[sims] Capita is trying to sell off non-core businesses (SIMS is for sale)

[User3204]

So, there's a Shareholder meeting for Capita due on 14th January, with the title "Proposed disposal of Capita’s education software solutions business"

 

Yep, there's a vote during Covid.

 

Anyway, it's to go to Montagu.

[Steve21]

Yep an interesting bit is why there's a new company involved who's going to be running it, but with funds from Montagu

 

Tiger UK Bidco Limited, a newly formed private limited company incorporated in England and Wales, ultimately owned by funds advised by Montagu Private Equity LLP (the “Purchaser”) (the “Disposal”).

 

Class 1 circular below if anyone's interested in a nosy at the longer info:

tiger-consent-letter-barclays.pdf

 

Steve

[Edu-IT]

I can completely understand why Capita wanted to sell SIMS and reduce its debts. At the same time a new buyer not only has the customer base, but can also bring a fresh perspective to the MIS development cycle.

 

This is where I think lies the problem however - both SIMS and Parent Pay need complete rewrites and this will require a lot more money than the purchased price.

 

It'll be interesting to see if SIMS 8 is scrapped and rewritten or whether development will continue and finally released.

I saw SIMS 8 (Primary) the other week and was actually impressed by what I saw. I didn’t think it was being actively worked on but it is.

[pete]

Bit of a thread necro, but the email to customers this month (14th June, addressed to whoever signs off the SIMS invoices):

 

Dear colleague

 

In February, ESS SIMS was acquired by new independent owners – we are no longer part of Capita. Our new owners’ sole focus is on education and they are committing substantial investment to enhance the software solutions and service we offer you. Investment that will not only address schools’ needs now but also allow us to develop the tools schools will need in the future.

 

This new focus and significant investment means we are able to make immediate improvements to the products and services we offer to schools – and much more is to come.  We have also begun an unprecedented recruitment programme to strengthen our Account Management, Customer Service and Customer Success teams. And that in turn will mean more people on hand to help you get the most out of our solutions.

 

And as of the 21 May 2021 we changed the legal name of our company in the UK from Capita ESS Ltd to Education Software Solutions Ltd. The abbreviation ‘ESS’, which we have been using since February, will continue to be our abbreviated acronym.

 

This does not affect our trading with you in any way – all contracts and agreements including POs with the old company name are valid with the new one.

 

We are also about to launch a series of webinars and expert programmes to help schools tackle some of the most pressing issues in education. Register your interest today, details coming soon.

 

is interesting. Not sure if it's an implied "we knew it would require a lot of work" or "this thing we bought is in a worse state than the previous owner let on".

[supportman]

Bit of a thread necro, but the email to customers this month (14th June, addressed to whoever signs off the SIMS invoices):

is interesting. Not sure if it's an implied "we knew it would require a lot of work" or "this thing we bought is in a worse state than the previous owner let on".

 

It is well known the Capita ran Sims into the ground and stripped all their development teams. It was part of Capita's strategy in their yearly financial reports for a long while to outsource and offshore.

 

The new company may have good intentions but why stay with them now? It seems they are just starting developing again. How many more years will schools wait?

 

Having done the move away from Sims ourselves and waiting so long, I can't believe how easy it was to launch a new MIS. Literally took a couple of weeks and all our data was ported to the new MIS.

[Michael]

Bit of a thread necro, but the email to customers this month (14th June, addressed to whoever signs off the SIMS invoices):

 

 

 

is interesting. Not sure if it's an implied "we knew it would require a lot of work" or "this thing we bought is in a worse state than the previous owner let on".

 

I'd say that email is more about customer relationships/retention/engagement and any improvement to a product/service would always be widely welcomed.

 

I'd say the road ahead is a busy one, as you're essentially going to need two development teams if the intention is to improve SIMS 7, whilst also focusing on SIMS 8. Maybe that's part of the clue however - how to bridge the gap to make migrating from SIMS 7 > SIMS 8 seamless as possible. In reality would it take another couple of years? Probably, but that's why customer engagement becomes more important.

[enjay]

I can't believe how easy it was to launch a new MIS. Literally took a couple of weeks and all our data was ported to the new MIS.

 

Data migration isn't the tricky part though, it is the staff re-training which could be a scary amount of work and time, especially for your specialist staff, e.g. attendance, exams, timetabler, etc. while they get up to the equivalent skill level in the new system which they had in the old.

[supportman]

Data migration isn't the tricky part though, it is the staff re-training which could be a scary amount of work and time, especially for your specialist staff, e.g. attendance, exams, timetabler, etc. while they get up to the equivalent skill level in the new system which they had in the old.

