Getting Started with VAM in K-12 Education: Implementation Made Easy

Getting Started with Visual Asset Manager for Higher Education

Installing Visual Asset Manager (VAM) is as simple as using the software itself — and that’s just one of the reasons top public school systems and trade schools choose our product to help make asset and vehicle tracking a seamless part of day-to-day public education operations.

We’ve also implemented Visual Asset Manager in more than 250 public education settings — from Chicago Public Schools to Catoosa County, Georgia and Eastern Pennsylvania and Orange County CA — and we understand how important it is to get you up and running quickly.

From basic system requirements and a quick and easy installation; freedom of choice between On-Demand hosted online service or an In-House installed solution; service when you need it; top-notch training; and support to help you succeed, we’ve got you covered.

System Requirements

Requirements for VAM include one of the following Web Browsers and a recommended resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher:

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer® 6.0 or 7.0
  • Mozilla FireFox® 1.5 or 2.0

 

Server Requirements (for In-House Installations only)

Minimum

  • Pentium® III or better processor
  • 300 MB of available hard-drive space
  • 512 MB of RAM
  • Microsoft® Windows 2003 or 2008 Server with Microsoft IIS® 5.0/6.0, MDAC 2.8 or higher, and .NET Framework® 2.0
  • Microsoft SQL Server® 2005 or 2008 (Workgroup- or higher-level editions are recommended; however, MRM will operate with Desktop and Express editions)

Recommended

  • 2 GB of RAM
  • 128 MB of additional RAM for every 20 concurrent users
  • Dual processors operating at 3 GHz (Intel Xeon)

Optional Report Customization Features

VAM uses SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services. For report customization, all that is needed is the Business Intelligence Toolkit which is used to customize existing reports, craft new reports and deploy so that all may use the report server manager easy web interface.

Product Evaluation: Setup and Trial

To help you with your evaluation of VAM, click on the Evaluation Guides below for both the Enterprise and Pro editions to help you with setup and trial of the product.

» VAM Enterprise Evaluation Guide
» VAM Web Evaluation Guide

Your Choice: On-Demand or In-House

We understand the nature of changing business, so we offer VAM as either an On-Demand user-hosted appliance service, or as an In-House installed solution. Choose the option that best meets your needs — and know that you can always migrate from one to the other if your needs change.

Benefits of On Demand Service Benefits of In House Installation
Lower up-front costs and no capital investment: There’s no need to get capital purchase approval or acquire hardware. Low monthly or annual payments align with your organization’s operating expense budget. Better long-term investment: After the up-front purchase, ongoing maintenance pricing is lower with In-House installations. Total cost of ownership is typically lower after three years.
Instant start-up: Start using Visual Asset Manager system immediately; no delays waiting for installation. Rapid deployment: Deploy the standard Microsoft server footprint in hours. We also offer remote installation walk-through assistance.
Easier on IT: Software stays on an Appliance servers (VMWare or 1U Hardware), reducing in-house IT burden. There’s no hardware to purchase, set up or configure (with exception of IP Address and DNS). And, software is automatically updated. More in house IT control: Integrate with Microsoft Active Directory® and have direct access to your SQL Server® data for integration with other applications.
Secure and available: Treated as Software as a Service (SaaS) but secure in that your database is local to you. Your server is available to you as any other application server in your datacenter. Secure and available: Control access via internal firewall and Integrated Windows Authentication®; your IT staff can rely on NetSimplicity’s dedicated support team to ensure Meeting Room Manager is available.

On-Demand Service Level Agreement

We stand behind our On-Demand services with a world-class data center and a binding commitment to ensure services are available when you need them.

E-ISG’s Service Level Agreement (SLA) guarantees that On-Demand customers have uninterrupted access to service 99.9% of the time. In the unlikely event that monthly service uptime is less than 99.9%, affected customers are eligible for a service credit against their prorated service subscription fee.

Terms and conditions are specified in the E-ISG Limited Use License Agreement. For a copy, contact an E-ISG Representative.

Questions?

Contact a E-ISG Representative for a comprehensive Total Cost of Ownership report to compare your options and seamless migration services that make it easy for your organization to make a no-risk decision today.

We also offer a “No-Nonsense Guide to Scheduling Software” with valuable information to help you find the right scheduling solution for your organization.
» Download Now

Service, Training and Support/Maintenance

We want you to start experiencing benefits from Visual Asset Manager immediately, so we offer a full range of service and support options to make sure that happens, including setup, training and support and maintenance.

Buy training, support, and maintenance to get up and running quickly, or we can help you design a custom on-site service for your specific needs. Contact our Sales team at 866-845-2416 and we’ll help you get started.

Services

Visual Asset Manager Web and Enterprise customers can choose from the following services to simplify setup of more extensive sites, user groups and user interface customizations:

  • Installation Walkthrough: Includes consultation and assistance to system administrators in the installation and initial configuration of VAM In-House editions on your chosen server. (Up to 4 hours.)
  • Site and LocationSetup Service: Includes import and setup of all details for each of your conference and meeting rooms, based on a list you provide. (Up to 2 hours.)
  • User Group Setup Service: Includes setup of users, user groups, and security rights for your organization, based on a list you provide. (Up to 2 hours.)
  • VAM Architect Customization Service: Includes customizing MRM’s user interface for your organization, including fields and field labels, using the powerful MRM Architect. (Up to 4 hours.)

Training

We’re committed to helping you experience the benefits of real-time, Web-based asset management, so we offer two training courses for Visual Asset Manager: one for users and one for system administrators.

Each session is available via Web and audio conference from an E-ISG training representative, and any number of participants may attend. Each session provides up to four hours of training time to cover the agenda and allow for a question and answer period. Customers may select one or both sessions to meet their needs:

End User Training
This session is designed for those who will be using the application regularly to meet scheduling needs. Our trainer will explain the application interface, the reservation process, and some of the built-in features that help with the day-to-day use of the software. These include instruction on how to use built-in filters and search forms, as well as how to produce detailed reports on reservation data. (Up to 4 hours.)
» See the user training syllabus.

VAM Web Administrator Training
This session is designed for VAM Web system administrators who will be deploying and administering the application within the organization. Our trainer will provide an overview of the application from the “user” perspective and will also explain all administrative options available. (Up to 4 hours.)
» See the system administrator training syllabus.

VAM Enterprise Administrator Training
This session is designed for VAM Enterprise system administrators who will be deploying and administering the application within the organization. Our trainer will give an overview of the application from the “admin user” perspective and will explain all available administrative options. (Up to 6 hours.)
» See the system administrator training syllabus.

Support and Maintenance Plan

E-ISG’s comprehensive Support and Maintenance plans offer two options to suit the needs of your organization:

Standard Support
This package offers our same high-end support and includes On-Demand training, email and phone support, as well as free software updates. You’ll also have access to E-ISG’s private Customer Extranet, where you’ll find an extensive library of Knowledge Base articles, helpful FAQs and application “Tips & Tricks.” You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in product enhancement feedback programs.

Premium Support
Our Premium Support package offers expanded assistance with a dedicated account manager who will serve as a single point of contact for and unlimited incidents each year, along with the valuable offerings available with our Standard Support package.

Support Package Options

Standard

Premium
Online Support Portal Included Included
Email Support Included Included
Phone Support Included Included
Account Manager NA Included
Allowed Named Contacts 4 8
     

» Ask our Sales Team about pricing for training and support services