Ditto

Completely not on a school MIS, Bromcom or otherwise, but on a Impact/Case management system we use. Following a sizeable hack on our cloud solution, the provider upped the level of data encryption, to move towards what they had previously indicated was in place. First implementation had exactly this problem - garbage in many the the fields they encrypted. The issue was for every report/screen that used the encrypted fields, an update was required to ensure the data was unencrypted before being displayed. This feels exactly the same issue. What surprised me was that there wasn't a 100% database level encryption. Encryption is of course a very complex subject, but at least encryption at rest, in use and in transit needs to be considered. I'd be looking for reassurance that your MIS meets all those requirements at the very least. Worth remembering the data is at most risk when it's on your screen or printed on paper! As an ex software development manager, it real annoys me when software releases go bad, but this isn't some obscure edge case, it's fundamental stuff. Why didn't this get thrown up in one of your business acceptance, end user or regression tests (other test strategies are available). You do some of those right?

The memory feature is very useful. ChatGPT was helping me with a tricky Excel formula afew weeks back, then it became an even more insanely complex problem I needed to solve. It did a fantastic job following up with phase 2. I've also used it recently for 'legal advice' around CGT, legal aid (and how to challenge it's use following unproved allegations) and illegal access to private letters - who can guess I'm supporting someone with a divorce! I actually got to the point where ChatGPT said I used up my allocation and I'd have to start again in a few hours with a new model! The whole interaction felt fully conversational, and in all honesty I felt more comfortable with this than I did speaking to a solicitor, and wasn't costing neigh on £400 per hour. Of course I am aware it's not infallible, but it often referenced other articles, so it left me with plenty of options to cross check. A friend of mine has been a big user of ChatGPT and had signed up to the paid version, using it for work scenarios. Due to a sudden change in circumstances, he has left his latest job and brought his retirement forward a coupe of years. He finds it so useful, he's sticking with the subscription.

Wouldn't meet our green ethics :pI've read a lot of bizarre alternatives and my favourite is when someone put the cartridge liquid nitrogen before dropping then dropped it from stories high on to a concrete floor and watched it shatter in to a million pieces. I can't verify that and would not bother with a fact check, but I liked the image! But seriously, we have no internal means of disposal and for policy reasons we need a certificate of destruction from a trusted supplier. It's highly likely there is sensitive special category data on the tape, so we do need to take the appropriate action for very good reasons.

My charity has stumbled across an old Data Cartridge - yes, just the one! It's an HP02 Ultrium Data Cartridge 400B. Our preferred e-waste company claim they can't shred. Our MSP has reached out to third party and have come back with a quote of £300, of which half is for collection! Anyone else had to deal with this challenge and achieved a less eye-watering price. We will need a data destruction cert. Related - anyone used iwaste.co.uk

Saw the subject title in the Edugeek iSpy feed. You have no idea of the disappointment I had when I didn't see names like Kenneth Williams, Sid James, Hattie Jacques, Barbara Windsor and a fair few others. Clearly it's a very different genre!

@speedypro, would you consider to the open source options? Also, if you don't mind me asking, but have you experience as a school governor at any point?

Oh yes, a face indeed, but is it just me that can see the Macbeth behind the head?!

Would you consider building an open-source solution, whatever route you take? I know one edugeeker for sure that would back that idea

I started watching KAOS on a flight and watched about 2 or 3 episodes. I haven't decided if I will watch the rest. I couldn't make up my mind if it was brilliant or just a little insanely over the top. I suspect as it has that sort of edginess, Netflix are playing a safe game - which is a shame as we need variety in film/series production and not a race to tried and tested blandness. Anyone else watch this and what did you think?

I wonder if there are enough threads already and that this could be merged into an existing thread rather than starting another. Mods - thoughts? I note Nick Finnemore links to the thread I started back in January this year, where I acknowledged the earlier @cnewstead report. It was titled "Are ESS trying to make it harder to migrate away from to SIMS?". Given the SCOMIS update and wider suggestion of it being an approach to other SIMS support providers, I wonder if the title should be changed to "Are ESS trying to make it harder to stay with SIMS?"

So better functionality, growing not shrinking market share, compliant with gov advice for cloud based solutions and less expensive. Also, less aggressive company tactics (Bromcom legalities put to one side!) and many people who trodden the path and conclude it was absolutely the right decision. It seems to fit the bill of 'No-brainer' @coolhands - I don't know your role, but surely the work wouldn't all come down to you. Given the feedback, would you have second thoughts on the idea of an MIS move?

