Webanywhere reach the final stage of Wokingham VLE selection process

July 23, 2012 - PRLog -- West Yorkshire based e-learning company Webanywhere have successfully proceeded to the final stage of Wokingham Borough Council’s learning platform procurement procedure. The landmark procurement is the first of its kind to use the Department for Education’s new IMLS Framework, designed to help schools get the best value for money from ICT providers.

In April 2012, Wokingham Borough Council assembled the Wokingham Learning Platform Procurement Group. Consisting of teachers, bursars, heads and governors from primaries, secondaries, special schools and academies, the group was set up so educators could find a cost effective learning platform for the local school community.

Their first action was to invite companies on the IMLS Framework to tender for the contract. As one of only 15 suppliers on the government’s approved list, Webanywhere took the opportunity to apply. The application process, involving an invitation to quote, software testing and presentation was judged a success. After detailed analysis of the documentation and an evaluation of the open-source learning platform Moodle, Webanywhere were cited as having closely fulfilled the requirements of Wokingham schools.

Separating themselves from the rest of the pack, Webanywhere were the only company to offer Moodle, an open-source platform that’s specifically designed to promote collaboration and free thinking in education establishments. They also offered integration with school’s management systems -a feature that regularly saves many schools time and money. Webanywhere highlighted their strong commitment to training and customer service too, emphasising the rigorous procedures and regulations in place throughout the company.

“Our progress to the next stage of this pioneering tender is something we’re really proud of”, explained Mike Bennett Head of Secondary Operations. “However, the hard work isn’t over yet. No business has been guaranteed, so we’re going to be working around the clock to ensure our upcoming efforts with Wokingham Borough Council are of the highest possible standard.”

The next stage for Webanywhere and the other successful candidates is a presentation to interested schools in September, alongside further testing of their Moodle learning platform. Once schools attend these sessions, the decision about how they wish to proceed will be made by Friday 12th October.