What would you ask your MIS's MD?

[PiqueABoo]

Do you have an API?

 

That's my favourite question, although I'd add: Is it included in the price?

 

do you use code obfuscation?

 

Do you want them to? In addition to the vendor protecting their IP angle, it can be used to help hide security sins and I'm not sure that's a Good Thing[tm].

[featured_spectre]

oo oo oo...

 

Platform independence. Whilst some have said web based and such like, that still implies a need for a back end to run SQL (be it MSSQL or what have you).

 

Perhaps something done in MySQL (which works on Mac Server, Windows Server, Linux Server (pick a flavour, it works!), and Unix Server) and a front end that just connects to that server via a webpage that is browser independent.

 

Make it compatible with Open Office, KOffice, MS Office....not a difficult task according to some devs I have spoken too but some companies are in the pockets of others or do not want to go down that route...according to one dev I know via linkedin, it would take SIMS about 2 days of coding to make it work with a variety of office products, but they refuse to do so as "MS Office" is industry standard. Some are working towards open standards to make it more approachable in "poorer" schools.

 

Once thats done, I would be pretty much sure that it would open up the market and make things fairer

[matt40k]

Code obfuscation shouldn't be used. It's a false layer of security. I accept certain parts may want to be keep hidden, but hopefully not stuff that encrypts YOUR data.

 

 

MySQL

 

Mmm... not sure about this one, it could be like OpenOffice where Oracle kills it in the next release. One to be careful on. Alot of other major companies are looking at other products as MySQL isn't great at cloud. Maybe if we separated our database logic from our application logic using business objects, we could move to a SQL independent MIS solution! Now if they're was only a MIS supplier who had such a business object already...

 

it would take SIMS about 2 days of coding to make it work with a variety of office products

 

I think they're ill informed of how much work would actually be needed. All the reports would need to be re-written for starters. But yes, would be nice! So would SIMS mono - Actually I would quite like to see a light version of SIMS without all the extras.

 

Would also like to know:

 

lock-in - If you don't own the license, you rent it, what happens if you stop paying, how do you get your data. How do they destroy your data on they're system when you leave. Are you forced to have a hosted solution or can you self-host.

 

How they have made provisions that should they go bankrupt, how someone else could pick up the code etc - I know Capita has something in place!

 

Question no sales person wants to say: how much?

Give costs for:

- Primary 200 students, 25 staff

- Secondary 1,000 students, 70 staff

[uk101man]

Is it an IPad Killer?

[PiqueABoo]

Code obfuscation shouldn't be used. It's a false layer of security. I accept certain parts may want to be keep hidden, but hopefully not stuff that encrypts YOUR data.

 

OK, but (for instance) have you seen what happens when you throw dotNet at something like ILSpy? World away from EXE->x86 disassembly i.e. it's often near-identical to the source code, and probably has much better layout/formatting.

 

How they have made provisions that should they go bankrupt, how someone else could pick up the code etc

 

Software Escrow. Don't know about Capita, but having worked where that was contractually required sometimes (to agreed standards) it was essentially backups tapes and some bits of paper work saying where the code was, what you needed to build it etc.. New to the code devs would have had serious trouble for ages, think the basic premise is you get the code from Escrow and pay devs from the just-broken company some serious rates to play with it... and probably have them mostly play with data take-off i.e. getting your stuff out of there prepped for another system.

[matt40k]

OK, but (for instance) have you seen what happens when you throw dotNet at something like ILSpy? World away from EXE->x86 disassembly i.e. it's often near-identical to the source code, and probably has much better layout/formatting.

 

Nooo.... Of course I don't have the last free version of .NET Reflector: Decompiler and Assembly Browser | .NET Reflector and I've never used it to disassemble any of Capita products. PS: I would still like to see the missing bits however, like the comments etc.