[Offtopic] Ed Dpt school management software

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Fwd: Accenture wins $120m school deal
by Ben Woodhead AUGUST 22, 2006 (snip)
 
<http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,20205329%5E15306%5E%
5Enbv%5E,00.html>

SYSTEMS integrator Accenture is poised to build a $120 million computer 
system to run Queensland schools, after the state's Education Department 
dropped initial plans to award the contract to Fujitsu.

Executives close to the project said Education Queensland asked Accenture 
in March to resubmit its bid after concerns were raised about the school 
management software put forward in Fujitsu's bid. 

A second executive confirmed Accenture had been tapped for the project 
and that the consortium is believed to include Australian school 
management software developer MXL. 

Meanwhile, other states are preparing to replace public school management 
software that is used to run school functions such as enrolments, student 
information, timetabling and libraries. 

NSW Education has selected probity, assurance and business advisers for 
the planned replacement of its finance, human resources, learning 
management and student administrations platforms. 

It is expected to tender for a systems integrator in the next 12 months 
and one industry observer suggested the project could carry a price tag 
of up to $200 million. 

Victoria's Department of Education and Training, is understood to have 
briefed prospective suppliers for a planned school software upgrade and 
South Australia is expected to move with plans to replace its school 
software in the next two months. 

Education Queensland has been working on its school management software 
replacement project for almost four years, issuing a request for 
information from prospective suppliers in October 2002 to gauge options 
for updating technology used to run its 1300 public schools. 

At the time, the department claimed the new school management system 
could encompass up to 35 business functions and be linked to external 
agencies, including the Queensland Police Service, Queensland Health and 
the Department of Families (now the Department of Communities). 

An Education Queensland spokeswoman yesterday declined to comment on the 
project. 

The Australian 
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Cheers all,
Stephen Loosley
Victoria, Australia