Christelijk Lyceum Zeist

To London with Apple

Paul van Dijk has been working at the CLZ since 2007 and has been an Apple system administrator since 2010. “Before 2010, we used Windows and still had a truly old-fashioned IT department within our school group. They would come to our location once a week for maintenance. If you had problems and they had just been there, you sometimes had to wait almost a week, ” Paul explains. “Our vice principal and team leader were forward-thinking and, just like me and my IT colleague, were eager to start using Apple at our school. In 2010, at Apple’s invitation, we attended an IT trade show in London and took the necessary workshops.”

MacBooks In, Windows Out

Paul and his colleague Arjen then started on a small scale with 30 iMacs for one specific course. They subsequently rolled out Apple devices step by step over the course of two years: adding 10 MacBooks at a time and phasing out Windows devices. Now, all staff and students work on MacBooks. Parents order the MacBooks, and CLZ sets up the device for the student. As a result, the student immediately owns the device and is therefore also responsible for it and any repairs.

How did CLZ end up working with Root3? Paul: “We reached out to Martin at Root3 in 2012 because we needed to properly track everything related to the MacBooks. As you can imagine, at a certain point, an Excel spreadsheet just wasn’t enough anymore. Root3 then helped us set up FileMaker and link this database to Jamf/MDM. From the moment of purchase, each MacBook is entered into Filemaker by serial number, along with information such as parts ordered for repairs, payments, and applicable restrictions based on the ‘departments’: teachers, students, or exam candidates.”

Health Check

CLZ handles all Apple system administration in-house, using Root3’s Health Check. “We perform this check twice a year on-site and twice a year online. During this check, Root3 assesses whether everything is still functioning optimally. In addition, we have an SLA for support with Root3. If there’s an issue, we open a case, and Root3 assists us promptly.” According to Paul, this works very well. “Root3 also works closely with us on complex projects taking place within our school or related to the IT systems of the umbrella school group.”

Root3: informal, direct, no-nonsense

CLZ was one of Root3’s first clients, and Paul is still very pleased with the partnership. “We still have very direct and personal contact with Root3. Martin from Root3 is very familiar with the culture and objectives of our organization. And if there’s an issue, he stops by for a cup of coffee to discuss it.” According to Paul, the communication is informal, direct, and no-nonsense. He also praises Root3 for its thorough knowledge of Apple’s complex market. “The consultants are all specialists, and if someone doesn’t know the answer, they’ll pass it on to a colleague who does. That always happens quickly and through short lines of communication.”c