Viglen Classlink 10

[napsburypark]

Hi Everyone!

 

I am the Administrator for Technology at a secondary school which has around 320 workstations/laptops and 1600 users.

 

We are currently running Vanilla which has its weaknesses we find where policies etc just dont want to work intermittently.

 

We got a quote for RM CC4 who wanted 70k!! to put in their systems which we just laughed at and we were looking at Viglen who have had bad review on these forums but all these posts are a few years old - having been down to Viglen and looking at their classlink 10 software all looks okay.

 

I just wondered if anybody out there has classlink 10 or indeed just has experience with Viglen as I would just like advice and feedback please.

 

Thank you very much.

[synaesthesia]

Only seen Classlink once and I wasn't impressed - I'd go CC4 immediately over it. Is there a particular reason you'd like to move away from a vanilla environment?

[FN-GM]

We are currently running Vanilla which has its weaknesses we find where policies etc just dont want to work intermittently.

 

It shouldn't you will have a problem with the system you need to address this.

[bizzel]

It shouldn't you will have a problem with the system you need to address this.

 

GM is spot on here IMHO; if your vanilla system is acting up then adding complexity won't help matters. It's also worth noting that management systems such as CC4 and Classlink often duplicate vanilla functionality (albeit sometimes in an easier manner) and this means more code, more bugs lurking within and more to potentially go wrong.

 

I'm not overly biased, these are just my past experiences from a CC3 network.

[maniac]

I managed a Viglen classlink network in a Middle school for 2 years, actually I was pretty impressed with it, it just worked with minimal fuss. Not sure on their lastest product as I've not seen it, but Viglen as a company seem to have picked their act up quite a bit recently, they newer kit seems better built that some stuff I've seen from them, and their support seems to be better as well - we have a set of Viglen laptops in my current school.

 

Mike.

[jmcdermott]

I am a few years out of the loop now, but having worked for Viglen setting up classlink networks, then moving on to a school running RM CC3, and now running a vanilla network i thought i would offer my opinion.

 

Out of RM or Viglen i would say that Viglen is more expensive but a lot more flexible, where as RM is very locked down and just tries to change the true techies into mindless operators, (no offence to anyone who likes there RM network.)

 

If you have a good set of techies in your school I would recommend working out the bugs in you vanilla network and sticking with it, but if you want the easy sit back type life go with the Viglen network.

[Edu-IT]

I am a few years out of the loop now, but having worked for Viglen setting up classlink networks, then moving on to a school running RM CC3, and now running a vanilla network i thought i would offer my opinion.

 

Out of RM or Viglen i would say that Viglen is more expensive but a lot more flexible, where as RM is very locked down and just tries to change the true techies into mindless operators, (no offence to anyone who likes there RM network.)

 

If you have a good set of techies in your school I would recommend working out the bugs in you vanilla network and sticking with it, but if you want the easy sit back type life go with the Viglen network.

I think I am right in saying that Classlink 10 is now built around Sharepoint? I'd check but their website is down for me.

 

Once upon a time I worked with Classlink 7 and I wasn't a real fan of it, but it did on the whole just work.

[6Foot2]

Our network has gone through several incatnations:

 

• RM Connect 2.4
  
• Viglen Classlink7
  
• Vanilla
  

I was happy with Connect although it was showing its age. The logical next step would have been to go to CC3 but the decision was made to go to Classlink7. Classlink was problematic in many ways. We found support poor and unresponsive. When it was time to renew the network again the decision was made to take the vanilla route. It took a little setting up and we still have some issues. However we are making it work and continuing to develop what we have.

 

So while I feel it would be preferable to have an RM based network we are making a success of our vanilla network. We have been able to do this because we comitted to the decision once the choice was made and we [the computer support team] determined to make the best of it.