Company History

Background in Education
The initial entry of Bromcom into the education market was through the 1988 Education Act where schools had been delegated local management and hence required their own "administration system".

By the early 1990s, local authorities up and down the UK had chosen Bromcom's solutions for use within their schools administration computers. This totalled over 1,500 schools nationwide.

In the North - The Metropolitan Boroughs of: Trafford, Stockport, Walsall, The City of Salford, and Warwickshire County Council.

Bromcom, Pioneers in the Education Market
The current market position that Bromcom is pioneering is the change in regulations which emphasises the strict recording and monitoring of attendance grades, assessment and global performance recording in schools and colleges. Furthermore, the significance the government has associated with the effectiveness of schools and teaching, as well as combating truancy, is fuelling the level of interest in computerisation of attendance and other paper based recording in schools. One change in particular almost necessitates it. This is the requirement that every school in the country has to provide the DFEE (Department For Education & Employment) attendance statistics for publication.

For the college central funding body - the FEFC (Further Education Funding Council), attendance statistics are required to support funding requirements by colleges. Similar efficiency drive in colleges has attracted them to Bromcom's unique solution. Now 6th Form, Tertiary and F.E. Colleges are prominent users.

Bromcom's fast growth
Since the launch of EARS (Electronic Attendance Registration System) in 1993 Bromcom the system has been used in 90% of Local Education Authorities. The Bromcom System, in comparison to other potential attendance and assessment recording methods, has proved so attractive that a great number of requests are being received continuously from schools and colleges for demonstrations of its performance.

In January 1994 the wNET/ ears system won the Gold Award for Educational Technology at the prestigious British Educational Technology and Training Exhibition at Olympia in London, awarded by the Minister of Education the Rt. Hon Eric Forth.

In 1996 Bromcom enhanced wNET/ ears to include a number of new features - primarily Electronic GradeBook and Two Way Link to SIMS Software.

In 1998 Bromcom launched a new range of their computer folders with a larger LCD screen and full PC-style QWERTY keyboard. The new range includes the Pro-PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), which can be upgraded to the new Mini-Laptop.

In 1999 Bromcom doubled their turnover from the previous year and has relocated to new, larger premises with the objective of quadrupling Bromcom's capacity.

In 2000 Bromcom launched the Bromcom e-School adapting e-commerce technology to schools. e-School brings automated online Internet-based data management of pupils across the school, to LEA/EAZs, to parents and to teachers working from home on their PC over the Internet.

In June 2000 Bromcom launched the world's first ever 'Parents Portal' which enables schools to allow parents via the Internet, to access their child's real-time data such as attendance, lateness, grades, behaviour and homework. The portal, appropriately named MyChildAtSchool.com, was trialled in Islington LEA by Holloway Boy's School with an unprecedented amount of positive feedback from parents, teachers and the pupils themselves.

By the end of 2000, Bromcom doubled their turnover for the third year running and launched the PC-1340 PC Card to enable Windows-based laptops and handhelds to perform registration via the wNET network. The associated WinFolder software now joined the well-established java-based jNET/jFolder as part of the company's multi-network software line.

In early 2001, Bromcom launched its next generation registration computer folder, the SmartPDA. With an enlarged screen and a full laptop-style keyboard, the SmartPDA is the same size as the miniPDA and also includes the ability to read contactless Smart Cards.

In 2001, Bromcom received The Queen's Award for Enterprise: Innovation. The announcement was made on the occasion of The Queen's 75th birthday. This prestigious award is made in recognition of our innovation and sustained development in the education market.

Bromcom also became the UK's first education company to adapt Microsoft .NET based technology platform in 2001. By using latest Internet technology, Microsoft .NET brought easier integration and hence communication between the schools and LEA's and parents. Bromcom achieved a ranking in ARM Tech Track 100.

In 2002, Similarly Bromcom adapted IEEE802.11 wireless networking as an all-embracing standard for its range of hand-held products. A new hand-held computer folder, xPDA/802 was launched in the Summer Term 2002 featuring industry standard IEEE 802.11 wireless capability. Bromcom continued to win awards including semi-finalist position in The Entrepreneur of the Year award.

In 2003, Bromcom launched the modern teacher's mark book, e-Markbook. This is an automatic and electronic tool integrating with the school's existing MIS system. Bromcom achieved a position in the "Hot 100 Growth Businesses".

In 2004, Bromcom proudly announced the launch of e-School MIS which is based on proven browser platform developed on Microsoft .NET technology since 2001.

Bromcom MIS differs from all competitors by the fact that its modules and components were designed from the outset to be 'teacher-centric' in purpose and operation.

Bromcom e-School MIS is undoubtedly the soundest product of its type. All data entry is 'teacher-centric' and is input at the point of impact, usually in the classroom. This removes the bottleneck and burden of keying data into the MIS system and combines 'data capture' with 'data entry' at source. With its browser interface the system also removes barriers of access to data (subject to password security privileges) for staff in the school or even at home.

Entering a new decade, 2010 sees Bromcom continuing to provide innovative, reliable software specifically for schools and colleges. Bromcom MIS, Parent Portal MyChildAtSchool.com and new Teacher's WebFolder have swept schools away with their intuitive interfaces and the wealth of information made available to staff and parents.

At BETT 2010 Bromcom launched Teacher's WebFolder - a brand new, cost effective, teachers' one-stop shop to record and access student data - through a browser. Compatible with laptops, PCs and iPads as well as mobile devices and smartphones such as the iPhone and iPod touch.