 

We had absolutely no issue on that front. Bromcom did webinars for each job type and people moved without issue. In fact a lot of stuff is easier on Bromcom, especially things like the census and attendance. Timetabling can stay the same process if needed.

[TechMonkey]

I think a lot is made of data migration and if you were cynical it could be thought that it is whipped up by certain companies to discourage migration. A lot of companies are making it very easy, in that their DB specialists will go in and get the data for you and they create routines to automate it. I had to do ours and it was easier than I thought it was going to be, even creating SQL queries so I could run them repeatedly.

 

I also think the newer systems are so much more friendly than older systems that firstly staff buy in as they want something better and secondly, it is just easier to pick up. As long as you don't drop them in it, provide training and support most staff will engage. Really it is the development and integration after that which is the hard part.

[Olliekai]

I’ve heard that ESS have said they didn’t realise how much work was needed for SIMS8 and that that’s currently going back to the drawing board.

 

Their current priority is to add features and improvements to SIMS 7. Capita wouldn’t do this as they constantly said “SIMS 8 is coming” but ESS has acknowledged it’s a long way way.

[supportman]

I’ve heard that ESS have said they didn’t realise how much work was needed for SIMS8 and that that’s currently going back to the drawing board.

 

Their current priority is to add features and improvements to SIMS 7. Capita wouldn’t do this as they constantly said “SIMS 8 is coming” but ESS has acknowledged it’s a long way way.

 

I think that's probably a good thing! There is a reason Sims 8 was never released....

 

They should start again like a startup. Use the latest frameworks and technology. Release early and often.

Edited July 1, 2021 by supportman

[caffrey]

Are we still going to get timely updates from ESS ? We should've had Summer 2021 by now ?

[aicrd]

Are we still going to get timely updates from ESS ? We should've had Summer 2021 by now ?

 

Summer 2021 is tomorrow I believe.

 

Edit: Scratch that. Its:

 

"The SIMS Summer Release is expected to be released to Independent and International Schools on 9th July. Hosted SIMS schools will be upgraded a week later between 16th - 18th July. "

 

Link

Edited July 1, 2021 by aicrd

[caffrey]

Month later than normal then, it's usually out by now and I normally get SLT laptops updated before they leave for the summer as it doesn't work over WAN

 

It'll have to wait till September

[aicrd]

Month later than normal then, it's usually out by now and I normally get SLT laptops updated before they leave for the summer as it doesn't work over WAN

 

It'll have to wait till September

 

I looked on the release notes and Summer 2020 was the 4th of July?

[caffrey]

Came into Solus on the 22/06/2020 here

[caffrey]

And it's just arrived on the last day....

[Banjo]

SOLD > ParentPay

[User3204]

SOLD > ParentPay

 

Or, to put this in English words... we received an email from parentpay marketing this week.

 

On 9th August 2021 Education Software Solutions (ESS), the suppliers of SIMS ... was acquired by ParentPay Group.

 

So, it's all downhill from here.

[Norphy]

Or, to put this in English words... we received an email from parentpay marketing this week.

 

 

 

So, it's all downhill from here.

 

I thought it would be hard to imagine a worse custodian for SIMS than Capita but, well, there you have it.

 

I hope I'm wrong about that but my experiences with ParentPay aren't exactly positive. Glad I'm not in education any more.

[enjay]

Or, to put this in English words... we received an email from parentpay marketing this week.

 

 

 

So, it's all downhill from here.

 

I wonder what this means for those of us with a different payment system. For how long will ParentPay continue to support schools exporting data to their competitors?

[Norphy]

More so than that, how long will SIMS Pay be supported? Or will they roll ParentPay and SIMS Pay into one?

[Chrisbf1]

When are Sims or whoever they are now actually going to have cloud based solution that doesn't rely on an RDP- remote app etc.

[Primus]

When are Sims or whoever they are now actually going to have cloud based solution that doesn't rely on an RDP- remote app etc.

 

It's years away - I'd have said 2024 at the earliest.

[paulkerton]

When are Sims or whoever they are now actually going to have cloud based solution that doesn't rely on an RDP- remote app etc.

BETT marks 9 years since they announced SIMS 8, and it still isn't really past the testing with primary schools stage.

I would not be surprised if they go down the re-write it from the ground up stage. The SIMS problem is (and its a making entirely of SIMS/ESS/Capita's own marking) that if it so much as marginally changes there will be uproar from those who have doggedly stuck to it and haven't moved already.

 

The fact that it's interfaces are out of date and outmoded, and it's reporting is clearly broken is by-the-by.

Edited September 22, 2021 by paulkerton