News Archive 2005

Wednesday 28th September 2005

Site Licence Day 2005

CELCAT's annual event for all Site Licence holders is being held on Wednesday 26 October at the Royal Court Hotel, Coventry.

The event gives you the chance to meet our staff, talk to other CELCAT users, and see demonstrations of our latest releases.

There is also a Scottish event, which is open to Site Licence holders and new Scottish customers alike. This will be held on Wednesday 9 November at the Queen’s Hotel, Bridge of Allan.

Wednesday 21st September 2005

New release: CELCAT Timetabler 6.1

An update to the Timetabler 6 software is now available for CELCAT users to download from the CELCAT website.

Enhancements and fixes include:

1. 'Log Viewer' to examine audit trail of activity (in Timetabler Administrator). This window displays all changes made to the database and provides a search facility to trace changes made to particular resources or events.

2. SAT (Student Attendance Tracking integrated with Timetabler). This application allows you to record and report student attendance.

3. Show Access Rights function in Client. This window displays a summary your current access rights in Timetabler Client.

4. Extended Absence functions in Client. Used to record periods of extended student absence (e.g. for illness or holiday). Can be used in conjunction with SAT to provide automatic pre-marking of some registers.

5. Browse Update Option in Client. The browse window can now be made to update the underlying record window as you scroll the browse list.

6. Optional timetable grid hints. Hints display event time and resource names, etc. Useful when the timetable grid is crowded and annotations truncated.

7. Optional resource tags in grid and list timetable printouts.

8. Addition of some database views to make 3rd-party reporting easier. Create your own reports using writing report-tools and our new Database views.

9. Printing of currently active grid window. If you have a timetable grid on screen just click the print button to print it out.

10. Enhanced CSV import, including multi-table imports with any ordering between tables.

11. A new reference resource column in the QLS Interface Events page

12. LDAP support (include secure server support). Timetabler Login has been enhanced to support LDAP servers including Active Directory.

13. WebPublisher no longer uses the deprecated HTML tag <EMBED> in PDF publications, but instead use <IFRAME>

14. Membership options in timetable printing have been enhanced and rearranged for clarity. The Team Members checkbox has been moved to the Staff line and renamed Members of Teams. The Group Members checkbox now means only sub-group members.

15. A new User Wizard has been included in Timetabler Administrator and is designed to create user accounts en-masse.

16. Major improvements in AutoCal. Duplication of appointments now fixed.

17. Group and Team Filters added to relevant Browse Lists

Downloads are available from here

Wednesday 1st June 2005

New release: CELCAT Timetabler 6

A major new update of Timetabler 6 is now available for CELCAT Site Licence holders to download from this website.

New and upgraded features include:

• Office Wizard
• QLS Interface (formally known as SoftSync)
• Enhanced resource wizard
• Enhanced events wizard
• Enhanced Timetable Grid display and navigation of events
• Auto-browse facility
• Popup menus on the events form
• Dates in timetables where only a single week is displayed
• Compatibility with fast (>3GHz) Hyperthreaded systems and SMP systems
• AutoCal compatibility with Exchange Server 2003
• Web Publisher allows optional colouring and underlining of PDF hyperlinks
• Client users can change their own passwords
• Charge indication is displayed on events, with a breakdown by resource
• Comprehensive access rights, including user-settable timetable-wide defaults
• Smart grid fill printing is now optional
• Advisers all have their own options
• Staff/rooms found by the advisers can be added to existing event resources as an alternative to replacing them.

This latest release is the result of our ongoing commitment to listen to our customers, so that our software really reflects the needs of timetablers.

Monday 18th April 2005

New Installation/Configuration Training Course for IT Support Staff

As a network manager your concern is ensuring that the software systems you support give reliable trouble free operation to your colleagues. By reducing issues related to the working of an application you reduce your own workload. This New course is for network support professionals responsible for overseeing the installation and support of CELCAT Timetabler 6. In this one-day programme you will be taken through the commissioning and setting up process for Timetabler 6 and deal with trouble-shooting. The content is directed at those responsible for supporting the system on the network as opposed to those using the system.

The course materials cover: Installation Requirements; System Architecture; Installation and Configuration of all Timetabler Components; DCOM Configuration, SQL Server Configuration, Server-based Client Installation; Performance Optimisation, Security, etc.
Our first Timetabler Installation/Configuration Course is on Friday 20th May; the programme will run weekly at our Coventry training facilities. The fee is £250 per person per day. You can register online here or for more information contact our offices on 024 7646 9930 or email training@celcat.com

Monday 4th April 2005

CELCAT Opens Office in Scotland

Caring for our customers has always been of prime importance at CELCAT. Not only do we try and hear what your Timetablers, Estates, Facilities and IT personnel require from the software but we also want to make the experience of managing CELCAT Timetabler and related products as trouble-free as possible including installation and set up, practical training and meaningful after-sales support and service.

