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Introduction

Leading businesses and organisations realise that their greatest assets are the quality of their people and their intellectual capital. Ongoing training of their human resources is therefore essential to maintain their competitive edge, and is also strongly supported by the South African Skills Development Act, encouraging employers and organisations to invest in the development of their human capital, and claim back up to 70% of their training costs.

“Traditional” training, however, involves attending courses, workshops, seminars and conferences, taking time away from the office or workplace. This carries obvious financial and time-loss implications for the independent professional and/or employer. The AOSIS e-learning solution empowers employers and organisations to deliver stand-alone distance learning, or blended learning, through the application of the most modern online learning technology. Employees can now have 24/7 access to online training in a secure virtual environment, at a fraction of the cost of traditional modes of learning.

AOSIS has carefully developed specialist expertise in the field of e-learning and the application of the online open source learning content management system (LCMS) known as Moodle®. AOSIS was selected as the first South African, and indeed first African Moodle® Partner in September 2006. Responding to the ongoing needs of our customers, we provide value-added services to the standard Moodle® system – we call this service “ituta” (derived from “ithuta”, the Sepedi word for “to learn”). AOSIS adds value through: secure hosting, product training, system maintenance to run trouble free, further development and customisation, technical support, and e-learning course design.

The purpose of the AOSIS ituta e-learning service is to enable the client to deliver Internet mediated learning (initial training and ongoing learning) services to its learners on a dedicated website preferably hosted by AOSIS. This website can be linked to any specified website (e.g. the client company website) with a seamless interface. With the assistance of AOSIS the client will be able to develop and maintain its own courses and trainee database, and generate reports as needed.

Remember, Moodle®, being open source software, is provided “as is”, no warranties are expressed or implied and there are no guarantee, of any kind, regarding the use or usefulness of the software.

A. e-Learning Consultation

Many clients have difficulty with the transition from traditional/contact learning to e-learning or a combination of e-learning with contact learning (blended approach) using a Learning Management System (LMS), or don't know where to start to make this transition. We can apply our expert knowledge to your advantage and give advice through a consultation service. Some of the things you may want to know:

What can Moodle® can offer?

What needs to be done to make the transition to e-learning in pure or blended format.

Which Moodle® third party plug-ins can add additional functionality and/or integration with other opensource e-learning software, to meet your needs.

Advice on instructional design, content development and multimedia enhancements for your Moodle® site.

If required, access to a test website for a trial period to view Moodle® and play around in it for a real time Moodle® experience.

Cost: On an hourly basis per quotation.

B. Instructional design and multimedia expert services

The correct LMS is only the foundation for a successful e-learning project. The rest consist of the value of the learning content and visual effects that are deployed via the powerful LMS! It is vital that all content be customized and delivered to the learner in an easy understandable and visually attractive manner. This ensures effective and efficient learning. We can bring together Instructional Designers, Content Developers and Multimedia experts to bring your content alive in the virtual world!

Cost: On an hourly basis per quotation.

C. Installation and Setup Options

Moodle can be installed on a wide variety of server platforms, from a dedicated server in-house, through off-site dedicated servers, virtual servers and web space hosting. Your operational requirements will determine which route is the best to follow.

We can advise on suitable hosting, and then install and set up Moodle for you. You can then start adding content and building your courses. We normally would like to provide the hosting service for you.
We recommend and specialise in Linux-based server solutions, but can also install Moodle on Microsoft Windows servers, under Apache (recommended) or Microsoft IIS.
We prefer to install with MySQL as our major supported database.
We can install Moodle for you in existing webspace (subject to certain disk space and database requirements being met), or arrange the whole project, starting with choosing a suitable host and acquiring an Internet Domain name.

Please note that remote installation requires the client to provide remote access to the server and a suitable user ID that allows us to perform the system functions that the installation requires (such as installation of services, creation of databases and so on).

We offer 3 installation and setup options.

Option	Notes
1. BASIC Adapting an existing Moodle® theme	We will adapt an existing Moodle® theme (found on moodle.org) to incorporate your branding and logo, your preferred font and colour preferences. Allow approximately 5 working days turnaround.
2. CUSTOM New theme to match your existing site	Inspired by your existing corporate website, we will design a Moodle® theme that will make the transition from one site to another smooth and pleasurable. We also provide a theme bug warranty for one year. Allow approximately 10 working days turnaround.
3. SUPER A custom Moodle® theme from scratch	You give us your vision of your Moodle® site and we will design it for you, within the constraints of the Moodle Turnaround depend on specifications.

