When the problem is beyond the capabilities of your onsite IT team, who do you call?

Universities and colleges operate some of the most complex IT environments imaginable.

Multiple buildings. Historic infrastructure. Large and diverse user bases. Apple devices. Wireless networks. Servers. Security systems. Specialist applications. And an ever-increasing expectation that technology simply works.

For many colleges within the University of Oxford, day-to-day IT support is handled by experienced onsite technology teams.

But even the most capable IT professionals occasionally encounter a problem that requires a deeper level of technical expertise.

That's where Soltech IT comes in.

Soltech IT provides third-line Apple and network support to colleges within the University of Oxford, working alongside existing IT teams to provide the specialist technical expertise required when an issue or project moves beyond normal onsite support.

The Challenge: When First and Second Line Isn't Enough

Local IT teams are expected to deal with an enormous range of technical issues.

From supporting users and devices through to managing networks and maintaining the college's IT infrastructure, they are often the first and second line of defence when something goes wrong.

But there are times when a problem requires a different level of expertise.

Perhaps an Apple deployment isn't behaving as expected.

Perhaps a network configuration requires specialist knowledge.

Perhaps a complex change needs to be made to an existing infrastructure.

Or perhaps the college simply needs an experienced senior engineer to investigate an issue that hasn't been resolved through conventional troubleshooting.

These aren't necessarily problems that require replacing the college's existing IT provider.

They require specialist escalation support.

That's the role Soltech IT fulfils.

A Third-Line Extension to the College IT Team

Rather than replacing the college's existing IT team, Soltech IT works alongside them.

The college retains its own IT staff and its existing knowledge of the environment.

When an issue reaches a level that requires specialist intervention, Soltech IT can be brought in to investigate, resolve or assist with the problem.

This provides colleges with access to an additional level of technical expertise without needing to employ a full-time specialist for every technology they operate.

It's effectively an extension of the existing IT team.

Local IT knows the environment.

Soltech IT provides the specialist engineering expertise.

Together, the two teams can resolve problems that might otherwise take considerably longer to diagnose or require external specialist assistance.

Specialist Apple Support

Apple environments can present their own particular challenges.

Macs, iPads and other Apple devices increasingly form an important part of modern education environments, but supporting them effectively requires knowledge that goes beyond simply understanding how to use an Apple device.

Soltech IT provides third-line support for Apple-related issues and projects, helping colleges when problems require a deeper level of technical investigation.

This can include areas such as:

• Apple device configuration
• Deployment and management
• Apple networking considerations
• macOS configuration
• Device connectivity
• Integration with existing infrastructure
• Troubleshooting complex Apple issues
• Project implementation
• Configuration changes
• Technical escalation

The objective isn't simply to fix the immediate problem.

It's to understand why the problem occurred and determine the most appropriate way to resolve it without creating additional issues elsewhere in the environment.

Network Engineering and Configuration

The same principle applies to networking.

A college's network is fundamental to almost everything it does.

Wi-Fi, wired connectivity, servers, security systems, Apple devices, printers, applications and internet access all depend upon it.

When something goes wrong, identifying the cause isn't always straightforward.

A problem that initially appears to be an Apple device issue could actually be related to:

• VLAN configuration
• DHCP
• DNS
• Routing
• Firewall rules
• Wireless configuration
• Network authentication
• Switching
• Access point configuration
• IP addressing
• Network segmentation

Soltech IT can provide the higher-level engineering expertise required to investigate these types of issues and work alongside the college's existing IT team to resolve them.

Supporting Projects as Well as Problems

Third-line support isn't just about fixing things when they break.

Soltech IT is also called upon to support higher-level projects and technical changes.

This can be particularly valuable when a college is making a significant change to its IT environment and wants additional senior engineering expertise available.

Rather than asking an onsite technician to take on a complex project outside their normal experience, the college can bring in Soltech IT to provide the specialist knowledge required.

This can include:

• Apple projects
• Network configuration
• Infrastructure changes
• Complex technical troubleshooting
• Integration work
• Deployment and configuration
• Technical project assistance

This allows the college's own IT team to remain focused on supporting staff and students while specialist engineering work is carried out by experienced Soltech IT technicians.

The Advantage of Having a Senior Engineer on Call

One of the biggest benefits of this approach is flexibility.

A college doesn't necessarily need a full-time Apple specialist.

It may not need a dedicated network engineer every day.

It may only need that expertise when a particular project arises or when a particularly complex problem needs resolving.

Third-line support provides access to that expertise when it is needed.

For the college, this can mean:

• Faster escalation
• Access to specialist expertise
• Additional engineering resource
• Support for complex projects
• Reduced pressure on onsite IT teams
• Greater confidence when making infrastructure changes
• A second pair of expert eyes when troubleshooting difficult problems

It also means that the college's IT team doesn't have to know everything.

They simply need to know who to call when they reach the limit of their own expertise.

Working With the College, Not Against It

An important part of Soltech IT's approach is collaboration.

The objective isn't to take control away from the college's IT team.

The people working onsite know the environment better than anyone.

They understand the history of the network.

They know the users.

They know the buildings.

They know what has already been tried.

That knowledge is invaluable.

Soltech IT brings something different: specialist technical experience and an additional level of engineering expertise.

By working together, the two teams can approach complex problems from different perspectives.

The college provides the environment knowledge.

Soltech provides the specialist engineering capability.

Solving the Problems That Don't Have Simple Answers

Some IT problems can be solved with a password reset or a standard support procedure.

Others can't.

A user might report that their Mac can't connect to the network.

A straightforward support issue?

Perhaps.

But what if every other device works?

What if the device is correctly configured?

What if authentication is successful but network access fails?

What if the problem only occurs on one VLAN?

Suddenly, the problem may involve several layers of the IT infrastructure.

That's where third-line engineering becomes important.

Soltech IT can investigate the problem across those layers rather than simply treating the symptom.

• Device.
• Operating system.
• Network.
• Authentication.
• Infrastructure.
• Configuration.

The objective is to find the cause.

Specialist Support Without Replacing Your IT Team

For colleges with established internal IT teams, bringing in an external provider can sometimes feel counterintuitive.

Why outsource something your own technicians already manage?

The answer is that third-line support isn't about replacing those technicians.

It's about giving them somewhere to escalate when they need it.

Even highly experienced IT teams cannot reasonably maintain specialist expertise across every technology they operate.

By having Soltech IT available as a third-line resource, colleges can retain their existing IT structure while gaining access to additional specialist expertise when required.

A Trusted Technical Resource for the University of Oxford Colleges

Soltech IT is proud to provide third-line Apple and network support to colleges within the University of Oxford.

The relationship demonstrates an important part of our approach to IT support.

We don't believe every organisation needs to hand its entire IT operation to an external provider.

Sometimes the best solution is to strengthen the team you already have.

By providing specialist third-line engineering support, Soltech IT can become an extension of an existing IT department — providing the expertise required when a problem or project moves beyond normal onsite support.

IT Support at a Different Level

From Apple engineering and network configuration to complex infrastructure projects and technical escalation, Soltech IT provides specialist expertise where standard IT support ends.

Whether you have an internal IT team, an outsourced helpdesk or a combination of both, our engineers can provide an additional layer of technical capability when you need it.

Your IT team doesn't need to know everything.

They just need to know who to call when they reach the next level.

Soltech IT – Your Third-Line Technology Partner

Need specialist Apple support?

Facing a complex network configuration?

Have a project that requires senior engineering expertise?

Or simply have an IT problem that your existing team can't resolve?

Talk to Soltech IT.

We provide specialist third-line Apple, networking and infrastructure support to organisations that need more than standard IT support.