setup. I would recommend it.

    I know of a GREAT company that would be more than willing to install a network in your new HQ. They come highly recommended :D


    If you have the funds get a consultant. Even if it is just to help with outline plans. Just get them in for a day to start with and ask for a written report on a soltuion. ou can then look at what they have suggested... People use me for that kind of thing all the time... (But I can not help.. in the UK)

    Think about the services required.. Exchange? File server? Print Server? Fax?Telephony? Small Bueiness Server covers loads. What are the groth plans of the company? What are thier priorites? Don't spend money on training when you can spen money on a person who can show you the way and still teach you loads! I know M$ can be a pain but they have some good white papers on setting up SME networks etc...
  • BlackHawkBlackHawk Bible music connoisseur There's no place like 127.0.0.1 Icrontian
    edited September 2004
    primesuspect wrote:
    We installed a 3Com IP-based PBX called the NBX 100 a while back. It's a very nice system. A bit pricey, but excellent quality and a huge featureset, especially from the administrative side. It was a pleasure to admin that system.

    Expect about a $15,000 base price for that system though. :(
    So what's the advantage about those type of phone systems?
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited September 2004
    Ease of administration. You get a web-based GUI that allows you to do things like add/delete extensions, manage voicemail menus and boxes, assign different extensions to different people, list management, intercom setup, etc.

    Old digital or analog PBX systems are cryptic as hell. Some have you do config via DIP switches, some have you do it via menu-driven prompts that you use a phone handset to "program" (which can take ALL FRICKING DAY -- "Press 1 to add a new user", etc.)
  • PressXPressX Working! New
    edited September 2004
    Try this for some reading... a bit sales like but may help

    M$
  • ZanthianZanthian Mitey Worrier Icrontian
    edited September 2004
    Thanks for the good links everyone, keep them coming. I appreciate any help on what a small business environment with a medium budget should look like.
  • pokesquid808pokesquid808 SO CAL
    edited September 2004
    primesuspect wrote:
    You can hire an IT consultant for the initial setup. I would recommend it.

    I know of a GREAT company that would be more than willing to install a network in your new HQ. They come highly recommended :D

    prime, you can help me out but i'm in so cal:) hehe nbx100 looks interesting, what does it intail. like is the 15000 for just the system and what phones would i need to get?

    Zanthian, i'm doing the exact same thing as you. trust me, hire consultants to do the job. trying to do it yourself will give you major headaches!
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