ETEC 522 – May 2012

Venture Analysis of SchoolManager

Analyzing SchoolManager

1. Credibility and Management – The absence of the presenter’s picture as well as the complete absence of the product developer reduces the credibility of this pitch.  The presenter does ot seem personally connected to the product.  The producers experience is significant but no information regarding an organized team is presented.  With the predicted target market size, I would think a team of at least three is needed to properly promote and manage the marketing and support aspects needed.
2. Idea – This is an excellent idea to mash the LMS and SMS systems.  Anytime the number of platforms used in a work setting can be reduced, time management will be improved.  Providing this in a cloud format is attractive because professional support should be available and server demand is reduced, although security of student/teacher information may be an issue.
3. Opportunity – Research into market size and demand is clear although some of the numbers seem broad and generalized and may not be reflective for this particular product.  The anticipated first year of income is significant but no concrete evidence is given to support this prediction.  The innovative advantage of combining two large educational software platforms into one provides a significant competitive edge.
4. Plan – Although this pitch lacks a clear marketing plan, evidence of research for market demand, market size and annual income provide a credible picture.  The pitch also lacks the information needed to determine if the product is competitive with what is already available.  Because both LMS and SMS have robust Open Source products available, the software would need to be provided at or below cost.  This means income is solely generated through hosting and professional services.

This seems to be an attractive product that could have significant demand.  Before investing, however, I would like a few more details on the software itself (user friendly, aesthetically appealing, efficient, etc.) as well as testimonials from a few realistic implementations.

Tim