SIMS Mobile

[woody]

Finally got my hands on the SIMS Mobile software. We have bought one license for an initial trial to see how well it works.

 

I started to read through the installation manual for the server side and realised that MS SQL Server 2000+ was required. (I wasn't told this when I was in consultation with capita. We are running our Sims DB on MSDE. Is there anyway I can install the Mobile software using MSDE? Any instructions? I've logged a call with Capita but it will probably be a few days yet.

[Uraken]

where did you get the sims mobile software and can i assume that it needs a constant connection or can it work offline?

[Jamie_a]

I`ve had it since the beggining of the year and cant get it to work I get a network error message when i try to connect the pda and capita supports as much use as a chocolate fireguard.

[PhilNeal]

We do recommend purchasing a service day to install the necessary MS software that Mobile requires - it is not as simple to install as SIMS. Our Service Desk is up to speed on how to resolve most issues. If you would like to let me know your case number I will investigate.

[Jamie_a]

0703-120419 cheers mate

[PhilNeal]

Thanks Jamie - someone will call you shortly.

[Uraken]

"We do recommend purchasing a service day to install the necessary MS software that Mobile requires - it is not as simple to install as SIMS"

 

are you serious phil! you create and sell software and then want to charge people to have it installed? hows that work then? and i agree jamie sims helpdesk needs a shake up ( i don't normally slate anyone in their work but the service is and has not been up to speed for a long time).

[djm968]

Hats of to you PhilNeal.....

 

Brave man.

[PhilNeal]

Uraken we do everything we can to reduce the complexity of an install. Mobile however requires IIS and something else (sorry I'm not technical) to be installed as well - it is this that we recommend a support package for.

[StArbiter]

I spoke to a SIMS reference site regarding the Mobile software and came away thinking the install package was a necessity. The network manager was very clued up (much better trained than me) and said he learnt far more from the engineers than he expected. We also went through the new install notes which are a considerable improvement on the orginal. In the end it will come down to how much you value your time - I'm paying :x for someone else to do it this time.

[jumpinjamez]

I am sure i have read that all Sims users will require at Least SQL 2000 soon? Also windows 2003.

 

I will go check it out again as i remember asking the LEA about this and getting no reply.

[wesleyw]

Nope at least SQL 2005 Express or SQL 2005 by September this will be mandatory.

 

Wes

[Jamie_a]

Since yesterdays response I`ve had a load of help fom capita and sorted the issue.

[Uraken]

fair play to you phil for coming along and running the gauntlet on behalf of Sims but if we don't tell you when your getting things wrong how can you learn from us and make your product better ( this has to include support), my point was that i was a little disapointed when you said its not a simple install and that you recommend a days service, surely the idea is to provide a working document or a simpler install, that said i do appreciate the complexitys of the product but this appreciation is not shared by SMT etc that want the installs done seamlessly out of hours and without glitch, read the forums this simply does not happen.

There was a radical shake up two years ago at sims support during the time when web support was implemented and i was contacted direct by one of your head honchos and things seemed to be going well but we can't all be wrong can we?

[PhilNeal]

Uraken, thanks for the feedback - I have to run the gauntlet as I'm the director that is responsible for SIMS!!

 

We have reviewed the first cut documentation of Mobile because to be frank, it could have been clearer. We are absolutely committed to driving the need for service days to an absolute minimum; ease of use is an absolute requirement.

[Uraken]

Uraken, thanks for the feedback - I have to run the gauntlet as I'm the director that is responsible for SIMS!!.

 

ouch rather you than me..

 

We have reviewed the first cut documentation of Mobile because to be frank, it could have been clearer.

and yet it still was published less haste......

 

We are absolutely committed to driving the need for service days to an absolute minimum; ease of use is an absolute requirement.

 

I can tell that you are committed and i'm sure that just your being here on this and other forums will allow things improve.

p.s its never personal.

[Jamie_a]

Being fair once I had the second version of the manual I pretty mucg got there with a small amount of assitance.

[the.damon]

I've been trialing CSS Mobile too but I can't say its very impressive at its current level. The initial guide that was released was easy to follow but had 3 major flaws. One of which actually stops sims.net clients from being able to login to the database. All three issues were rectified in the revised notes and now I'm sure any technician will be able to install the software if they follow the guide.

 

After a matter of minutes I was confident in using the bulk of the PDA application. However, the interface is very clunky and needs to be made a little more streamlined for use in the classroom. Our plan was to hand out PDA's to schools where teachers are new to sims. In its current state I am not confident the less technically minded teachers will be able to operate the software correctly. One of my main gripes about the GUI is the 'right click' menu on the register. If you right click when a pupil is selected you see a different menu to when a pupil is deselected. However, both menus refer to pupil functions which are linked to the student which is right clicked on. For example, to replace an attendance code i have to highlight the pupil and then right click on the mark. If the mark isnt highlighted and i simply try to right click on it I receive an alternative menu offering me the pupil details etc.

 

I feel the software should be more predictable in its design. To a technician it's a niggle but to a low level user its much more of an issue. Training shouldn't have to compensate for bad design.

 

There are numerous other interface issues such as the scroll box for attendance code selection only being wide enough to show around 4-5 chars. So the teacher has a choice of:

......
|E - Excl|
|F - Exte|
|G - Exte|
......

 

and so on. There is plenty of space on screen for a larger box and this could increase the ease of use.

 

On the other hand, I do realise this product is in the early stages so I can understand features are very limited at this stage. In spite of this, I feel there needs to be more analysis into the design of the product before releasing it for testing.

[SilverFox]

We are converting our teachers across to SIMS Mobile and it is clearly becoming a winner. The whole point about mobility is that it has to be portable, quick and reliable. SIMS Mobile is proving to be a super bit of 'kit', and one can expect some of its rough edges to be smoothed out soon.

 

Some teachers have commented about some of the issues mentioned but to be fair they are not that big a deal. We use the "Mark All" then just quickly change the few that are different; click "Save" & the job is done.