D. Moodle® Hosting Options

We Offer 2 main hosting options for Moodle:

AOSIS Hosting
Client Hosting

- AOSIS Hosting

We normally prefer to provide the hosting service to our clients as we believe it provides the best solution in terms of security, ongoing operation and learner access. Our Moodle® hosting is based in purpose-built data-centres,with multiple redundant network links, emergency power supplies, 24-hour security and monitoring. We use a number of high-specification resilient servers that are especially configured and tuned for Moodle® software and optimised for Moodle®'s web and database requirements. Each hosting plan also includes ongoing security updates which will help to protect your system against unauthorised intrusions and hacking, as well as a specified number of hours front-end support via-email, and one Moodle® version upgrade per year.

We strongly recommend and specialise in Linux-based server solutions. We use the latest stable software for security and services. Automatic monitoring is in place for both intrusion and general maintenance, with automated notification for any events. Physical access to systems is controlled at the hosting centre, which includes environmental control and diesel-backed uninterrupted power supplies. Administrative control of the machines is limited to our technical staff, who only use encrypted access over the network. Virus scanning and spam filtering is integrated into our email services, with real-time checking.

AOSIS servers in South Africa are hosted on the MTN Business backbone, and make use of a distributed server architecture tuned for optimum performance. Disk space, processors and memory are constantly being monitored and revised as necessary to ensure always-on availability to sites. Bandwidth provided by MTN Business is via a 100 megabit redundant fibre-optic line (uncapped). The hard drives are running on Raid-1, providing redundancy and mirroring.

To ensure the smooth running of our Moodle® systems, we usually do not host more than 10 Moodle® systems on a single server. This number might be much less depending on the size of the installations and bandwidth needs.

(a) AOSIS physical hosting locations

Hosting in South Africa, which is best when your main user group is in South Africa

Hosting in Germany, which is best if your main user group is in Europe or North America, or if you havevery high bandwidth needs.

(b) Each AOSIS hosting plan includes the following

A set amount of storage space (determined by plan)
A set amount of Bandwidth (unused bandwidth cannot be rolled over to the next month)
Nightly Backups
Rolling Backups (7 Days) For Emergency Roll Backs
99.9% Uptime Guarantee
100Mbit Uncapped Network Connectivity 24 Hours a Day
Servers Use RAID-1 Disk Redundancy
Data centre is equipped with 24/7 surveillance and fire suppression
Battery Backups and Diesel Generator ready for power outages
POP and IMAP Mailboxes Available At Any Time
Webmail Accessibility on Mailboxes
Alias Available At Any Time Per Mailbox
Auto-Responder, Spam filtering and Anti-virus checking on mailboxes
Ongoing security updates which will help to protect your system against unauthorised intrusions and hacking.
A set amount of help desk support via-email ticketing system (unused support time cannot be rolled over to the next month).
One Standard Moodle® version upgrade per year. Note that customisation transfer is not included and will be done at an additional cost.
A unique URL (e.g. http://your-website-name.co.za).

Each hosting plan is specifically tailored to meet the needs of a particular client and Moodle® installation(s), reserving capacity on our servers, bandwidth and support resources. Exceeding the enabled user limits set for a particular hosting and guarantee plan encroaches on the capacity reserved for other clients and therefore an automatic level upgrade mechanism is in place to ensure that all clients get a fair deal.
As soon as the enabled user level threshold or the allowed server space of the current hosting plan is exceeded for a period of two consecutive months, or the allowed number of websites per plan is exceeded,you will automatically be upgraded to the next hosting level. Downgrading once again takes place if only if the enabled user level was lower than the allowed level for two consecutive months.
An enabled user is defined as a user who has been registered on the system, and who has full access to the system (can log-in). The client can enable/disable users.
Help-desk support is via email ticket system only. Tickets will be responded to as soon as possible on a first-come first served basis and response time will depend on operational circumstances. For priority support clients are advised to purchase a support contract.

(e) Summary of AOSIS hosting plans

Plan	Enabled Users	Storage	Bandwidth	Help Desk support via email per month	Start-up Training
Icebreaker	Up to 100 users	1,000 MB	500 MB	1 hour	-
Level I	Up to 500 users	10,000 MB	750 MB	2 hours	-
Level II	Up to 1,000 users	20,000 MB	1,500 MB	3 hours	-
Level III	Up to 3,000 users	30,000 MB	2,500 MB	4 hours	One session for 3 people
Level IV	Up to 10,000 users	60,000 MB	7,500 MB	8 hours	Two sessions for 6 people
Level V	Special requirements	Negotiable	Negotiable	Negotiable	Negotiable

- Client Hosting

Before considering hosting on your own infrastructure, consider the following risks:

Performance of your Moodle system will heavily depend on the load of your server. If you have many other software systems running on a particular server it may be best to install your Moodle on a dedicated server.
Your Moodle system will need ongoing bug fixing, security patching and version upgrades; otherwise your system will be exposed to serious security risks.
You will need to make provision for regular backups of your system and database, and disaster recovery measures.
Server operating system and other software updates may affect the operation of your Moodle system. Your

IT department may update your IT systems without knowing what the effect on Moodle might be. In the event that operational circumstances dictate that hosting is done internally by your own IT department on your own infrastructure AOSIS can still give support for the smooth running of your Moodle® software, which includes bug fixing and ongoing security updates, and of course the customisation of the Moodle® software.

