What would you ask your MIS's MD?

[CyberNerd]

Mmm... I don't think web 2.0 is the answer to all the problems. HTML5 should be a good step forward, but not the miracle. Certain things can't be done and I think it's important to remember that.

 

Browser apps are pretty powerful these days. It could be done, for sure.

 

Personally the biggest problem is, soon as Capita release a web MIS, they're going to be stupid and force only hosted, which lets face it, they're pants at. Let's hope I'm wrong about them forcing it.

 

More likely hosted AND silverlight, worst of both worlds - knowing capita

[matt40k]

Zoho looks rather basic IMHO - nothing I haven't seen before on Google Apps. BT are pushing

Aspen - they're on stand J6 if your going to BETT -

Online gradebook and school administration software | Follett Software

 

Hey CyberNerd, Silverlight isn't that bad, besides, it could be worse, it could be flash!!

[CyberNerd]

 

Hey CyberNerd, Silverlight isn't that bad, besides, it could be worse, it could be flash!!

 

would prefer something that works ubiquitously. only open standards can achieve that.

[matt40k]

Just need a bit of moonlight - Moonlight - Mono

 

Seriously, Capita aren't that stupid to lock themselves in to Silverlight... I hope. Or at least have non-silverlight option... I hope.

[glennda]

There is a school near me which mainly uses the SLG web-parts for their classroom teacher to do the majority of the stuff they need to in sims. But I think they have put away a whole web development team together to setup the system over a few years. Is pretty good though.

[CyberNerd]

Just need a bit of moonlight - Moonlight - Mono

 

Seriously, Capita aren't that stupid to lock themselves in to Silverlight... I hope. Or at least have non-silverlight option... I hope.

 

Did MS ever get silverlight on Android/ipads?

I thought Capita had done just that - with Discover being silverlight based, or am i mistaken there?

[glennda]

Did MS ever get silverlight on Android/ipads?

I thought Capita had done just that - with Discover being silverlight based, or am i mistaken there?

 

but lets face it discover is awful so i wouldn't mind to much if they had to stop making it/restart the project not using silverlight!

[matt40k]

but lets face it discover is awful so i wouldn't mind to much if they had to stop making it/restart the project not using silverlight!

 

Was under the impression Discover used WPF - which is the next step in the .net technology. Silverlight is a sub-set of WPF. I would image HTML5 will replace it, IE10 is rumoured to have hardware support for HTML5, you can offload rendering stuff to the vga card - basically one of strong points of Silverlight. Otherwise browsers will be playing catch up, it's predicted that this technology will kill off Firefox.

 

If you have a machine that runs Windows 7 with aero etc ok, then Discover will be find, that 5 year old XP machine however is another story.

[vikpaw]

hey guys slow down. some great thoughts as usual, but that's been covered elsewhere.

i want some questions to ask, not for us to start up a big debate again.

so how do we put it all succinctly?

 

There is increasing demand for portability and OS independence, with that in mind what plans are there for creating a web version, and what sort of timeframe can be expected?

 

Please advise to amend if required.

 

Schools face a certain amount of lock-in, due to the difficulty involved in changing MIS, how do you appease these resistant users..?

 

Not sure about that one, or exactly what i'm getting at yet.

[glennda]

Was under the impression Discover used WPF - which is the next step in the .net technology. Silverlight is a sub-set of WPF. I would image HTML5 will replace it, IE10 is rumoured to have hardware support for HTML5, you can offload rendering stuff to the vga card - basically one of strong points of Silverlight. Otherwise browsers will be playing catch up, it's predicted that this technology will kill off Firefox.

 

If you have a machine that runs Windows 7 with aero etc ok, then Discover will be find, that 5 year old XP machine however is another story.

 

It runs it fine not a problem (Intel core I3, 4Gb ram SSD) - its just a pain in the backside to make the thing work to get useable info out of it.

 

I'm not 100% sure what it runs i can't remember i'll have a look in the morning.

[matt40k]

@vikpaw

 

Portability and OS independence is a difficult one, if things continue, ie next few year they're making more job cuts and general budget cuts, hardware won't get replaced and the idea of install Google OS onto desktop will seem like the answer. Most of the web MIS systems I've seen are either, problematic and feature limited or look like they're built back in 1995 and lack features that would be a must nowadays.

 

General grilling questions are normally:

 

- LA schools converting to Academy - would they need to re-license.

- Migration from other MIS package to their package - what's the sort of % what can be migrated (remaining will need to be re-entered) - 100% isn't realistic answer

- SIF Support

- How often do they update

- Roadmap for the next 1/3/5+ years

- Testing of new releases

- Licensing model

- Hosted \ self-hosted

- Support times and SLAs

- Interface for LA (eg SIMS > ONE)

- Web portal (parents \ students \ staff)

[vikpaw]

cheers matt. for the bottom 5/6, do you just mean to ask, Do you have..? or What is your ..? ? I think those will be a given unless it's a new company, i'm hoping to see some. The top ones are spot on the sort of thing i was looking for.

