GROUPCALL WHY AND HOW WINDOWS AZURE

1. GROUPCALL WHY AND HOW WINDOWS AZURE

2. Introduction • Groupcall celebrated it’s 10th year of delivering software to the education sector earlier this year by winning the: 'ICT Company of the Year' Award at BETT this year • Groupcall currently sell around 10 products & solutions • Azure underpins everyone of these in one way or another This presentation explains why and how we do this?

3. WHY CLOUD? • Cost effective – pay as you go • Up-to-date with latest releases • It’s almost always available • Capacity planning is far simpler Groupcall are constantly trying to innovate. We have no idea how well many of our ideas will be received and consequently the capacity that we will required…we truly need scalability on demand Simply put, the cloud is scalable and reliable and we don't have to support it.

4. Why Azure? • We're a Microsoft house and it integrates very nicely with visual Studio • It has some 'nifty features' like Service Bus that other providers don't (didn't) have. • Constantly improving and growing • Cost savings, over other cloud solutions? • In truth not sure? • We didn’t know how we were going to scale or indeed use ‘the cloud’ • Understanding billing is (was) very difficult – for all cloud solution providers • Certainly very easy to capacity plan if not accurately financially plan It gives us everything we need and slots directly into our company infrastructure

5. Core Groupcall Products How are we using Azure? Xporter/Dashboard Messenger Online Emerge

6. Xporter/Dashboard Xporter extracts school information from most MIS systems and data sources 3rd parties use Xporter to provision and populate their systems LAs use Xporter to collect statutory information and other useful MIS information Recent work in Warwickshire working to update Free School Meals information was Cut from 6 weeks to 90 minutes using Xporter (SIF) and Xvault

8. Dashboard Dashboard is hosted on Azure and uses SQL Azure Dashboard is monitoring at least 10k+ Xporter instances in many thousands of schools across the UK It’s used by many LAs and 3rd parties to track their Xporter estate Provides an instant view of the health of data transport Indispensable internal support audit tool (we eat our own dog food) DEMO

9. Classic Messenger and Messenger Online Classic Messenger deployed in 2500+ schools: Sends Message via Azure • Groupcall’s original offering • Used to send 2m+ per month through Azure Messenger Online: Hosted in Azure and Messages using Azure • Simpler to support/update/improve • Thanks to Azure it’s ‘infinitely’ scalable • Strategically links with Groupcall’s future direction and plans • Better integration for third parties, LAs and even schools • API, SSO, White Label, embedded frame, Provisioning via Xporter Examples include: • Wisepay two way SSO & integrated messaging • Follett Aspen (US Based) – Extended API usage and direct provisioning from their MIS

10. DEMO

11. 11 Product Overview

12. Online or Offline access to MIS Data on Apple & Android Devices • Student details including photo’s • Staff contact details • Attendance • Behaviour • Timetable • Medical • Mobile Registration (online or offline) • Evidencing Achievement and Behaviour (end of April) • Data is safe • iPhones/iPod Touch/iPad & Android and soon Windows devices • Optional SMS messaging from anywhere • Via Groupcall Messenger • Schoolcomms • Working with others… What is Emerge? An MIS Companion App

13. Supported MIS systems Capita SIMS CMIS / Facility Coming soon……. Pearson e1 Follett Aspen RM Integris G2 / S2 Serco Progresso

14. Embedded Partner Systems Working with……. We want to work with many more to help build our ‘Emerge eco-system’…

15. Who would use Emerge? • School Administrators • Teachers • Senior Management Team • Schools who purchase Emerge use it for... • Registration in the Classroom • School Trips – Send SMS Messages • Medical Information • Mobile access to MIS information • Fire & Emergency Evacuations • Loss of MIS systems

16. Emerge is Secure! • Only works with registered devices • Data encrypted for device and user • Username, password & passcode • 2 Factor Authentication • Remote wipe & automatic wipe after ndays offline capabilities

17. How does it connect to my MIS? • Direct Internet Connection • From within school via Wi-Fi • Indirect Internet Connection • From outside school via Wi-Fi & 3G / GPRS through the Azure Service Bus • Safe & Secure connection • No requirements to open ports incoming on Firewall

18. Demo SA

19. Give it a go… Download Emerge from the App Store or Google Play You should be asked if you want to connect to the demo server. If not (because it didn’t work for me this morning) try the following. Service URL: demo.emergeapp.com Username:adminga Passoword: demo

20. Emerge for parentsParental engagement made simple • Real-time access to school information including summary attendance, behaviour, attainment, calendar • School based Identity Management • Push notifications of changes • Multi student, multi-school • Combination of MIS & other systems • Secure and permission based access to their children’s information at school

21. Summary of Groupcall Emerge • SAFE, Secure mobile access to Student data • Data always available in App • Only accessible by registered devices • Easy to use LR

22. Any Questions?

23. GROUPCALL ARE LOOKING FOR MORE PARTNERS For more information please contact ngradwell@groupcall.com THANK YOU FOR WATCHING