[SIMS] Text Messaging Systems

[AGeffen]

Hello folks,

First post here.

Head and SLT are keen on adding the ability to send texts to our parents. Also would like ability to email them.

Proviso is:

The texts are two-way so that parents can reply.
Emails can be sent out with attachments.
Set-up, training and support is included in the price (they don't want to have to pay £400 for a half-day of training!)

Can anyone offer advice on what they use? How much do they pay (We have 1,200 pupils)? And what sort of strain it puts on your techies - re-installation of updates, that sort of thing?

Thanks,

Alan

[pcstru]

We use a spreadsheet. It takes data straight from our CMIS database, sorts out lists of who can be contacted by email/SMS and who might still need a letter (and it reduces the volume of post so that only one envelope is posted to one address). Users can select by tutor groups, teaching groups, halls etc. For SMS I started out using txtlocal who were cheapest at the time and who offered a variety of useful interfaces (email/http). Unfortunately their director started sending me "linked in" requests which I thought was a bit of liberty to take with customer data, so we switched to BulkSMS instead (still much cheaper than parentmail etc). Cost depends on the number of messages you buy and the routing - typically messages are around 4-5p depending on how many you pre-purchase.

We don't do two way communications yet, but I'm hoping to do some experiments with this as a way to get rid of the need for those expensive 'classroom voting' systems that teachers seem to go all ga-ga about (at least ga-ga enough to buy and then stick in a cupboard unused).

[Sivadam]

We have used Schoolcomms for a good number of years now. It's integration with SIMS is excellent! The links actually exist within your SIMS Database. Now how good is that? I cannot recommend it highly enough!!!!
http://schoolcomms.com/

Greed (a user on here!) has explained this system in detail on his site:-
Schoolcomms – User-Friendly Home:School Communications « ReedSoft

[teejay]

We are just testing Keep Kids Safe, very easy to use and the staff find it easy and it will do what you want. Training is included free of charge, very easy to set up and integrate with SIMS. You do get a 2 month trial period, just remember to cancel it if you don't go with it as you automatically get put on a contract if you don't from what I have read.
The only problem we've found so far is with mobiles on Virgin, they strip the + from the beginning of the text number and so they can't reply to the message (the text number is in international format, so start +44 rather than 0, it's a UK number though). It works perfectly fine on any other mobile network, the + stays on the number and they can reply no problem.

[Little-Miss]

We've got InTouch...not been used properly yet though...

[Iain.Faulkner]

I wish our Head was thinking this way, I'm currently fighting to get something like this in place but she's not keen.

We've got InTouch...not been used properly yet though...

I looked at InTouch and was shocked by the £3k installation fee!

[jenny_urey]

...quick note..., if you use PARS then the text facility is already built in, to enable you to text parents, students and staff... approx 6p a text with no additional cost of software. PARS also has full integrated email system which is free as an already built in feature as has been available for around 5 years now. Not all Schools are aware of the feature unless its switched on...

[Max_Power]

I looked at InTouch and was shocked by the £3k installation fee!

Agreed - Install fee isnt attractive in the slightest - although the yearly running costs are cheaper than those of schoolcomms.

[Iain.Faulkner]

Agreed - Install fee isnt attractive in the slightest - although the yearly running costs are cheaper than those of schoolcomms.

That's interesting, based on a single user license, the quote I've got from Schoolcomms for annual maintenance is cheaper than Intouch.

[Little-Miss]

Eugh! Was it!!

I just got told one day to help there technical team with bits on the server!! Blimey!

[Edu-IT]

We've just gone through the exact same process of comparing systems.

I'd recommend looking at GroupCall, TruancyCall and SchoolComms as these are the ones which offer most functionality for good prices.

All will integrate directly with SIMS. Do a search on here for each of the names and judge for yourself which ones get used most and which ones pay to have Capita support them, rather than use their own merit. ;-)

[Max_Power]

That's interesting, based on a single user license, the quote I've got from Schoolcomms for annual maintenance is cheaper than Intouch.

Sorry - based multi user. We have more than one person that is able to email or text parents.

Attendance officer can text and email, as can the secretary of each year group for example. We wanted to be able to audit who sends what and how frequently, if everyone used the same login we wouldnt be able to do that.

edit - doing a compare at the moment - we currently use schoolcomms but the added functionality within SIMS Intouch maybe quite beneficial - like emailing exam timetables for example.

[Stuart_C]

I looked at it and I think that inTouch may be the future. However to get the best out of it you've got the be usning a lot of SIMS for a lot of things and then use inTouch a lot.

Having said that we currently have SchoolComms and it's brilliant. There are a couple of extra steps becuase it's not part of SIMS but basically does the job very well. The new version seems to work much better with my Proxy and generally it's been a great product. It would work even better if our parents would all provide us with correct address that we could read but that's a different argument. And I thought it was cheaper than inTouch as well... certainly the install cost is but I can't rememebr what the running cost is....

Oh we only have a single user licence.

[Sivadam]

This is the standard costs of Schoolcomms (Click the pic!).
Single User Licence.
Multiuser Licence is usually double!
A 3 year Licence works out cheaper too.

Sc.JPG

[Iain.Faulkner]

Sorry - based multi user. We have more than one person that is able to email or text parents.

Attendance officer can text and email, as can the secretary of each year group for example. We wanted to be able to audit who sends what and how frequently, if everyone used the same login we wouldnt be able to do that.

edit - doing a compare at the moment - we currently use schoolcomms but the added functionality within SIMS Intouch maybe quite beneficial - like emailing exam timetables for example.

Agreed, if we are able to put something like this in place, then to have multi-user would be a definite advantage for auditing purposes.

I do like Intouch, having spent some time with Capita at Bett2011 looking at the demo's. Does anyone know though if it will do anything like the achievement postcards (type thing) that Schoolcomms offer?