Not far from Guildford, Surrey, so pretty southerly, I also saw some faint display of lights. Not me, but a couple of photos taken by my neighbours. another neighbour posted this but I think it is fake

What strikes me is most discussions focus on functionality of the various MIS, and rightly so. SIMS clearly is well behind most competitors. I see less discussion around price. I oversaw Progresso for a number of years at a growing allthrough school. It functionally was behind the top MIS, but arguably stronger than SIMS. But I managed to get it at a cost per pupil at much less than any of the other suppliers. Are SIMS, Arbor, Bromcom and other MIS cost per pupil broadly the same?

I'd say look at the various options provided by Google Workspace for Education - see https://edu.google.com/intl/ALL_uk/workspace-for-education/editions/overview/ These are UK prices/solutions - not sure if you are US or India from your profile, but you should be able to find local details. I used the Edu product several years ago and it ticked many of the points you raise. It's got an active community and continues to evolve. Others heat can probably say more about MS products, and a small number have experience of both.

The saga runs! I never knew installing a couple of printers would be take so long! It would appear by having our outsourced IT chap onsite and talking directly to Xerox support, some progress has been made - the printer is printing A4 from the draw without manual intervention. There's been some talk about print drivers, but not yet confirmed colour issues have been resolved. Talk of a Xerox engineer joining IT engineer onsite to resolve is ongoing. It is now accepted that installing some software (XDA) on a laptop in the boardroom isn't a good idea. Remote IT support hasn't been possible on occasions as the device is 'down' at times and requires someone to interact with said laptop to provide access. Apparently board meetings have been interrupted. So far, I'm refraining from saying 'I told you so'. It has been accepted a virtual server should be investigated, possibly with something like Printix. So, most likely the IT provider will want to go Azure virtual device. Is anyone able to give an indication of monthly costs - this would be supporting barely half a dozen printer or MFD devices, with at max 60ish users, of which only a dozen or so use regularly, so I'm assuming a fairly low spec will suffice.

Oh yes, your right. It was David Nalbandian. He kicked the silly little boxes the line judges were made to sit in for a few extra inches of advertising. The box he kicked snapped and smashed it to the line judge's shin which bled. Marin Cilic as awarded the title. Even so, I'm not aware of anyone being sued, but there would have been a hefty fine. If you search, you will find there das been a linesman death on court. There was a law case brought against the tennis federation not the player.

I've never heard of that happening. I know players have been fined for hitting ball boys/girls . Apologies for the binary terminology, but that's what Wimbledon insist on using as affirmed in 2024. Other grand slam tournaments use "ball kids" or "ball crew" I'm led to believe - https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jun/30/ballkids-no-thanks-well-stick-to-boys-and-girls-says-wimbledon

Does this kill the challenge system? I know some tournaments have auto line calling, but it can be challenged but the result is known! It can be done just through sheer annoyance or more arguably to see how far out the ball is.

ATP driven and the march of technology - they will be missed. It will be interesting to see if the French follow suit. McEnroe would probably support the idea, in spite of the fact, in relation to an earlier technology known as Cyclops, McEnroe said "I'm not paranoid, but that machine knows who I am" - https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/i-m-paranoid-machine-knows-i-am-when-john-mcenroe. In hindsight, was calling the technology 'One-eyed' such a good idea

Agreed, but why the apostrophe?

I've had a few of those recently - no number plate, no date, no location. For me they are pretty poor, but I guess there are a small number of people that get caught out sadly.

Trouble is there have been grumbles on Edugeek post that date (26/9) around performance, one that the helpdesk acknowledged - /forums/mis-systems/233791-bromcom-sso-issue-slowness-18.html#post2050602 Of course it could be a local issue, but it takes many months to rebuild the reputation after the multiple issues reported.

When was the "fixed" date?

Ermm... I think the school needs to review it's price range! Costco aren't going to be premium end and I think that's a pretty fair price. Go to lower priced and you may end up needing to buy a replacement very soon. A £500 spend on staff wellbeing is entirely reasonable. And Amazon only - why so? I've known schools refuse to use Amazon, but never the other way around? Lowest I see on Amazon with a reasonable number of decent reviews is https://www.amazon.co.uk/Devoko-Electric-Standing-Height-Adjustable/dp/B0BJP9PT3L/ - it's compact, but maybe worth considering.

I agree that 'Plan C' is the best option. But I wonder even with legal advice, whether AET/Lift would have been taken to task. I remember the judgement agreed fault, but it didn't identify anything sinister - so at the end of the day, a mistake. Also, this says Bromcom won't pursue costs - that's legal costs covering Bromcom's fees - is that the only cost? Is other compensation still payable? If yes, that's money that isn't now going to pupils education. Given for understandable reasons the agreement is confidential, it does irk that it isn't transparent and open which is expected with the expenditure of public money and is that challengeable via a FOI. At the end of the day, I only see one MIS provider repeatedly get caught up in this legal rigmarole, and it leaves a bad taste regardless of the legal rights and wrongs.