With those goals in mind CELCAT has opened an office in Scotland.

The office is being managed by Ian Grimes who will be readily available to handle sales and training, technical consultancy and customer care for the region.
“It’s a great opportunity to develop a much closer relationship with our customers and provide the best possible backup for the best timetabling software available.” says Ian who is looking forward to leading this new venture. “These are exciting times for CELCAT with the new edition of Timetabler 6 recently launched and ongoing development with SAT our student attendance tracking program. The new office will help add momentum to ensuring CELCAT expands its number one position as the leading supplier of timetabling software to HE and FE organisations.”

Contact details for the new office are as follows:

CELCAT (North)
PO Box 6995
FORFAR
DD8 3WU

Tel/Fax: 01307 850777
Mobile: 07739 941939
Email: i.grimes@celcat.com

Wednesday 2nd March 2005

CELCAT exhibiting at the ACM Annual Conference

The Association for College Management annual conference is being held on Thursday 10th March 2005 at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham. Andrew Thomson, the new chief executive of the learning and skills development agency, will address this one-day conference. It will also provide an opportunity for prospective and current CELCAT customers to see new CELCAT Timetabler 6, the latest incarnation of this popular timetabling tool. You’ll find us located on Stand 6. For more information about the ACM or its annual conference check out their web site.

Wednesday 2nd February 2005

CELCAT Timetabler 6 Training Residential Training Courses

Our new CELCAT Timetabler 6 training courses are to be run on a weekly basis commencing 1st April 2005.

Whatever your training requirements we will be able to accommodate you.

The types of courses on offer range from Timetabler 5.6 and Timetabler 6 standard and advanced training, through to migration and bespoke training needs. Our modern newly equipped training facilities seat a maximum of 6 trainees allowing us to provide personal tuition in a relaxed environment.

So why not book yourself on a course now and discover how to get the best out of your timetabling software. For those that prefer we also offer onsite training, which is ideal for institutions requiring larger number to be trained. For more information contact our offices.

CELCAT at the AUA Conference

The annual AUA Conference is being held at Warwick University, 14th – 16th March 2005. This conference allows HE administrators from all levels the opportunity to listen to stimulating speakers, as well as a chance to exchange ideas with colleagues from various specialist areas within HE. This year’s venue is centrally located and ideally situated for the latest showing of new CELCAT Timetabler 6. Why not pop along to see our stand and discover how CELCAT Timetabler 6 will revolutionise the way your institution does its timetabling. Whether you are an existing CELCAT customer or just considering options we would be pleased to see you.

This year’s conference theme is Enterprise and Excellence. For more information check out the AUA website.

Friday 7th January 2005

CELCAT at BETT

The annual BETT exhibition staged at Olympia, 12th – 15th January 2005, is the venue for the latest showing of new CELCAT Timetabler 6. BETT is Europe’s largest and most prestigious education technology show of the year. CELCAT have considered it an excellent venue to cement the release of this latest incarnation of Timetabler in the minds of university and college schedulers.

Why not pop along to stand SW111. Whether you are an existing CELCAT customer or just considering options we would be pleased to see you.

If you wish to attend and haven’t pre-registered, you can still do so at the BETT website.

Tuesday 4th January 2005

CELCAT Timetabler 6 Training

Our new CELCAT Timetabler 6 training courses are due to commence on the 11th January 2005.

Many users have already received their copy of Timetabler 6. If you are one of them, or would like to evaluate 6 prior to implementation, then why not come along and join one our new Timetabler 6 training courses?

Training is not strictly limited to 6 users however; existing 5.6 users who are to migrate to 6 will benefit from our Migration Training Course. This is a one day course and can be conducted either on site at your place of work or at our residential facilities near Coventry.

We are now taking bookings for the residential course commencing on the 11th January 2005 so be sure to book early to avoid disappointment! In addition to migration training we are running a two day Standard Course and for those that have an administrative role we invite you to attend our advanced course. Advanced courses comprise the Standard 2 day training course plus an additional Advanced training day. As with all Timetabler courses, trainees will receive a certificate showing that they have successfully completed the courses. For further information on dates and course materials contact our offices.