RE: Re: HASB mulls new computer system

midrange-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

>   3. Re: HASB mulls new computer system (Pete Helgren)
>
>There is MUCH more to the story (as usual).
>
>They run a 5250 based application called CIMS that, many moons ago, was 
>the premier School Administration software in the country.

Pete:

Very true all you said. I was in charge of a CIMS installation AS/400 a number 
of years ago and there was nothing better available. This was at the State of 
Alaska Centralized Correspondence School (CCS) which served the entire state 
through remote access. (That in itself was a big trick to keep going.)

Not only was CIMS hosted, but numerous Department of Education applications 
totally outside of CIMS as well on the model B70, most for statistical 
reporting to the State and the Feds. CIMS was very trouble-free. Maintenance 
was rarely needed though customization was common enough (usually handled 
through a contract consultant).

The interface was all green-screen fortunately. Try much more than green-screen 
across a thousand miles of mountains and glaciers and open sea to a few hundred 
scattered (widely) locations.

For HASB today, CIMS could clearly use new interfaces. But that doesn't begin 
to touch on what CIMS accomplished under some difficult conditions.

Tom Liotta