[Offtopic] Ultranet

[Anton Yoxon]

Twelve schools have been piloting ultranet including McKinnon, maybe Mark 
Kelly could let us know what he thinks of Ultranet.  
regards
Anton


On Wed, 23 May 2007 09:57:19 +1000, Cameron Bell wrote
> I didn't want to kick off the cynicism too early in the thread - you 
> can pull a hammy if you get started too early without warming up. HOWEVER:
> If a statewide system is introduced:
> 1) It will make moving between schools very easy. No new system to learn.
> 2) Materials developed will be compatible across all schools. 
> (Provided vendors don't impose their own file formats or systems on 
> materials) 3) Group expertise while be huge and common help 
> facilities will be understood across all schools. 4) Auditing of 
> materials against the current standards, (at the moment VELS, but 
> who knows what they will be by the time the Ultranet is running) 
> should be easy
> 
> I don't want to kick a system before I know anything about it, but 
> that's the problem, I don't. Does anyone know where the input is 
> coming from? Whether they will mandate all schools use this thing? 
> Where can you find out so that long term-planning can be taken into account?
> 
> Cameron
> 
> Jim Maunder wrote:
> > What this thread needs is a little more cynicism. Let me tell you a 
> > story.
> >
> > Some years ago I attended a meeting of those interested in tendering 
> > for the provision of IT services to schools - the one where school IT 
> > techs were paid for by the state - is it ITSA or something like that? 
> > Now, most of the ppl at the meeting were from agencies, and in 
> > hindsight, they must have seen the ITSA scheme as something they could 
> > get good money from for not much input. Naive techs like me just saw 
> > it as a job opportunity.
> >
> > So, wherever there are governments there are consultants and agencies 
> > and others who are only too happy to persuade the government to give 
> > them money for whatever scheme they can think up.
> >
> > (It's a bit early in the morning and my blood/caffeine ratio is not 
> > quite optimal yet, so the words are not coming out as smoothly as I 
> > would hope, but I hope you get the idea.)
> >
> > Jim
> >
> > At 08:10 AM 23/05/2007, you wrote:
> >> Why would you pay $61,000,000 for online collaboration tools when you 
> >> can already do a lot with the free stuff that Google and numerous 
> >> others already provide? Must be a you-beaut system!
> >> Cameron
> >>
> >> stephen at melbpc.org.au wrote:
> >>> Bell rings for $61m net
> >>> Chris Jenkins
> >>> MAY 22, 2007
> >>>
> >>> <http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21770883%5E15319%5E%> 
> >>> 5Enbv%5E,00.html>
> >>>
> >>> VICTORIA will soon announce a renewed IT services supplier panel as 
> >>> it revs up its $61 million Ultranet schools network project.
> >>> Speaking in Sydney last week after meeting with representatives of 
> >>> the NSW IT industry, Victorian IT Minister Tim Holding said the 
> >>> four-year Ultranet project, designed to deliver a suite of online 
> >>> collaboration systems for students, teachers and parents, had been 
> >>> opened to expressions of interest.
> >>> Industry responses are due by July 11, with a request for tender 
> >>> expected later in the year.
> >>> The state would shortly announce the make-up of its new preferred 
> >>> supplier panel for IT services for government agencies, Mr Holding 
> >>> said.
> >>> "We're in the process of refreshing the panel," and about 300 
> >>> submissions had been made to join a panel that would include a 
> >>> number of new categories, he said.
> >>> Successful bidders are expected to be named by the end of the month...
> >>>
> >>> The Australian
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Message sent using MelbPC WebMail Server
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
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> > Jim Maunder
> > Ruyton Girls School
> > Melbourne, Australia
> >
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Anton Yoxon
Learning Technologies Manager
yoxon.anton.w at edumail.vic.gov.au