[sims] Anyone got their hands on a live SIMS Primary environment yet?

[peej2k]

Hi all,

Just wondering if there is anyone out there who has managed to get SIMS Primary live and working in their schools yet. Wasn't it supposed to launch at Easter?

[MrMat]

Nope. I think most are avoiding it like the plague as it's far, far away from being a finished product.

[Esteban_Child_of_the_Sun]

I work for a support unit and we have a copy of SIMS Primary for us to learn. Capita has approx. 22,000 SIMS schools and I believe they were only scheduling a small percentage of them for migration in the first year as they wanted to make sure the migration and adoption of the new software was a success, rather than throwing it out to everyone and crossing their fingers. So finding schools using it who also frequent this forum is currently not very likely. I expect migration numbers to steadily increase over the next few years so you may have more luck asking that question again in the future.

[peej2k]

It definitely has the feeling of vapourware to it at the moment, doesn't it?

SIMS .net is starting to hold my school back from moving on. Might have to start investigating SchoolPod, Arbor and Scholarpack as alternatives sooner rather than later.

 

I'm wondering how people feel about it if they already have it. Our school has volunteered to do testing for our local MIS Support team, but they're suggesting it'll be more than a year before they are at that stage.

As we aren't planning to migrate most people to Windows 10, we need a web based solution by January 2020 at the absolute latest.

Edited May 3, 2018 by peej2k

[DODICT]

SIMS .net is starting to hold my school back from moving on.

 

Great to see some people recognising that - even much of functionality they were touting as new at BETT wasn't exactly revolutionary other than not being painful on the eyes. Which is of course is revolutionary for SIMS. . .

[matt40k]

Capita aren't exactly known for speed. It's come up to year since Stuart got a look - Supporting the update to Primary | Scarfed View | Look Again

 

Am still laughing about:

 

one if the first steps should be a bit of housekeeping. Recommended pre-update housekeeping is recommended on

• Addresses
  
• Email
  
• Phone numbers
  

 

 

If only there was a bulk import tool the office staff could use to update SIMS

[psydii]

If only there was a bulk import tool the office staff could use to update SIMS

 

What if there had been once. That would make quiet a sad story.

[matt40k]

Indeed. Highlights their business model of double charging (schools + third party) and lack of developed of the "core" product