Skyward to Unveil New Intuitive, Customer-centric User Interface with the Launch of the Skyward School Management System 2.0

Stevens Point, WI (PRWEB) October 05, 2011

Skyward, Inc., an industry leading K-12 school administration software provider, has announced that it will unveil a redesigned web user interface (UI) for its industry-leading School Management System. The new UI will provide users with greater ease of use, flexibility and efficiency and enable them to leverage their existing Skyward investment to the fullest.

Skyward?s customers appreciate the advantages of the company?s existing web-based solution. But as part of Skyward?s ongoing commitment to delivering an innovative and powerful user experience, it has transformed its existing web UI to offer customers new functionality and enhanced usability. Skyward collaborated with Gomoll Research + Design, Inc., a leading expert in humanistic interface design and usability, to develop a new web UI that will maximize its customers? experience and the benefits they receive from the School Management System. With a customer-centric approach to designing user interfaces, Gomoll Research + Design?s team initiated the project by observing, in-person, how Skyward?s customers accomplish their daily tasks. To ensure the new web UI design benefits all of Skyward?s users, Gomoll?s UI design experts visited a number of districts, ranging in size as well as experience with the Skyward product.

?By carefully watching how a number of Skyward?s customers perform their jobs, we were able to understand, at a very specific level, what we could do to streamline their tasks and help them to be even more successful,? explains Tom Gomoll, Principal, Gomoll Research + Design. ?Our approach is to focus on the people first and then how we can enable them to use the technology in ways that are most valuable to their day-to-day lives. With that in mind, we designed the new Skyward web UI to meet the unique needs of both large and small districts, and to ensure a user friendly experience for both existing users and new customers.?

Based on these observations, Gomoll Research + Design worked with Skyward to design a new UI with an intuitive layout that customers will be comfortable with based on their experience with the Internet. The new web UI will enable Skyward?s users to navigate between screens far more quickly, increasing their efficiency, productivity and overall user experience. ?With Skyward?s new web UI, customers can take even greater advantage of their existing Skyward system by finding what they need more quickly and performing their tasks with even greater efficiency,? says Gomoll.

Since the initial design, Gomoll Research + Design have conducted usability tests with Skyward?s customers to gauge their reaction to the new UI. Customer feedback has been extremely positive, with participants reporting that the new UI is very easy to use, visually appealing, and enables them to quickly navigate between screens. "I feel that the new design of Skyward's user interface is great! It will reduce the number of clicks for our users and immediately improve their performance and satisfaction,? says Scot McCombs, Information Technology Director for Canyons School District in Sandy, UT. ?I believe that the interface is designed with web standards and ideals in mind. I also believe that the learning curve for our users will be minimal. I am looking forward to the release of this Skyward update.?

Joel D. Margliano, Instructional Technology Manager for Consolidated High School District 230 in Orland Park, Illinois echoes McCombs? anticipation for increased efficiency and says the new UI is reflective of Skyward?s ongoing commitment to evolving its product to meet the requirements of its customers. ?One overall theme that is very strong with our district is the number of clicks it takes to get to the areas you work on the most. With the new SMS 2.0, most features will be ?Just Two Clicks? to get to the pages we need to work on. I think that new direction and layout proves that Skyward is not like other SMS companies. Since we have started using Skyward I have found that they are a progressive company that is responsive to the end-users concerns and needs. These new features clearly show how Skyward works at maintaining a quality product that assists in making our day-to-day usage easier.?

?Our focus has always been, first and foremost, on our customers,? says Scott Glinski, President of Skyward, ?so Gomoll?s approach to UI design was a perfect fit for us. Our goal was to take what is already a robust and excellent product and continue the next step in its evolution by redesigning our web UI so customers could maximize the benefits of the solution. With Gomoll?s expertise and the involvement of our customers, we have created a new web UI that will enable our districts to reap even more benefits from their Skyward investment, including improved efficiency, increased productivity, and a more satisfying user experience.?

Skyward will deploy the new user interface with the release of the School Management System 2.0 in February 2012. Over the next few months, Skyward will provide customers with a series of notifications about the new user interface, including links to a demo database and reference materials.

About Skyward

Skyward is a leading provider of K-12 school administrative software that surpasses districts? needs in state reporting, improves operational capabilities, and opens communication between schools and families. Today, you can find Skyward's School Management System? in more than 1,400 school districts worldwide ranging from districts with as few as 50 students to districts with more than 70,000 students. Founded in 1980, Skyward serves school districts with its integrated student, finance, and human resources suite of products and is proudly made and supported in the U.S.A. http://www.skyward.com

Skyward, Inc.

