Groupcall Xporter

Xporter is a data extraction and automated messaging system, which, within the education sector, enables authorities to remotely, automatically and securely collect data from schools. The system allows the authority to define what data it collects and how frequently. Xporter runs in each school to automatically extract the required information from the school's management system and transfer it securely and in a uniform format to the authority. Xporter is being in use in more than 3500 schools across more than 40 authorities.

Xporter can also integrate with Messenger to select data and send messages as appropriate as, say, reminders for appointments. This makes it attractive for applications outside the education sector.

Any organisation which has a requirement to extract information from multiple data sets and have it reported it in a uniform format or have the ability to send messages to contacts held within those databases will benefit from Xporter.

Xporter can integrate with any database and "message-enable" it. This means, for example, appointments databases can be monitored and reminders automatically sent by text or voice message a day before an appointment is due.

Who's Using Xporter?

Xporter is increasingly used in the public sector as an authority-wide solution for the secure and automated collection and transfer of data.

The system allows the authority to define exactly what data is collected and how frequently. It runs alongside each designated database to automatically extract the required information and transfer it securely and in a uniform format to the authority. Xporter is widely used by education authorities, for example, to routinely and automatically extract pupil attendance data and other information from schools for migration into the authority's Central Pupil Database.

Xporter's Messaging capability is also being used within the public sector, providing housing departments with the opportunity to send automated reminders to tenants of refurbishment and repair appointments and by GP surgeries as an automated appointment reminders system.

Technical Overview

Xporter is a windows-based application which is installed alongside each database performing tasks that are easily set up by the user in a "definition file". Installation is very simple, taking just a matter of minutes and, once running, the system requires little intervention or support.

Users can edit definition files, enabling them to identify or change the information they require, the frequency of reporting and where the system should deliver the data. Definition files can be replaced without stopping Xporter, which automatically detects that the definition file has been changed and reloads it.

Data can be retrieved in a number of formats, including MAPI email; SMTP email; copied to a directory (such as a corporate network or WAN), or through secure data transfer software such as AnyComms from AVCO.

Data can be accessed in a number of ways. Users of Integris, Phoenix, CMIS or SIMS (Dbase or SIMS.NET) can access data using a standard SQL select statement. Groupcall provides starter files which cover most local authority requirements and can help with future changes if there is nobody within the authority familiar with SQL queries.

There are also enhanced features of Xporter that make it more powerful when used with SIMS.NET. The authority can define the data they want in a SIMS.NET report which is then exported. The Xporter installs the SIMS.NET report automatically in the school system when it runs. The reports can contain any data items (including attendance) and filters. Xporter will run the report and extract the specified data, which can then be delivered to the authority in XML or CSV format in the usual way. Groupcall is a technical partner with Capita for SIMS.