Been told we need a SIMS license + Support in order to only use FMS - Really?

[TwistedHelixis]

We are looking at moving to a cloud based MIS and moving away from SIMS and are just in the final stages of getting that all signed off. Just hit a snag and have been told that our current LA Sims license also includes our FMS license and we cant split the licence.

 

At some point we will find an alternative to FMS, it is something we need to do in stages, so wanted to keep FMS going for a while.

 

I have not spoken directly to Capita yet but have been told they make it very hard to use just FMS as they just make the cost of a separated FMS license the same as the combined SIMS / FMS license, + the full support costs.

 

Is this true or am I being told rubbish?

Edited October 24, 2019 by TwistedHelixis

[Banjo]

Well, if your an academy you will have purchased a SIMS/FMS license. The payments you make are for annual maintenance on the license. If you stop paying you can still use SIMS/FMS. What you wont get is updates for SIMS/FMS which to be honest you don't really need to continue to use just FMS. You should also look to get support just for FMS elsewhere as it will be cheaper than buying the Full SIMS/FMS package from Capita.

[PotNoodleTech]

Sounds like the ideal excuse to dump FMS too as it is an 80s pile of garbage compared to modern accounting software.

[TwistedHelixis]

They do want to but they decided to only switch one system at a time. It will be the business manager that is taking the lead in switching SIMS while also being in charge of finance, and doing both at the same time was a bit daunting. We also have the issue that our LA require the school to use FMS, so this was going to be a separate issue to look at.

[DODICT]

We also have the issue that our LA require the school to use FMS, so this was going to be a separate issue to look at.

 

Monopoly ? What monopoly. May I ask which LA is it that is amazingly still trying to hinder schools by influencing MIS choice ?