For many years, CELCAT has dominated the provision of sophisticated, user friendly on-premise scheduling software to Higher and Further education institutions. Education, like many other sectors, has noted the benefits and advantages of moving core systems to the cloud and many education institutions are now either in the process of transitioning or making plans to.

Whilst making the transition from on-premise to cloud has many benefits, they shouldn’t be achieved at the cost of functionality.

CELCAT has been listening to its clients and we are pleased to make available all the functions and features of CELCAT Timetabler  8 in a cloud environment. Now, institutions wishing to make the transition from on-premise to cloud can do so, whilst retaining comparable levels of functionality.

Here are 8 things you need to know about CELCAT Timetabler 8 Hosted:

What type of cloud offering is Timetabler 8 Hosted?

There are many models of Cloud in use today and, even within commonly used designations, there is a lot of variation. To be clear Timetabler  8 is offered as a Fully Managed Service (FMS).

What is CELCAT’s Fully Managed Service (FMS)?

This means that CELCAT will be responsible for Applications, Data, Runtime, Middleware, Operating System, Virtualisation, Servers, storage, and Networking. The client is responsible for local user desktop environments and user identity information. FMS uses the latest versions of MS SQL and Timetabler  8. How does this this compare in general with other variations of Cloud? The following diagram explains:

What applications and solutions does Timetabler 8 hosted include?

Timetabler  8 Hosted includes the following applications:

  • Timetabler  Client
  • Course Automation
  • Exam Scheduler
  • Attendance Client
  • Admin Client
  • Video Conference Integration Manager (VCIM) MS Teams Only
  • Timetabler  Live
  • Live Attendance
  • Timetabler  Web API
  • Calendar 3
  • CELCAT Attendance Web Services
  • Single Sign-On (SSO)
  • SIM
  • Room Booker
  • iCalfeed
  • Timetabler  Client Mailing Wizard
  • Pay Claim
  • SMS Support
  • AutoCalEx
  • Notifer

How functional and scalable is the Timetabler 8 Hosted environment?

Timetabler  8 Hosted is supporting both centralised and distributed approaches to timetabling. In a typical situation, institutions will have academic staff and student viewing personalised timetables using Calendar 3. Staff needing to make minor changes to the timetable data will do so using a web client, while timetabling administration staff have at their disposal the full measure of functionality available through wizards and automation. The hosted environment can be scaled up or down, dependant on need and at any time, in consultation with CELCAT.

How does CELCAT’s FMS compare to SaaS?

Most commonly with a SaaS environment, applications are ‘highly’ available and the environment is ‘highly’ scalable. Software providers have been developing systems to meet this requirement and CELCAT is doing the same. More information on Timetabler  Connect, CELCAT’s SaaS offering, can be found here.

Where will my data be stored, is it safe?

CELCAT uses country centric data centres. For UK based clients, the data centre is based in the south of England. For overseas implementations, your account manager can let you know the exact location of your data centre. CELCAT is ISO27001 certified and we only use data centres having the same level of certification.

Why should I consider this option for my institution?

Obviously an investment is required to use the cloud environment, but this will be more than offset by the savings made in software licencing, hardware and the ancillaries needed to support an on-premise implementation. All the hassle of maintenance, security, and configuration passes from client to supplier. It becomes CELCAT’s responsibility to make sure that this mission critical system works.

How does the onboarding process work?

We’ll ask you to fill in and return our evaluation form. You can download the evaluation form here. The evaluation form give us the information needed to set up the environment exactly as set out by your requirements. The evaluation form will then be used by your account manager to create a CELCAT proposal, including all the financials, for you to sign off.

Once we receive the signed proposal, we will create the cloud environment. You will be informed when it is up and running. Finally, your on-premise Timetabler  database will be converted and uploaded to the environment ready for use.

Please note that CT8 Hosted may not be available in all geographic areas. We will confirm its availability on receipt of the evaluation form.

Whatever environment you choose for your institution, you can expect the same level of care and attention you have come to expect from CELCAT.