The following terms will normally apply (negotiable):

AOSIS must have sufficient and fast enough remote access (e.g. via SSH) and ID to manage files on the server.
AOSIS will not be responsible for server operating system level administration and client's IT department will manage the servers (updates, backups, maintenance)
Server must preferably be used exclusively for the Moodle® website (for performance security and stability reasons), or suitable virtual server on server with low load.
Server must be pre-installed with specified packages as indicated by AOSIS.
Server settings must be according to AOSIS specifications.

E. Technical Support and Development Options

Although Moodle® is very reliable software, it is a complex system, and can pose challenges and/or non-expert users may need support. You may also require certain adaptations to make the system more useful to your
organisation.

The following are some examples of things we can help with:

You encounter problems with Moodle® not doing what it is supposed to do, or perhaps it has simply stopped working.
You are uncertain about the best way to perform a task or how to achieve a certain result
You want to create custom reports
You want to speed up the performance of your Moodle® site
You may need Moodle® to interact with other software.
You want to change the look and feel of the system to better match your other sites or organisational style
You need specialists to assist with the creation of e-learning courses (you provide the content, we create the course)
You need help with the setting up of courses or assessments (quizzes) on your Moodle® site
You may need third party plug-in functionality. Please click here to view the additional plug-ins we can possibly install on your Moodle® site.

Whatever the problem, as long as it is Moodle® or e-learning related, we will be happy to assist.

1. Support as you need it (non-contract)

If you prefer not to have a support and development contract, and you have a problem with your Moodle® site or you want to make changes to your system, we can still provide support and development, at our standard hourly rate.
You may need to provide us with remote-access details to your Moodle® site if it is not hosted by us.
We will try to respond as quickly as possible to a help request, but cannot guarantee a response time as it depends on the prevailing workload, especially with our support contract holders having a higher priority.
If it is possible to give a time estimate for the job, after an examination of the request, then we will do so.
However we may run over, depending on the problem, the circumstances of your hosting, the nature of your Moodle® installation and other factors.
AOSIS requires full payment of time estimates before work will commence.
Minimum fee per job (2 hours)
Travel expenses will be calculated at client cost - Travel time at hourly rate plus kilometers/air transport costs

*Note: These rates and terms can be modified at any time at the sole discretion of AOSIS

2. Technical Support and Development contracts

AOSIS offers pre-paid or monthly support contracts to give you the peace of mind of readily support available when needed. Support and development service contract hours can be purchased at a discounted rate in bundles (pre-paid), or at a fixed monthly fee if cash flow is more important than price.
The support contract involves problem notification by email ticket or by phone (after which an email ticket will be created).
Support contract holders receive priority attention, and can expect a response within one 4 working hours.
Support is provided within the working hours of 08:00 - 16:30, Monday to Friday. After hours emergency service is available for critical repairs at the discretion of our technical manager.
Time can also be used for development of new functionality, customisation, content upload or plug-in deployments.
Support and development times cannot be guaranteed, as there is not always possible to know in advance what the problem is, and it may require a period of investigation and/or consultation with the core Moodle® development team before the right course of action can be ascertained.
Support and development hours are recorded in increments of 15 minutes, and rounded off to the next half hour.

(a) Pre-paid Bundles

Buy pre-paid bundles in advance at a 10% discounted rate and use until depleted. Please note that pre-paid hours purchased expire 12 months after the date of purchase. Can be topped up at any time with additional bundles.

(b) Monthly support and development contract: @ 5% discounted rate

Package	Package Hours per annum	Newly available hours per month*
1	24	2
2	48	4
3	96	8
4	120	10
5	180	15
6	240	20

* Unused hours will be rolled over to the next month, but all unused hours will expire at the end of each 12 month period.

F. Moodle® Training Options

Customised training

Customised Moodle® training for learners, teachers and administrators are available and costs are available on request. Training can take place at the premises provided by the customer and will normally be for groups no larger
than 5 learners per trainer. Depending on your needs, we generally prefer to do “hands on” practical training requiring one computer station per trainee with Internet access. Training sessions can be arranged according to the specific needs of the client.