Raymond Ackerlund

info(at)skyward(dot)com

800-236-7274

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Find More Way Sms 2 Press Releases

Adelante Healthcare Standardizes on Brivo for Access Control Management

Bethesda, Maryland (PRWEB) January 24, 2012

Brivo Systems LLC, leader in Software as a Service (SaaS) applications for security management, today announced that Adelante Healthcare, a private non-profit located in Arizona, has standardized on Brivo for access control management at its current and future health care and administration facilities. Adelante Healthcare currently operates seven health centers throughout Maricopa County, offering a wide array of services to patients of all economic backgrounds. Accel Communications is the integrator for this expanding installation.

?We had to get away from lock and key,? recalled Larry Kadin, Facilities and Purchasing Manager at Adelante. ?With keys, I don?t know who has a key and how many copies may have been made.? As a healthcare provider, Adelante must ensure their facilities and all data are protected in a highly secure manner.

Kadin and his team researched different access control providers, but after a Brivo representative provided a live demonstration of the Brivo ACS WebService technology to Kadin and staff from the HR and IT departments, ?It was an easy sell at that point. I?ve not seen anything that comes close to what Brivo provides. And we?re certainly not going to change in mid-stream. It?s great, with one call to Accel, everything?s taken care of,? explained Kadin referring to Adelante?s initial decision and the roll-out of their upgraded access management.

To date, Adelante has installed Brivo access control on 18 doors, including internal doors to IT rooms, at their seven facilities. They are currently planning to add at least six additional doors as more square footage comes online. ?Going keyless has been great for our organization, we don?t have security issues and breaches when we don?t have all those keys out there,? Kadin said. ?Now, we?ve got one person administering multiple sites from one web interface?that?s huge for us. We have better records and better access to data, and we can provide needed information to other departments.?

?The Brivo system is a joy to work with. It saves us so much time compared to other systems we were looking at,? said Kadin. ?The two biggest advantages for us have been the simplicity we have in setting Brivo up at a new site and the reach we have across all our facilities with just a few keystrokes. For any business, it is critical that you understand who is coming and going and you want to make sure your employees are protected?that?s the nature of security.?

Kadin and his staff enjoy the flexibility and power they have with Brivo ACS WebService. Access can be programmed easily, quickly, and as Kadin said, ?In a manner of minutes it?s done. Also with the Brivo system I can pulse a door from anywhere I have an Internet connection to instantly allow entry to someone on the weekend. People are amazed.?

To date, Adelante has issued access cards to over 200 employees at their seven facilities with the Brivo system. In addition to managing employee access, outside janitorial staff and property management staff are also programmed into the system and issued cards which offer them access when and where needed.

?The Brivo system makes my job easier and frees me up for other things. I know senior management needs to focus on bottom line cost, but there is so much more that this system does for you from a non-financial standpoint. You?d be surprised how often we use the system to check on activity like someone swiping out early. With Brivo, it?s easy to find out what we need, the system doesn?t lie. The system is very easy to manage and we can focus our time on providing quality care to our patients.? Kadin concluded.

For more information on the Brivo Online Access Control System, contact Brivo toll?free at 1-866-692-7486, option 1 or email sales@brivo.com. To view a demo, visit http://www.brivo.com/demo


About Brivo Systems

Brivo Systems, LLC is a SaaS-based security management systems provider for organizations that need to protect and remotely monitor buildings and perimeter entry points. When introduced in 2001, Brivo?s Web-hosted physical access control system was a unique solution?after a decade of evolution and innovation, it still is. Brivo?s groundbreaking physical access control and video solutions empower organizations by giving administrators real-time device control, including immediate visibility of security events and video in local or remote facilities?anytime, anywhere.

The company?s innovative, secure, and open architecture-based products and services enable businesses to protect people and assets, comply with regulations, and improve business operational efficiency. These scalable systems?whether standalone or appliance-based or cloud-based?offer a solution for every type of business. Brivo?s security management products are a market-proven fit for commercial office buildings, warehouses, retail stores, manufacturing plants, and sensitive areas, such as server rooms or R&D labs, where real-time control and accountability of entry are important.

With headquarters in Bethesda, MD, Brivo is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Duchossois Group, a privately held holding company headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois, which also owns other industry leaders such as AMX, The Chamberlain Group, and Milestone AV Technologies.

