Australian designed software, and the only 100 percent Web-based product on the market, is expected to take the pain out of managing the massive research systems of universities.

To be launched tomorrow by the University of Tasmania (UTAS)and high-education software developer Callista, Callista Research V.1.5 is built on an Oracle platform and integrates the management of all the day-to-day operations in one product.

With the support of the Australian Vice Chancellors Committee's Higher Ed Systems (HES), a not-for-profit group which uses the combined purchasing power of Australia's universities to get reduced prices on products, Callista plans to have 50 percent of Australian universities using the software by the end of the year. This equates to a target of 15 universities, with seven having already purchased the program.

However, Callista also intends to peddle the management program overseas.

-The real challenge is not to rely on just the domestic market," Professor Andrew Glenn, Pro Vice Chancellor of UTAS, said. -The real opportunities will be in North America and Europe, then on into Africa and Asia." Whilst the technical aspect of the software is sufficient for overseas sales, the program has to be adapted to foreign legislative and reporting requirements.

To be flogged with a license fee dependent on the size of the customer organisation and with an annual annuity that includes all maintenance and updates, Callista is also adapting the system for non-university higher education providers in Australia.

Callista expects to generate up to AU$3 million in the next two years and UTAS expects returns in the high six figures, which it says will be used to fund further research.

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