| Brand
New E-mail System
Coming Soon!
...and you can help give the
system a name |
By the end of this year, the Broward County School District
expects to be on-line with an integrated suite of messaging
and communications software dubbed "FirstClass."
This system - which won out over similar software produced
by Microsoft and IBM - will consolidate and replace various
E-mail systems currently operating across the school district.
The District's 28,000 teachers, principals, administrators
and other employees at more than 250 locations will have
access to the system initially. FirstClass' education-specific
design enables E-mail, instant messaging, calendaring and
the ability to access E-mail from remote locations. It operates
across both Macintosh - and PC-based platforms efficiently
and effectively.
"It's critical that we provide a simple, easy-to-use
system for all users," explains Dr. Frank Till, Superintendent
of Schools. FirstClass will provide access from any Web-enabled
device - whether that be at home or at the local library."
John Myers, Vice President and General Manager of the FirstClass
Division, agrees. "Improved communication and collaboration
allows teachers, principals and administrators to make better
decisions faster."
Lou Torres, an account manager with Open Text, describes
the software as easy-to-use and intuitive. "It was
specifically designed for educators," explains Mr.
Torres, "and is in use in large educational entities
in DeKalb County, Georgia and Clark County, Nevada; and
even at Emory University." In fact, of the system's
8 million users, 85% are in the field of education, and
28 of Florida's 67 school districts have chosen to use FirstClass.
An education-specific design gave FirstClass a leg up on
its competitors. "From a technological point of view,
the FirstClass system meets our requirements and costs significantly
less money than the other systems we tested," says
Dr. Till. |
