rSmart Launches rSmart Sakai CLE 2.6 and New Premium Support Package
PHOENIX, AZ. (June 3, 2009) -- rSmart, the leading provider of support for open source applications in education, today announces the availability of the rSmart Sakai CLE 2.6. This represents the newest version of the industry’s first and only commercial distribution of the open source Sakai Collaboration and Learning Environment (CLE). In conjunction with today’s release the company announces the availability of its new Premium Support offering for Sakai to provide even higher levels of client support.
The rSmart Sakai CLE is the company’s fully packaged, tested and supported distribution of the Sakai software. Similar to the way RedHat™ distributes and supports the Linux™ operating system, rSmart distributes and supports Sakai. In an environment where the dominant LMS provider endeavors to limit choice in the market, an open source solution like Sakai represents a great option that cannot be purchased or litigated away. rSmart’s solution of combining the freedom and flexibility of an open source platform with the support of an accountable commercial partner provides the market with an open, robust alternative to Blackboard™.
The rSmart Sakai CLE provides a feature-rich, fully scalable, enterprise ready software platform that is unique in its ability to support teaching and learning, project collaboration, group interaction and ePortfolios. Version 2.6 adds a powerful course evaluation tool, seamless integration with virtual classroom technology, Web 2.0-style collaboration features, and new configuration capabilities that make Sakai the best multi-purpose platform for academic computing. Instead of buying a community system, content system, course system, and portfolio system separately from the same provider, the rSmart Sakai CLE 2.6 provides all of these capabilities in one platform, with no license fees, and with multiple cost-effective support options.
“With Blackboard’s recent acquisition of ANGEL™ Learning, more institutions are seeking the safety and stability of open source knowing that Sakai cannot be acquired or otherwise disrupted,” stated Chris Coppola, president of rSmart. “And because support for Sakai is decoupled from the software, organizations have choices in terms of how to support Sakai. rSmart provides its customers a proven, cost-effective choice for supporting Sakai.”
With over 40 educational institutions using rSmart Sakai CLE as the basis of their eLearning, ePortfolio, and online collaboration activities, rSmart is helping grow the number of Sakai users worldwide. Sakai, in use at more than 200 institutions globally, can be easily adopted by institutions with few to no IT resources through rSmart’s packaging, hosting and support services.
“The Rhode Island K-12 community uses the rSmart Sakai CLE to support classroom instruction including the assessment portfolios required for high school graduation, professional development for faculty, curriculum development, and extended learning opportunities for our students,” said Steven Foehr, Director of Application Services, Rhode Island Network for Educational Technology (RINET). “Helping us connect the dots from curriculum development through assessment, the rSmart Sakai CLE is quickly becoming a suite of tools we can no longer do without and an outstanding alternative to proprietary systems.”
As part of the CLE 2.6 release, rSmart is introducing its new Premium Support package. Premium Support subscribers receive: unlimited 24/7 technical and functional support; new “concierge-style” support follow-up; support for test, development and production instances of rSmart Sakai CLE; integration of the Icodeon™ SCORM player, Sferyx™ equation editor, and Pentaho open source business intelligence and reporting suite; as well as rSmart’s new Beta Tool Support Program to provide support for cutting-edge Sakai tools as they evolve.
The rSmart Sakai CLE 2.6 is available for hosted or on-site deployments immediately. To experience rSmart Sakai CLE 2.6, please visit http://mysakai.rsmart.com to sign up for a free account or download a full, easy-to-install version directly from rSmart’s website.
rSmart is the leading open source application software company serving the education market. rSmart packages, certifies, deploys, and supports a suite of enterprise financial, collaboration and learning applications for colleges, universities, and organizations serving grades K–12. As an active member of open source projects like Kuali and Sakai, rSmart is able to provide its clients with software applications specifically designed to meet the unique needs of educational institutions. This collaborative approach allows rSmart to offer open source applications that break the dependence of educational institutions on traditional proprietary software vendors.
Please visit www.rsmart.com for more information.
The Sakai Project is a venture to create a comprehensive open-source course management, ePortfolio, group collaboration and online research environment for the education community. Started in 2004 through a collaboration between the University of Michigan, Indiana University, Stanford and MIT, the project is now run by the Sakai Foundation and comprised of hundreds of institutions representing universities, colleges and learning organizations around the world.
Please visit www.sakaiproject.org for more information.
*Redhat, Linux, Blackboard, ANGEL, Icodeon, and Sferyx are all trademarks of their respective owners.
