Publication Date: October 14, 2004

Author: General Manager, FSA Application, School Eligibility and Delivery Services

Summary: Beta Testers Needed for EDExpress for Windows 2005-2006, Release 1.0

Posted on 10-14-2004

TO:          All Destination Points
FROM:   U.S. Department of Education
RE:          Beta Testers Needed for EDExpress for Windows 2005-2006, Release 1.0

The US Department of Education is recruiting schools and servicers for participation in the beta test of EDExpress for Windows 2005-2006, Release 1.0. We are seeking schools and servicers to test the Packaging module and Global functionality (specifically the Document Tracking and User Database functionality).

Beta test participants download an in-development version of the EDExpress software and the test documentation from an FTP site, replicate typical usage of the software in a mock-production environment, report any problems encountered, and submit a summary report detailing test findings and software suggestions for our analysis.

The Release 1.0 beta test will run from November 8 to November 12, 2004. To participate in the test you must be a regular user of the Packaging module and/or a regular user of the Document Tracking and User Database Global EDExpress features.

If you are interested in being considered as a beta test site, please send an e-mail to CPSSAIG@ed.gov no later than October 24, 2004 with the subject line "Attention: EDExpress Release 1.0 Beta Test." In your e-mail, please provide the following information:

1) School name and address
2) School type (4-year public university, 2-year private college, proprietary/trade school, etc.)
3) Primary and secondary testing contact names, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses
4) TG# identifier
5) Windows operating system version(s) and EDExpress installation environment (network/standalone)
6) Network type and version (if applicable)
7) EDExpress modules/features/tools you currently use in your office (please provide specific details, such as Document Tracking, Packaging External Add Imports, User Database, etc.)
8) EDExpress functionality you would like to beta test (Packaging module, Document Tracking, User Database)
9) Do you use EDExpress in combination with your mainframe or 3rd party software? If so, what type of mainframe system and/or 3rd Party software do you use?
10) FTP download capability (i.e. can you upload/download files from an FTP server?)
11) Number of student records processed using Document Tracking and/or Packaging module functionality in EDExpress for Windows 2004-2005

Participants with a wide variety of processing environments will be selected to ensure the most diverse and thorough testing of the software is performed.

We will send an e-mail to all interested schools by October 25, 2004. If your school is selected, further information will be provided at that time.

We thank you for your interest in helping make EDExpress for Windows 2005-2006 a superior software product. We look forward to hearing from you.