Moodle® Course Creator Certificate
The Moodle® Course Creator Certificate, or MCCC, is a way for someone to demonstrate his/her skills in using Moodle® as a teacher. The assessment contains a course project, a short narrative document, and an online exam. The learner will be assigned an MCCC-certified mentor-assessor to help guide him/her through this process. When the learner pass the certification a personalised official Moodle® certificate is issued. The certification process is administered world-wide by Moodle® Partners, and AOSIS is certified to provide the MCCC in South Africa.

Structure:

Description	Time Duration	Additional costs
Moodle® Learner	1 session of 3-4 hours each	Travel and accommodation
Moodle® Course Creator & Basic Administrator	2 sessions of 3-4 hours each	Travel and accommodation
The Moodle® Course Creator Certificate (MCCC) allows you to demonstrate your knowledge and skills using Moodle®, and is supported globally by the network of Moodle® Partners.	12 weeks distance learning	We strongly recommend learners to do the Moodle® Course Creator & Basic Administrator course as preparation for the MCCC

G. General terms and conditions applicable to ituta contracts

Backups: AOSIS hosted client backups are made daily by our Hosting Provider, by means of automatic systems. These are kept for two weeks, and rotated as such. These backups are for critical “roll back” and cannot be used frequently to restore minor issues. This gives us the option to roll back any client’s site/database to any day in the previous 14 days. Hard drives in our servers are made redundant by means of RAID 1, meaning that a second drive is always being mirrored off the first. A hard drive failure in one ofour servers will not bring the server and subsequently client sites down. Additionally, when working with client sites or databases, we make our own manual backups prior to the process. This ensures that anything can be rolled back in case of unforeseen issues while applying updates etc.

No number of backup procedures will ever be enough, and safer will always be better. Therefore, we recommend that our clients not only rely on our tested and trusted systems, but also keep backups themselves. Elements like “courses” etc. can be backed up from the front ends of our sites (by admin enabled users), giving clients the freedom to backup their data whenever they feel obligated to do so. This also enables clients to keep ‘state backups’ and roll-back should user error or misunderstandings occur within organizations. While this is not mandatory, it is definitely recommended.
Copyright: All program code and trademarks relating to the application software, where applicable, will remain the property of AOSIS, and all course content will remain the property of the client. All program code developed for CLIENT, and trademarks related or associated with the application software and to which AOSIS is entitled, as and when supplied to CLIENT, will remain the exclusive intellectual property of AOSIS. As such, AOSIS may re-use and resultant intellectual property for the benefit of any other client or otherwise.
Client to provide at own cost all corporate graphics, colour schemes, and logos for customised templates.
Versions: New clients will receive the most current stable version of the LCMS. All LCMS upgrades to newer versions will be to the latest most stable version of the LCMS, which may not be the latest release.
New development and version upgrades: AOSIS endeavour to undertake all new developments to add functionality, or modify the way Moodle® works, in a modular architecture. This is to make version upgrades easier. The client must, however, note that any client requested code modifications may affect future version upgrade ability and the transfer of such non-standard features to the new version will be done against purchased development time and may therefore add cost to such version upgrades.
Date of activation: The site will be declared operational by the technical manager of AOSIS, which date will become the formal date of activation and the start of the first term of the hosting & guarantee contract.
Term of agreement: The contracts are for 12 months from date of activation of LCMS. AOSIS will notify client 2 months before expiry of contract of new terms and client must notify AOSIS at least 30 days before expiry of decision NOT to renew contract. Failure to notify AOSIS of termination in the prescribed period will automatically renew the agreement for another 12 month period.
Revision of fees structure: AOSIS reserves the right to review and implement revised fees on an annual basis with due notice to the client.
Terms of payment: Set-up and training costs are payable in advance for commissioning of work. Hosting fees will start on the date of activation. Hosting fees are invoiced one month in advance, and is payable before the end of the month in which the service is rendered. All amounts are due 30 days from the date of tax invoice.
Site visits: In the rare event that a site visit is required to resolve a client's problem, or to provide training or provide consultation services, the client will be responsible for travelling time and costs, and subsistence cost of AOSIS staff.
Training: Course fees at AOSIS venues will include refreshments and light meals. Learners are responsible for own transport, lodging and subsistence costs. Learners must provide own PC and internet connectivity unless arranged otherwise with AOSIS. Payment of course fees are required 7 days in advance to secure booking.
VAT: All costs in this document refer to South African Rand [ZAR] and exclude South African Value Added Tax (VAT)
International banking costs: International clients must pay all banking costs relating to transfer of funds to AOSIS' bank account. No international cheques are accepted.
Orders: All contracts are initiated on the receipt of a signed order and order number (where applicable), and will be subject to our standard service purchase terms and conditions.

Site:	www.ituta.net
Course:	www.ituta.net
Book:	Ituta Service Offering
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Date:	Friday, 3 September 2010, 10:38 AM