December 13, Putney - Civica plc, one of the UK's most experienced providers of consulting, software and services for the public sector, is helping ICT professionals to achieve better control of their software investments, develop new school learning environments in line with the government's 2007 deadline and establish more efficient departmental processes. To meet these different needs, Civica will be highlighting this range of software solutions including: licensing advice and expertise, an Integrated Software Asset Management Solution (ISS), managed learning environments and automated library management systems, on stand N54 at the BETT show on January 10-13, 2007.
Civica Services works closely with the main software manufacturers including Microsoft, Sophos, CA, Symantec, Adobe and McAfee to supply, implement and support their products, with representatives from Sophos available at the Civica stand during BETT to discuss specifiers' requirements. Civica Services' sector-focused teams are expert in the latest products, licensing regulations and will advise on practical ways to manage changing corporate software assets. Civica Services is authorised by major associations including the Local Government Association, BECTA and regional education buying groups such as the Central Buying Consortium.
Managed Learning Environments
To realise the government's target of ICT-based learning platforms in schools and colleges by autumn 2007, Microsoft and Civica have established a joint managed learning environment foundation. The new partnership will help to improve the delivery of the curriculum, improve administrative efficiency and productivity for teachers and help to improve students' individual attainment. Civica's innovations implemented at UK schools already include customised student learning portals and electronic registration and cashless catering systems.
ISS
Meeting increasing demands from software users for better control and overview of corporate software assets without heavy administrative overheads, ISS is a hosted software licensing, asset visualisation, management and compliance service which is supported by advice from Civica business specialists.
ISS provides a continuous, cross vendor overview of license agreements, assets and compliance. The service can be accessed via a user portal and supported by a central administrative function. This platform is a uniquely forward-looking solution which avoids the stop-start and incomplete picture delivered by ad hoc or vendor-specific software asset audits. As a hosted service, ISS reduces the need for organisations to repeatedly bring in auditing and administrative resources to manage the software life cycle.
Spydus - Automated Library Management Services
Civica has successfully launched its internationally proven Spydus library management systems (LMS) in the UK. The company has already been appointed preferred LMS supplier for South East Library Management Services (SELMS), a consortium of six public library authorities across the region. In addition, Hampshire County Council has agreed to use the Spydus system in a five year public-private partnership to deliver new web-based, individual customer lending channels, backed by real time customer data retrieval to improve customer service.
Civica predicts that Spydus will create low-risk, very efficient and flexible library management models for the UK market, based on partnership between public library authorities and service providers. These new library management platforms will deliver greater efficiency, better access to stock holdings and improved customer service. A catalyst for new UK library developments has also been Civica's very successful full service based on Spydus for the Ministry of Education in Singapore, where 198 schools have already gone live with the service in less than a year.
Civica Services managing director Steve Reynolds said: "Our ISS platform is the first managed service which gives organisations real control and peace of mind over their software investments and related compliance questions. In education, our ICT implementations are changing professionals' and students' expectations of where and when they can teach and learn. Our projects are also bringing improvements in organisations' administrative processes to meet the Gershon agenda's demands. Civica's group companies have the group-wide expertise in ICT consulting, software and services to deliver these different requirements."
About Civica plc
Civica plc (www.civica.co.uk) is a market leader in software-based solutions that help public sector organisations to improve service delivery to their communities, with particular expertise in local government, housing, law enforcement, education and healthcare. Blending consulting, software and managed services, the group supplies more than 1,500 customers in the UK, Australia, Singapore and the USA, including approximately 89 per cent of the UK's local authorities.