[matt40k]

Every company will have a 1/3/5 year plan. Timescale might be different. Might be better to ask long term where are you heading and what do you have coming up in the next release and in next few releases (other then bugfixes).

 

Yer, how do you test releases. Basically politely asking if your going to be a guinee pig and if you are, how you will you be feed. Just remember to have you sales filter on. So if they say something will happen in Summer, ask what Summer and get it in writing. Normally they change the date at this point

[sparkeh]

I've said this before, so search for my more detailed answer.

I know, we've butted heads on this before and I still disagree with you.

Personally if you're high look at either SCCM (which with the new MS licensing is peanuts) or SOLUS3 (can be a pain, but free)

Well reading your own recent comments SOLUS 3 doesn't seem like a bundle of fun at the moment:

6th January 2012, 02:04 PM

Upgrading SIMS seems to be a nightmare at the moment

[Gonk]

@ VikPaw - If you happen to speak to anyone at RM about Integris:

 

1. When will you start asking for input on the design and features of the MIS from people who use the software?

2. Why after being "Live" for three years is the product still unfinished?

[sted]

@vikpaw

 

Portability and OS independence is a difficult one, if things continue, ie next few year they're making more job cuts and general budget cuts, hardware won't get replaced and the idea of install Google OS onto desktop will seem like the answer. Most of the web MIS systems I've seen are either, problematic and feature limited or look like they're built back in 1995 and lack features that would be a must nowadays.

 

 

with sims though as its based around an sql backend at least the bits teachers use so basically attendance shouldnt i would of thought be that hard to use via an internal webpage (iis) as its just adding/reading records from an sql database granted some of the reporting id imagine would be a pig but if it was just a teachers web interface so they could tick to say kids are there or not that would massively cut down the number of pcs the full application is needed on

[elsiegee40]

with sims though as its based around an sql backend at least the bits teachers use so basically attendance shouldnt i would of thought be that hard to use via an internal webpage (iis) as its just adding/reading records from an sql database granted some of the reporting id imagine would be a pig but if it was just a teachers web interface so they could tick to say kids are there or not that would massively cut down the number of pcs the full application is needed on

This is how Schoolbase does it.

[featured_spectre]

Schoolbase is very simplistic compared to sims though. That said, more staff find schoolbase easier to use.

[GREED]

Sorry, fraid not! Currently I am off work too with v.bad head cold! And on a v.special birthday! :-(

 

That's a real shame Mike. If I'm passing your way again soon I'll be sure to drop in and say hi! (with a warning before of course!)

[Admiral208]

If I got the chance to meet a few of the big players in MIS' i would definitely want to know what their thoughts are on the following...

 

 

Who would win in a fight between a badger and a fox??

[matt40k]

Well reading your own recent comments SOLUS 3 doesn't seem like a bundle of fun at the moment:

 

If you look into that it's more a dig at the Capita prof services that manages the S3 server at Capita - basically we've had problems with "proxies", however since 9th Jan when Jon annocument the "intermittent issues" are resolved, we seem to be ok. It does however address how much you require the server and how much I don't trust Capita to host a MIS system.

 

I think they'll "given in" and create an MSI, just they've got higher prorities right now, it's not the actual making the MSI that's the problem, it's the actual testing and support. Personally, if it bothers you that much, make a msi "wrapper". Would most likely take less time then ranting on here

[sparkeh]

Would most likely take less time then ranting on here

Don't think you can really class any of my comments as a rant to be honest.

Anyway the OP asked what questions we would pose to the MD our our MIS supplier, that was my question, it doesn't really need debating, the SIMS msi thread is there for that so I suggest we leave it there.

[Griff]

I would ask Bromcom to explain why it seems our usernames and passwords in our Bromcom database were setup without encryption?

[Bromcom_John]

I would ask Bromcom to explain why it seems our usernames and passwords in our Bromcom database were setup without encryption?

I'd need more details to give you a 100% accurate answer but off the top of my head I would say the most likely cause would be Out of Date version, as of build 17 all logins (MIS, WebFolder, WinFolder etc.) should be encrypted as a matter of routine.

 

Contact me off list if you need to go into any further detail.

[matt40k]

I would ask Bromcom to explain why it seems our usernames and passwords in our Bromcom database were setup without encryption?

 

To make this more none MIS specific - what security do you implement. Is data encrypted, what data is encrypt, what encryption is used, do you use code obfuscation?

 

Do you have an API? How much of the system is available via it.

 

Audit logs

 

Data retention\ archiving.

 

What makes you stand out from the rest, give me 5 points that tells me why your the best and why I should use your MIS.