Brivo is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Duchossois Group, a privately held holding company, headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois, which owns AMX, The Chamberlain Group and Milestone AV Technologies. Duchossois also holds strategic interests in Churchill Downs, Inc., and a number of other diversified businesses.

For media queries:????????????????

Bruce J. Doneff????????????????????????????

Public Relations????????????????

(201) 966-6583 ????????????????

bruce.doneff(at)brivo(dot)com????????????

For Brivo Systems, please contact:

Rajeev Dubey

Director, Marketing

301.664.5251

rajeev.dubey(at)brivo(dot)com

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E-Business and Multi Channeling Changing the Face of Distribution and Retail Management, According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) January 25, 2012

Follow us on LinkedIn ? New technologies for distribution of products to and from retailers is driving the overall supply chain management market. Average online spending per buyer witnessed increase in the past few years, a trend that is expected to continue. The increased spending reflects the maturity of online shopping market influenced by factors such as offline merchants entering the online business and providing facilities online to compare product features. It is therefore not surprising, that despite other retailing formats witnessing a dip in channel sales during the recession, the online platform surged ahead and posted commendable growth in 2009. Region-wise, North America leads in terms of the total spend incurred through online sales; however as the Internet penetration rate increases across the Asia-Pacific region in the upcoming years, sales through online channels are expected to surge ahead. Existing players, manufacturers, dealers and distributors are re-thinking their strategies for distribution, leading to consolidation of competing players as well emergence of new competition.

In the developed countries of US and Europe, distribution companies operate efficient distribution networks, resulting in well managed systems that help in cost reduction relating to receiving, handling and merchandising the products. Retail stores follow different strategies as part of distribution channel research to position themselves, such as low-cost and low-service provider or high-cost-high-service provider. Price and service are the two major pillars of successful retailing. Leading retailers are investing huge sums as well as information technology and logistics to place large orders well in advance thus attracting customers on a large scale. Both competition and customer expectations are key drivers for adopting customized solutions to consolidate products, services, and information uniquely.

Retail market witnessed torrid times in the recent past due to increase in operating costs and limited consumer disposable income, spurred by the global economic downturn. Adding to the turmoil, were the adverse weather conditions witnessed in food producing countries that ultimately resulted in higher food prices. As a result, the retailing industry on the whole faced a major setback, as food retailing constitutes a major chunk of the total retailing industry. Over-dilution in the distribution channels, with increasing number of market players, applications, products, and value-added services, led to reduced profit margins. However, rapid innovations and the steady growth in private sector jobs counterbalanced the impact of recession to some extent. In addition, distribution channel partners are redefining their value added services and product portfolios to stay competitive in the market.

The research report titled ?Distribution Channel Research: A Global Outlook? announced by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., provides a collection of statistical anecdotes, market briefs, and concise summaries of research findings. The report offers a bird?s eye view of the structure of the distribution channel system, and the changing trends dotting its landscape. Discussion on the global market is lined up with concise primers on major distribution channel markets, such as, Agricultural Sector, Retail Banking, Insurance Sector, and Mutual Funds. The report highlights recent mergers, acquisitions, and other noteworthy corporate developments. The retailing/ distribution landscape in the US is quantitatively analyzed, and annotated with market data rich tables that portray the prevalent retailing practices and distribution infrastructure scenario in select industries such as Cosmetics, Office Products, Consumer Food & Beverage Products, Fashion-Licensed Merchandise, and Pharmaceuticals, among others. Other briefly discussed and statistically illustrated regional markets include France, Italy, UK, China, and India. Also included is an indexed, easy-to-refer, fact-finder directory listing the addresses, and contact details of companies worldwide.

For more details about this comprehensive industry report, please visit ?

http://www.strategyr.com/Distribution_Channel_Research_Industry_Market_Report.asp

About Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (GIA) is a leading publisher of off-the-shelf market research. Founded in 1987, the company currently employs over 800 people worldwide. Annually, GIA publishes more than 1300 full-scale research reports and analyzes 40,000+ market and technology trends while monitoring more than 126,000 Companies worldwide. Serving over 9500 clients in 27 countries, GIA is recognized today, as one of the world's largest and reputed market research firms.

Follow us on LinkedIn

Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Telephone: 408-528-9966

Fax: 408-528-9977

Email: press(at)StrategyR(dot)com

Web Site: http://www.StrategyR.com/

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