I just wanted to add to this thread.
Firstly I am the Product Manager for the Kent Learning Zone (KLZ) so my comments and replies would directly reflect the KLZ thinking.
As has been stated, KLZ is not a VLE, so we do not compete with VLE's, Mike summed it up earlier on, so I wont duplicate his comments.
KLZ is (as has been stated) free to members of staff and teachers and provides Exchange based email with OWA and full connectivity out of the box. It also comes with Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 Im service which can be web based or client installed.
The SharePoint features are aimed at both within schools (ie a school uses this as their intranet) and inter county with full collaboration sites. Next year we plan to bring in authenticated links to other LA's which will futher increase the Collaboration sites.
We now have more than 300 schools in Kent and this figure is steadily rising, but off the top of my head its fast approaching 60,000 email accounts.
Cost aside (as per an earlier post) we try to give as much control locally as possible, we have developed a user management tool and this is constantly being revised and new features added at the request of ICT staff.
Many schools can see outside of their own local mindsets and boundaries, KLZ offers a county wide solution and will grow to provide a fully fledged system that allows schools to share information; for example, Im working on a Risk Assessment site, that schools could use to view past risk assessments for local establisments, comment on them and save time and effort in taking kids outside of school. This is just one small element of making things easier for school staff and teachers.
I welcome any comments and am more than happy to visit schools and groups to explain how KLZ can help or fit in.
Nic Wood
KLZ
