Do you need an accounting module?

It would probably not be possible to integrate TurboCASH directly into SchoolTool, but perhaps we could share some data. Do you support any sort of web services?

Hi Tom

We develop in Delphi and FirbirdSQL. Not familiar with Python or the required protocols, but we can do whatever we have to do. We link to a lot of web programs. Its not the technology that is the issue, but the will to do it that counts.

The Schools market is a very important one and we would like to be in it. Similarly from your point of view a schools management program without accounting is no system at all. I have not seen any other credible OS offerings for Schools. Unless it is something I don't know about (unlikely) you will find that TurboCASH is the leading OS Accounting package. We licence under GPL3.

We provide our systems free so we need really big volumes to motivate us to do something. It has to be commercially viable or we soon run out of interested resources. We have 100 000 users and 500 consultants. The consultants are valuable because they "integrate" these systems. Without them, something like this is simply too complex to simply expect offer as a download and then expect it to rip.

We obviously need to look at each others software, but I am not sure that it requires much more than a marketing alliance. Some things will come up in Debtors management (joint billing on multiple accounts - single statment, but we can implement that the moment we get a paying customer in our sights). We already have a few hundred schools, its a start but not a viable business yet.

Do you have a business plan as opposed to a technical road map that I could look at. You can see mine here:
 http://www.slideshare.net/philipdc?type=mypage

Well, the "business" model is to use philanthropy to bootstrap a self-sustaining open source project. Realistically, I don't have the will to invest the limited funds I have for development in integration with an accounting program in the short term. I guess the thing to say at this point is that if you want to take the lead on exploring this, we'll help out, but for at least the next year, we need to focus on consolidating and polishing our core functionality.

I am already at the self sustaining open source project level and I want to stay thee - self sustaining that is. I certainly don't need you to invest any of your limited development funds. If the idea is sound, I will finance it myself. I am not ignorant of the schools market and right now it is owned by some of the most vicious people in the software business. They simply are not going to allow Tom and Philip to ride up on our philanthropic white horses and take it way from them. In the absence of a business plan, we will be unlikely to succeed.

OK my door is open, call me as soon as you realise that in a school admin system, an accounting package is a core component not an option. This should all happen about er.. 10 minutes into your first installation.

Yes, please consider the door open.

Send me your emai address and let me introduce you to someone that can help you. send it to me at <email address hidden>

Actually in the Australian market the two tools, accounting and timetabling/reporting are strictly separated and usually occupy two different networks.

Laurie
Pascoe Vale Girls