Maintenance fees
(Additional costs for each module).
Data Storage
Professionally hosted: No servers needed at your school.
Local storage on your equipment.
Data Conversion
Free!
Done in about a week.
Charge to set up your server and convert your data.
Set Up
Completely done by FastDirect - even grade books. Send FastDirect report cards, grade scales, and a list of who teaches what and it is done for you.
Technical staff must learn how to set up grade books and report cards and assign courses. Teachers must build class rosters themselves before using the system.
Data Safety
Encryption, protection from viruses, redundant systems, continuous backup.
Technical staff must provide at additional time and expense.
Off Campus Access
24/7, from any computer with an Internet connection.
Third party software required at added cost.
Clumsy uploads and downloads to work on grades or files.
Parent/
Student
Access
Information is available in real-time (7/24).
Parent access is integrated into the system at no additional charge.
Information is not in real time.
Additional module required, w/additional fee.
Data Sync
Information entered once flows through the system to all features and functions.
Manual, multiple entries.
Pasting between programs.
Complex merging of data between modules.
Hardware
No servers to buy and maintain.
Costly hardware and technical staff to run it.
Software
No software to buy or download.
Works on any Internet Browser.
Software to buy, download, install, and configure.
Compatibility issues.
Costly upgrades to your operating systems to run their software.
Maintenance/
Support
Continued on-going system development. Direct, unlimited telephone and web-based support available to all users (parents, teachers, and administrators).
Our Help Desk staff can view your screen and fix your problem for you.
Technical support or maintenance fees often exceed entire cost of FastDirect.
Slow response to calls for help.
Training
Training of teachers and office staff is done in your building at no additional cost.
Additional cost and staff time: One staff member travels to get trained and returns to train the rest of the staff.
Thick, complicated manuals for users.
