rush_tech Posted April 16, 2008 Posted April 16, 2008 Had a phone call Monday from Capita saying that the webparts will be ready to roll out shortly. I will be getting a Email shortly with a few questions about our infrastucture. Has anybody recieved a Email from them yet? Just wondering as I have had a few emails go missing. That I know I have been sent (+$%&^£$& synetrix migration)
moonwalker Posted April 16, 2008 Posted April 16, 2008 Do you have a specification of any sort for these webparts? What are your requirements? ie what will you do with them? Any idea of the price?
wesleyw Posted April 16, 2008 Posted April 16, 2008 Yeah I've got the forms filling them out now. I can email you the blankform. Wes
shappaeye Posted April 18, 2008 Posted April 18, 2008 Can you post a set to me aswell please Wesleyw? We have been promised an email requiring filling in but havent yet received it. Have you seen the demo or taken part in it the online demo? Kinda worrying, I am hoping thats not the finished version as there seems to be a lot going on! But if it means we dont have to update every single workstation everytime an update comes (only because the kit currently is so old it needs time) then roll on!
wesleyw Posted April 18, 2008 Posted April 18, 2008 Yeah just PM me your email address and I'll send them out! Wes 1
benIT Posted April 27, 2008 Posted April 27, 2008 Have you seen the demo or taken part in it the online demo? Kinda worrying, I am hoping thats not the finished version as there seems to be a lot going on! But if it means we dont have to update every single workstation everytime an update comes (only because the kit currently is so old it needs time) then roll on! I spoke to Capita few days ago, the demo version is the old version of webparts. Since December and now they have been working on speed issues etc. I have yet to place order (will be this week) but they seem confident all is resolved. I think they are putting efforts into the back orders received to date for webparts before updating demo site, shows a fair priority for schools that have placed orders !!! ben
moonwalker Posted April 27, 2008 Posted April 27, 2008 benIT I spoke to Capita few days ago ... I have yet to place order (will be this week). Ben, How much are you paying for the web parts? Do you have functional spec / link for what you will be paying? Where / how do you intend to use web parts??
benIT Posted April 27, 2008 Posted April 27, 2008 benIT Ben, How much are you paying for the web parts? Do you have functional spec / link for what you will be paying? Where / how do you intend to use web parts?? Moonwalker, I don't have the figures to hand, but we are getting webparts, along with lesson monitor etc to. I will update here with cost when back in work. We are looking at using the webparts in the following ways: 1)Timetable lookups for pupils/staff/parents (that said we have our own in house solution, but this was a stop gap to getting sims webparts) 2) using the attendance lookup, for staff/students/parents 3) Using lesson monitor through webparts 4) writing reports through profiles in webparts 5) using attainment / merits / behav data display This would be alongside our other vle features such as library system, canteen system, room booking, helpdesk, all running through our school VLE. The webparts from sims are also the main path to provide parents with 24/7 realtime reporting, something we are keen to fufil for our parents. I found (from using our own developed webparts) looking up timetables etc is quicker than using the sims program itself, therefore you reduce your sims workstation installs and upgrades on teacher that only use sims in basic function. ben
zag Posted April 28, 2008 Posted April 28, 2008 Moonwalker, I don't have the figures to hand, but we are getting webparts, along with lesson monitor etc to. I will update here with cost when back in work. We are looking at using the webparts in the following ways: 1)Timetable lookups for pupils/staff/parents (that said we have our own in house solution, but this was a stop gap to getting sims webparts) 2) using the attendance lookup, for staff/students/parents 3) Using lesson monitor through webparts 4) writing reports through profiles in webparts 5) using attainment / merits / behav data display This would be alongside our other vle features such as library system, canteen system, room booking, helpdesk, all running through our school VLE. The webparts from sims are also the main path to provide parents with 24/7 realtime reporting, something we are keen to fufil for our parents. I found (from using our own developed webparts) looking up timetables etc is quicker than using the sims program itself, therefore you reduce your sims workstation installs and upgrades on teacher that only use sims in basic function. ben Yep the webparts would be fantastic if they actually worked Last time I saw them they were unusable slow and cost an absolute fortune.
