[sims] 3rd Party SIMS Support Companies

[mtillbrook]

I work for an IT support company my boss has recently come to me and asked if we could start doig sims support for schools as well. I have been looking into this and am now totally confused!

 

Does anyone know whats involved in aquiring the ability to support sims for schools? There is some stuff on the Capita website about becoming a sims partner but its not very clear. The other thing we have been told is that the schools (who are at the moment supported directly by Capita but pay for the support through a borough agreement with Capita) would have to revoke thier current license and re-license?

 

Any information would be helpful please!!!!!!

 

Cheers!

[EduTech]

SMIS - SMIS

 

They are also a company who offer's 3rd party support, but tend to be just local so as you wont be actually treading on their toes so to speak might wanna give them a ring they might be able to give you some advice.

 

They are the company who provide us with support and they are great! cannot fault them. they even showed me how to re-build SIMS Server etc when i first started working in a school so that i could do it if anything ever happend nice bunch.

 

James.

[Sivadam]

Does anyone know whats involved in aquiring the ability to support sims for schools?

 

You can come and work at our place for a couple of years and glean the knowledge that you require!

You might even learn enough to take my place so that I could retire .........

[vikpaw]

You can come and work at our place for a couple of years and glean the knowledge that you require!

You might even learn enough to take my place so that I could retire .........

 

Is that offer open to anyone Mike?

Are you taking apprentices?

[vikpaw]

I work for an IT support company my boss has recently come to me and asked if we could start doig sims support for schools as well. I have been looking into this and am now totally confused!

 

Does anyone know whats involved in aquiring the ability to support sims for schools? There is some stuff on the Capita website about becoming a sims partner but its not very clear. The other thing we have been told is that the schools (who are at the moment supported directly by Capita but pay for the support through a borough agreement with Capita) would have to revoke thier current license and re-license?

 

Any information would be helpful please!!!!!!

 

Cheers!

 

You'd have to be good to beat Capita's direct service, but you could probably undercut easily.

Do you have any SIMS experience? It's not just something you can pick up overnight, you might need to take Sivadam's offer up.

The best bet is for you to phone Capita SIMS HQ in bedford and talk to someone, so you get the info at source.

[Sivadam]

Is that offer open to anyone Mike?

Are you taking apprentices?

It's gotta happen sometime ................

[Debby]

Are you taking on experienced SIMs users, Mike, so that when you have sorted out how to do it, you have experienced users to support schools. As Vikpaw said, it's not something you can learn overnight !

 

Please let me know

[Sivadam]

Chance would be a fine thing. With school budgets as they are we have all on trying to train up the staff that we currently have. It has been agreed that out admin team is under-strength but we simply cannot afford to appoint anybody else!

So ..............

............... we manage!

Edited November 23, 2010 by Sivadam

[Debby]

well, if you ever find managing too much, please let me know.....i can always do some training for your staff!!!!!!

[vikpaw]

....... we manage!

 

i know that slogan, taken straight off the heat sensitive SIMS mug

[Sivadam]

well, if you ever find managing too much, please let me know.....i can always do some training for your staff!!!!!!

 

Ah but I like it to be done correctly!

 

No offence but I would only ever trust myself or Capita Trainees to do that!

[Debby]

The only problem with using the trainers is they know how it's done but not how to apply it!

 

Anyway, if I can help, just let me know

[Sivadam]

The only problem with using the trainers is they know how it's done but not how to apply it!

Anyway, if I can help, just let me know

 

Thank you Debby.

You have highlighted the main reason that I prefer to in-service staff myself. That and the fact that they are training on real data and also using the software as tailored to this establishment!

[Debby]

A person after my own heart!!!

[GREED]

My response from an almost identicle post:

 

To pick up on this post where I am mentioned, we are expanding into SIMS training at the moment, we are a training company by trade. We are not looking to move into SIMS support, in my opinion that is well catered for by the LEAs and Capita. Additionally, we will not work against Capita in leavering out customers from them, we (and most companies) are far too small to take them on! We look to support the LEAs and Capita in providing additional and bespoke training, and are in communication with LEAs in the south to that end. We already work with several schools along the south coast on many topics.

 

I would recommend contacting the partnership office at Capita and see if/how you could work with them (not against or in competition with) and they might be able to help you. David there is a good man to talk to.

[Sivadam]

And Graham is one person who I would approach if I needed any extra help with SIMS! Edited November 24, 2010 by Sivadam

[GREED]

And Graham is one person who I would approach if I needed any extra help with SIMS!

 

Back at you Mike, although you have vast experience over me (In the kindest possible way!!!)

[Sarconia]

Does anyone know whats involved in aquiring the ability to support sims for schools? There is some stuff on the Capita website about becoming a sims partner but its not very clear. The other thing we have been told is that the schools (who are at the moment supported directly by Capita but pay for the support through a borough agreement with Capita) would have to revoke thier current license and re-license?

 

As nobody seems to have answered this...

 

Schools do indeed have to revoke their current license and re-license. They have to be licensed with the company which supports them and this is a killer... big LA's receive huge discounts on their licensing costs whereas a single site school SIMS license is approximately £2000. You can receive a discount if you manage to have a few schools on your books but it won't be anywhere near how much the big LA's receive so in terms of offering SIMS support... it probably won't be very profitable initially.

[Sivadam]

... big LA's receive huge discounts on their licensing costs whereas a single site school SIMS license is approximately £2000. You can receive a discount if you manage to have a few schools on your books but it won't be anywhere near how much the big LA's receive so in terms of offering SIMS support...

 

Our SIMS Direct Licensing/Support costs were cheaper (though not vastly so!) last year than what our LA would have charged. I have not yet got our quote for next year but I am guessing that the same will be true!

 

Sheffield is a big LA with only a handful of schools not on SIMS!