Sahel EDU

Online or installed software: five criteria that matter for a school

Installed software runs on a school computer, with data kept on that computer; online software opens in a browser, with data kept by the publisher. Neither is better in itself: the right choice depends on the quality of the connection, the devices available and who makes the backups. This page compares the two on five concrete criteria, including network outages, which many schools live with every week.

Two ways to run software

Installed software is bought or downloaded once, then set up on one or more computers. The data stays on those machines, or on a small server inside the school. Online software, often called SaaS (software offered as a service), is used in a browser: the program and the data sit with the publisher or its host, and the school signs in with an account.

Between the two there are mixed formulas: an installed program that synchronises from time to time, or an online site that keeps part of the entries on the device when the network is down. So ask each publisher what works without a network, rather than trusting a label.

Installed on a single computer: simple, but only one person can work on it at a time.
Installed on a local network: several computers under one roof, with a server to look after.
Online: reachable from anywhere there is a connection, with nothing to install.
Mixed: an online site that keeps some entries on the device during an outage.

Backups: who makes them, and where?

With installed software, the backup is the school’s own business. It means a regular copy on another medium, kept somewhere other than the same room, and tested from time to time. This is the most common weak point: the copy rarely exists on the day the computer breaks down.

With online software, the publisher makes the backup, but it still needs checking. Ask the following questions before choosing.

How often is the data backed up?
Are the copies encrypted and kept somewhere other than the main server?
Is restoring tested, or only planned?
Can you retrieve all your data yourself, in a readable format?

Access: one computer or every phone

Installed software is used where it is installed: in the school office, for example. The deputy head at home, the bursar on the road or a teacher in the yard cannot reach it without extra steps. Online software opens from any connected device, which matters when most of the staff only have an entry-level Android phone.

The other side is dependence on the network, covered below, and the weight of the pages: good online software has to stay light enough to display on a slow connection.

How many people need to reach the data, and from where?
Does the staff have a computer, or only a phone?
Do parents need to see anything?

Updates, support and subscription

Installed software is updated computer by computer, whenever someone remembers: two machines end up running two versions, and a new rule (a calendar, a grading scale) only arrives if the school installs it. Online software is updated by the publisher, for everyone at once, with no work for the school.

In return, a subscription that is not renewed can limit access. Read the terms: what happens to your access to your data if you stop paying, and can you export it?

When the network drops

This is the deciding criterion in Central Africa. Installed software keeps working without a connection; purely online software stops. Between the two, deferred entry keeps what you type on the device and sends it when the network returns.

Deferred entry is not possible for everything. Ask the publisher, screen by screen, what is kept and what needs a connection. Taking a payment or printing a report card, for example, almost always requires being connected.

Register and absences: entry can be done without a network if the publisher keeps it on the device.
Marks: the same principle, with proof of saving when the connection returns.
Viewing: re-reading pages already seen can help, but not for new data.
Payments, report cards, documents: a connection is generally needed.

What Sahel EDU does

Sahel EDU is online software: it is used in the browser of the phone or computer, with nothing to install, and can be added to the home screen like an app; it is not an app from the app stores. Updates are made by the publisher, for all schools. The data is encrypted, kept separate for each school and backed up every hour, with proof of restoration every night; it belongs to the school, which can export it.

For outages, the register and mark entry are kept on the phone when the network drops and are sent on their own when the connection returns; some pages already viewed can be re-read for seven days. By contrast, collecting school fees, report cards and most screens need the connection. If the subscription is not renewed, access moves through a warning, then view-only mode, then suspension, and the head keeps the export of the school’s data.

Frequently asked questions

Does online software work without internet?

Not entirely: most of its screens need the connection. Some software keeps entries on the device and sends them when the network returns; ask what is covered, screen by screen.

Where is the data of online software kept?

With the publisher or its host. Ask where, with what encryption, how often backups are made and how you can retrieve your data.

Is installed software safer?

It does not depend on a third party, but it depends on you: without a backup copy and a password on every computer, a breakdown, a theft or a virus can take everything.

Do I need to install anything to use Sahel EDU?

No. It opens in the browser and can be added to the phone’s home screen. There is no app in the app stores and no desktop software.

Can I test the school’s network quality before committing?

Yes: the free trial of 30 days, with no commitment, lets you try the register and mark entry under your real connection conditions.

Try Sahel EDU for free

Try Sahel EDU free for 30 days, no commitment. Afterwards, the price is negotiated with your school and confirmed in writing.

Book a private demonstration See pricing How the trial works