GREED

Quick warning to all those Progresso customers out there

It could be they are saying only technical partners (with a nice shiney certification on their wall!) will be accredited to do this. Pretty sure this isnt the case though as it is hardly rocket science to install SIMS server is it?! This then would says schools would have to pay SIMS when they upgrade or move SIMS to new server... or that is a mahoosive moneymaking scheme!

I just wanted to say a big thank you to @ICTDirect_Dave for his help the other week and getting me a cracking deal on a PC (for Elite!). PC is top notch, all working, got 2 years warranty free delivery, came in 2 days and really easy to process all the way. As if we didn't know this already from these guys, but would recommend in a shot! Thanks again Graham

It's signed by you mate...

Got my X52 the other week, I'm sorted!

Just a couple of things I have noted as well as know in the market: Jonas Group have bought up a lot of cashless catering systems. Merge sounds like the order of the day yes.. to what system is another matter (ie they might not all merge into the one you currently have!) Jonas Group have, I believe, their own payments system... so Parent Pay integration may not improve or even continue into the long future, although this would be short sighted of them to be fair. This email does directly implicate BioStore. I have contacted them to respond in due course on here, they are aware of this email, and I believe are looking at how best to respond. Perhaps it would be best to reserve judgement until hearing both sides of this, given some interesting claims from one side so far!

Completely get what you are saying there. However, you mention a few things there that are the classic 'I just want it to do this'. Yes they only know a day before who the kids are (or rather the teachers have access to the database for), but for a data system to manage 'courses' and do assessment reports and what not, there is an amount of setting up that is needed. OK it is vastly overcomplicated in SIMS but still, it is a process. Almost the more stuff you want a system to be able to do, or automate or anything, undoubtedly the more completed it will become to administer, it almost has to. I'm not saying SIMS or any current MIS is your answer, I just don't think there will be a non-bespoke product off the shelf to meet your needs.

So the fact that the front end interface being the only 'same' thing about it still makes it a non-starter for him? Surely too there would be traning for any system (and more if you as the support for it have to know it too, let alone any other supporting staff!). Not having a go at you at all, just working through the points

I would expect that the revenue from a system that is used for 5 months of the year is so small to as not be worth while for any decent sized organisation, which is why I don't believe there are any decent products to point you to. Have you considered using a second copy of SIMS (i.e. a second separate SIMS database) as you already have this? Totally separate from the main system.

Asking for it from my daughter for Xmas!

It is portable and sized exactly to sit on a fold out table, and clip down. The X52 needed something to attach it to to give it some stability. 1cm MDF, 4cmx2cm baton frame, 2 handles for easy movement! Simple. Wonder if there is a market?!

The multi-dimensional multi-display capacity is amazing (the angled side projections are not stretched, the engine knows the angles they are at)! Brilliant!

I think I'd rather invest in Oculos if I am gonna do anything like that. Yep I'll get one sorted this weekend, it is away at the moment!

Colleague showed me this last night... I'm slightly ashamed to say I am part way there with this (I won't have 3 projectors although that is so so so cool!), but have custom built a tabletop for the X52 and keyboard... ooops! I'll get a pic!

Always book it myself these days, often for work but earlier in the year went to the Maldives, just booked plane and hotel (island!) and off I went. Had decent insurance to cover things. Went with BA too, which I was pretty sure wasn't gonna go belly up in the 6 days I was away!

That is the key, you are in the minority who would do that (I'm not saying it is bad mind you!!).

Banks? Hotels? I could name many reasons! For personal use yes, I think the much bigger high profile case is baby monitors

The technology is there with suppliers of such technology already: Read Receipts for emails and text messages, as well as the points made about the likelihood on communication coming from the true source (did the parent read it and was it actually the parent). The same problems exist with the current system as well as any technical one, and it is about covering as many bases as possible. i.e. if you send it to a parent email or mobile number that is listed in your MIS, you have reasonable confidence that is correct, and so any information coming back the other was you have reasonable confidence it is true too. You can of course go one stage further by having a facility or product that parents log into (with the same potential issues of course) and make the information you want available - it is all the same really.

The cost of using Yodel by Amazon or whoever is vastly profitable for Amazon compared to the smaller number of orders they have to replace - all the time that is the case, they will just accept it as a known loss. Which in no way helps the customer who has to wait even longer for the thing they ordered (in my case my cable to plug mu joystick in, so I can play Elite!!).

It is a generalisation granted and I am sure most work hard, but it is hard to show commitment and good customer service when you are trying to get through as many as you can on what is likely a seasonal contract! Has happened twice. Lost one (Amazon just replaced, got it the next day they sent it 1st class, to their credit), the second time I managed to grab it about 2 mins before the bin men came. I have since put a sign on the bin saying 'do not feed me with post or parcels!'

One of the biggest issues I think is the fact that many of the delivering people are on pay-by-delivery contracts, using their own vehicles and what not. So they are time precious (unlike in most cases ParcelForce/Royal Mail), so they don't give a crapola just want to get rid of your package. My local postie is great he knows me and the area, and he knows its fine to leave the package with neighbor either side but not one chap down the road, and can also put it in my green bin sometimes, but not on a collection day.... UNLIKE YODAL!!!

I am so shocked that such a poor poor company still operates... oh wait it does because they are dirt cheap for Amazon and everyone else... bigger profits at the expense of customer service nothing new there

OCD alert... Close those folders!!!

Ta! Probably written in a hurry!

Looking from your perspective as a supplier current and former, in a previous role we (me and employer at the time) advertised several times in several magazines, all who purported to have wide national readership, and had virtually no ROI from it. Cannot remember the publications myself however all 5 you mention ring a bell. I think it depends very much too on what you are selling (plus, to be fair, all the other marketing things like time of year!)