Sims NextGen

[Spookyville]

Are there any comparisons between SIMS NextGen, Arbor and Bromcom? Features, Pros and cons etc. Current SIMS secondary school, current 3 year deal ends next spring. Looking at options...

[ITGuyNW]

Don't bother with Next Gen in its current state. It's barely a database.

[synaesthesia]

Pros: Familiarity.

Cons: Everything. Absolutely everything. Ever. They don't want your business, they don't need your business, they have no interest in looking after you.

[5tu]

SIMS Next Gen still requires you to run legacy SIMS - it's a bolt-on.  So you still have to either host legacy SIMS yourself or opt for SIMS Connected, which is just hosted SIMS accessed via RDP. 

 

We jumped ship 6 months ago and haven't looked back.

Edited September 16, 2025 by 5tu

[Ratcliffepg]

Next Gen isn't true cloud.... still requires an onsite server.

[psydii]

It doesn't require on site server, but does require a sims.net server installation somewhere.

 

Also you still need the .net client for at least the  data team, timetable team, the cover team the SEN team, and anyone who uses any of the sms/email messaging services.

 

So its not directly comparable to Arbor or Bromcom yet. It is moving quite quickly now to  bring the core functionality to a modern web interface. I'd say likely 3 years and it will be a full MIS in its own right.  

 

Now, will they have any users left at that point?  It's hard to say.  I was surprised that the numbers hadn't collapsed to single digits at the last review of census data (where an FOI can get us the data  on which MIS schools are using), so maybe they will make it to full cloud this time (its their third attempt in the last 15 years).

[gaz350b]

If you want any 3rd parties integrated you will need an onsite connector where they put sims client with a vpn back to the cloud.

[Squelch]

From the outside looking in it sounds like SIMS Next Gen and Nuclear Fusion Reactors will both be ready at around the same time.

[ITGuyNW]

I had SIMS support person DM me on here offering me a demo.

 

I already have access and can see its capabilities, which are extremely basic at this point.

 

I was hoping when we returned in September that they would have launched some new things but nothing so far.

[psydii]

If we’re going to meme it, SIMS is more closely tracking the Half-life 3, timeline, they’d even got their own equivalent money printing machine to Steam (ParentPay).
 

However the quest for nuclear fusion power plants  is just modern day alchemy.

 

 

Edited September 17, 2025 by psydii

[synaesthesia]

I honestly believe any school seriously considering SIMS in any current or future state as a viable MIS is either out of touch, severely misinformed, ignorant or rather masochistic. 

[mthomas08]

1 hour ago, synaesthesia said:

I honestly believe any school seriously considering SIMS in any current or future state as a viable MIS is either out of touch, severely misinformed, ignorant or rather masochistic. 

 

Or 'hate change' oh and course..... stuck in a long term contract..

 

Which tends to be main reasons.

 

But yeah.. I do see the point you're making.

 

We could say the same thing with say... Civica...  a total nightmare but 'its what we know' plus a bit more short term expensive required to leave.