OCTOBER 2007
What we wish, we readily believe, and what we ourselves think, we imagine others think also.
- Julius Caesar
In this edition:
z ITS Integrator 1.0 goes live
z PURCO's collaboration with ITS and MyMarket.com makes paperless negotiation with suppliers possible
z The ITS IVR System enhanced with SMS Capability
z Mergers and the way forward
z Do you have a backup and recovery strategy in place?
z ITS operating on Windows Vista
z In our next edition...
ITS Integrator 1.0 goes live!
ITS Integrator 1.0, the latest re-branded product set replacing version 13 of the ITS Administration system, has been implemented
at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). This version of the system is now available to other clients for implementation.
DUT has been the beta test site for ITS’s latest release. The project kicked off in April 2007 when the product set was implemented on servers of the University. Testing was done in a laboratory
environment where staff tested the applications as well as their business processes. DUT went into production on ITS Integrator on the 25th of September 2007 – the final cut-over being done over the preceding weekend. In a parallel process the University went live on the 15th of October on the Student iEnabler system, allowing registered students to apply on-line for University managed accommodation.
A big ITS thanks go to Durban University of Technology and all the staff that were involved with the beta testing process. Without their dedicated assistance ITS would not have been in a position to do such thorough Business Acceptance Testing of the final product. UKZN has made history as the first client to upgrade 3 releases in one go! Migrating from version 11, a character based version of the system, to the newly enhanced browser based version showed great commitment and dedication of management and the user community. Although ITS Integrator 1.0 was still undergoing beta testing and was not yet officially launched, UKZN opted to do the migration parallel to the beta testing phase at DUT. UKZN went into production on ITS Integrator on the 8th of October 2007.
A decided difference with the implementation methodology used with ITS Integrator is the option that clients have to decide on which functional modules (including Core System functionality) they wish to commission and be trained on during the initial migration phase. Other system functionality can then be commissioned in later phases. This approach is decided during a pre-implementation workshop between the institution and ITS.
Please contact marketing@its.co.za for any further information on ITS Integrator 1.0 or to arrange for an on-site demonstration of the system functionality.
PURCO’s collaboration with ITS and
MyMarket.com makes paperless negotiation
with suppliers possible
In integrating the ITS and MyMarket.com systems, input was also obtained from the Purchasing Consortium Southern Africa
(PURCO). The net result of this collaboration is that PURCO downloads and hosts contracts negotiated with suppliers on the MyMarket.com business to business (B2B) exchange. The PURCO amended and approved catalogue items are then downloaded directly into the ITS Procurement Management System. The advantage is that products, suppliers and pricing on the ITS system are synchronized with the PURCO negotiated prices.
The ITS system then facilitates paperless requisitioning and acquisition.
This development is a logical extension of the current ITS Procurement system and allows institutions to realize the advantages of a paperless and electronic procurement management system, with its related saving on costs.
If you are interested in the above facilities please contact
marketing@its.co.za or Manny Pedro manny@its.co.za
... Read the full article
The ITS IVR System enhanced with SMS
capability
The ITS Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, allowing
students to obtain their financial balances and examination results has already been in operation for a number of years.
request and receive this information via SMS (TEXT) message. This option has become the preferred way in which students request information.
The University of KwaZulu-Natal used this facility (in-conjunction with the IVR system) for the June 2007 examination results and more than 18 000 SMS were sent to students.
Other enhancements are Bulk SMS’ing (available in ITS Integrator 1.0), Fax to E-mail and Fax-on-Demand.
Please contact marketing@its.co.za or Zadrik Welthagen
(zhw@its.co.za) if you are interested in the above functionality
Mergers and the way forward
ITS has been involved in 8 merge projects that resulted from the transformation and consolidation of the South African higher education sector.
The staff at the institutions has gained experience in using the new merged structures as well as extracting operational and management information from the merged database. Further alignment of code structures (e.g. the academic structure, student fee structure or conditions of service and associated changes to the payroll) may be required for the optimal functioning (and reporting) of the institution as the definition of the code structures has a direct impact on functioning of the ITS system at a specific institution.
ITS has the capacity, expertise and technical tools to assist clients to implement these final changes to utilise the system to its full potential. This assistance can include:
z adjustments to the code structures
z performing of further minor manipulation of data to satisfy
the operational and information requirements of the institution
z data assessment and recommendation
z business process alignment between campuses and for better
utilization of the system
For further information and assistance in this regard contact
Lotter (lcl@its.co.za) ... Read the full article
Do you have a backup and recovery strategy
in place?
The ITS Technical Services Team can assist your institution in advising on, and the configuration and implementation of a low risk Oracle Database backup and recovery strategy. Most clients
currently make use of either Full Database Export or File System Copy as backup and recovery methodologies, both with a relatively high risk of system downtime or data loss.
ITS can advise on alternative strategies which has a lower backup and recovery risk to institutions.
Should you wish to arrange a free, no obligation consultation
session to discuss any of the above implementations please
contact ITS Technical Services on or email
Zadrik Welthagen on (zhw@its.co.za)
... Read the full article
ITS operating on Windows Vista
For Institutions wishing to deploy Windows Vista, please take note of the following issues involved.
z For developer workstations, Oracle Developer
10gv 2/ 3 (for ITS Integrator V1) or lower is not certified for Windows Vista and only for Windows XP. z For the client workstations, Oracle will not be certifying
JInitiator for Windows Vista and the following must be used:
+27 12 3463850
ITS Version Windows XP Windows Vista
V13 Sun Java Plug-in 1.5 Update 3 Sun Java Plug-in 1.5 Update 3
or Oracle JInitiator 1.3.1.26 or
higher
ITS Integrator 1 Sun Java Plug-in 1.6 Update 1 Sun Java Plug-in 1.6 Update 1
For more information please contact marketing@its.co.za or Technical Services, William Howard (wil@its.co.za).
In our next edition...
z ITS retains its ISO 9001:2000 Certification z Student iEnabler success storiesz ITS Abacus - success in the UK
The ITS User Groupis an independent body consisting of client institutions that use the ITS Administrative System. A conference is held annually to discuss the functionality of the system and future enhancements.
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Contact us at:
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Frans van den Berg and Hanlie Spangenberg
Telephone: +27 12 346 3850
Fax: +27 12 460 5337 e-mail: marketing@its.co.za
United Kingdom , Ireland and Europe:
Phillip Josling
Telephone: +353 1 832 9830
Fax: +353 1 851 0727 e-mail: marketing@itsi.ie
Australiaand New Zealand
Frans van den Berg
Telephone: e-mail: fvdb@its.co.za
Ernest Glad (New Zealand )
Telephone: e-mail: ernest.glad@cortellgroup.com
Daniel Morgan (New Zealand)
Telephone: e-mail: daniel.morgan@cortellgroup.com
Stacey Anastasi (Australia)
Telephone: e-mail: stacey.anastasi@cortellgroup.com +27 12 346 3850 +64 9 580 2200 +64 04 473 3950 +61 2 9438 3940