PhilNeal Posted April 29, 2008 Posted April 29, 2008 Worth looking again as they have been completely re-engineered and are getting good reviews!
benIT Posted April 29, 2008 Posted April 29, 2008 Worth looking again as they have been completely re-engineered and are getting good reviews! I agree, Even Capita admitted they were slow in the December time (this was demo site version), since then they have made changes to increase speed. That said i can not comment from direct experience. This all said, we made some temp webparts to look at pupil timetable, and this worked quicker than SIMS itself, so in theory its possible, just a case of Capita getting it sorted - By the sounds of it they have. I think Capita stand to make so much money from it, that they could get M$'s Bill on the case now he has stepped hown . Also now MOSS2007 has been out for a while it must be easier We will have to wait and see!!!
zag Posted April 29, 2008 Posted April 29, 2008 Worth looking again as they have been completely re-engineered and are getting good reviews! Thats great news Do you have any idea if the licensing has changed? We just want some web parts to look at and enter data, not an entirely new VLE solution as was proposed originally.
benIT Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 Thats great news Do you have any idea if the licensing has changed? We just want some web parts to look at and enter data, not an entirely new VLE solution as was proposed originally. @ITTech Catch 22 question that one!! The way SIMS links usernames to Admission numbers (to ensure displaying correct details) relies on a other parts of the VLE solution, therefore you can not just get the webparts (around £800) You also need ther other parts!!! The rough one off cost (even if you have your VLE in place, Moss 2007) is between 4-6k. Its huge money for whats received, but it really links the school into the VLE and with parents etc - A cost I was prepared to cover to my vission of 24/7 learning access. NB: Dont forget the Maint costs per year also !! -
penfold_99 Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 Hi can some one explain the differences between captias interfaces the webparts, IMS and the VLE Exporter web service?
PhilNeal Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 (edited) IMS is a web service that can be called by a number of VLEs. It can keep the VLE up to date with pupil, class and teacher info. The exporter offers access to a much wider range of data and puts the info into a file for another application to pick up. It can be run as a command line. Edited April 30, 2008 by PhilNeal
penfold_99 Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 IMS is a web service that can be called by a number of VLEs. It can keep the VLE up to date with pupil, class and teacher info. The exporter offers access to a much wider range of data and puts the info into a file for another application to pick up. It can be run as a command line. What are the webparts? is this an interface through the sims learning gateway?
PhilNeal Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 The SIMS Learning Gateway is an application tier which sits under the MS Learning Gateway. There are web parts for various specific tasks such as editting attendance marks, recording assessments, writing reports etc. There are some web parts available for pupil/parental access to data. For VLEs that are based on SharePoint, it allows a single view for teachers for everything that they require. In addition there is an active directory provisioning tool which will maintain entries from SIMS of parents, pupils, teachers etc.
penfold_99 Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 Can a none share point VLE interface with SLG to pull information? If so it there any documentation?
PhilNeal Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 SLG doesn't contain any data, it is pulling and pushing data into the SIMS DB. At the moment our web parts are for SharePoint but if there is demand, the architecture will support a non SharePoint deployment with a little more work. Some VLEs are creating their own views onto SIMS data.
moonwalker Posted April 30, 2008 Posted April 30, 2008 Moonwalker, I don't have the figures to hand, but we are getting webparts, along with lesson monitor etc to. I will update here with cost when back in work. ben Ben, How about the figures?
benIT Posted May 1, 2008 Posted May 1, 2008 Ben, How about the figures? @moonwalker, See my info below, PM me if you want more exact figures, happy to help Ben @ITTech Catch 22 question that one!! The way SIMS links usernames to Admission numbers (to ensure displaying correct details) relies on a other parts of the VLE solution, therefore you can not just get the webparts (around £800) You also need ther other parts!!! The rough one off cost (even if you have your VLE in place, Moss 2007) is between 4-6k. Its huge money for whats received, but it really links the school into the VLE and with parents etc - A cost I was prepared to cover to my vission of 24/7 learning access. NB: Dont forget the Maint costs per year also !! -
Quackers Posted May 22, 2008 Posted May 22, 2008 Is the demo on the Capita website the old or the new webparts? I hope its the old ones because slow is not the word! No way would we buy somthing that poor.
PhilNeal Posted May 27, 2008 Posted May 27, 2008 They are the old ones. Don't know why they haven't been updated!
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