All IT users know the systems work well sometimes and they don’t work well other times. Systems function well only when they are properly configured, and IT professionals (usually) complete formal programs of study to learn the craft of configuring IT and pass professional exams to verify they know what they are doing.
IT configuration can be considered neutral. It does not matter about the purpose for which the network is used for, the devices are the same, and their configuration is the same. When configuring a firewall, an IT professional uses the same commands when they work in a school as when they work in an accounting office. For this reason, school leaders do need to be sure there are network administrators and technicians who have been traditionally credentialed to ensure the systems upon which educators depend are properly configured.
IT configuration is also non-neutral. The way the system is configured affects how users log on, which applications and data sources are available, how secure it is, and the degree to which they can use it to support teaching and learning activities and business functions. There are differences between the users in schools and the users in other organizations. This will be addressed in detail later in the books, but at this point, it is important to recognize that the configuration of IT matters.
In IT preparation programs and on professional technology exams, case studies, problems, and situations that put IT configuration in contexts focus on business situations. It is entirely possible that the skilled IT professional hired to work in a school has never thought about the unique characteristics of IT users in schools or the unique demands placed on the IT they deploy.