Making Connections

Facebook is all the rage these days, so we have setup a few Pages so you can access this blog and create some conversations there as well.  So, if you use Facebook and want to become a fan, head over to the Pages!

• isee systems Facebook Page
• STELLA Facebook Page
• iThink Facebook Page

(If Twitter is more of your thing you can follow me at http://twitter.com/jeremyx)

Karim & Rob listening to customers at User Conference Lab

We’ve been working hard these past few months preparing for the latest release of STELLA and iThink and are happy to finally share it with everyone.  Version 9.1.2 is now available!

As an update to STELLA and iThink, you could easily be fooled into thinking that it is made up of just a few minor bug fixes.  To the contrary, this release is full of new features and enhancements that make it much more exciting than its version number suggests.

After receiving wonderful feedback at our User Conference last October, our development team was motivated to incorporate as many suggestions as they could into this particular update. Better yet, version 9.1.2 is a FREE update for anyone who has purchased a software license or an Annual Support Contract within the last 12 months.

A series of in-depth posts about specific features in 9.1.2 already exist and we’ll be adding more in response to your comments in the coming weeks. In addition to providing new functionality, we worked with beta testers on eliminating performance bottlenecks especially with larger models spanning multiple modules.

Version 9.1.2 shows impressive performance. This is a significant step in productivity! — Albert Mauritius, Beta Tester

Check out the complete list of what’s new in version 9.1.2 on our web site or download your copy now.

Welcome to the isee systems blog, “Making Connections”.  We hope you find it a practical resource for learning more about Systems Thinking, applying it to real-world situations, and using our software and training materials.

While we don’t have a set schedule, we post to the blog often. You can automatically get the updates by subscribing  via email  or using a news reader such as Google Reader, NewsGator or FeedDemon.

Most importantly, we want to hear from you. Please give us your feedback, post your comments, and keep us in the loop on what you’re doing and thinking!

I will be presenting a session along with Mark Clemente next week (February 23rd, 2009) at the VSTE 2009 Conference.  The session is called “Practical Applications of Systems Dynamics and STELLA in the High School Setting“.  If you are attending the conference, you can come by Meeting Suite 5A on Monday at 8:30AM to check out the presentation.  We’ll be camped out in the suite for the day chatting with folks and demonstrating STELLA as well.

Last September, Joanne and I attended the Modsim 2008 Conference in Virginia Beach and met Mark.  Mark is a high school chemistry teacher and is currently an Educator-in-Residence at the National Institute of Aerospace.  He is a big part of the Hampton Roads Modeling and Simulation Initiative, which is a group of folks from the education system, government, local businesses and industry that are promoting the use of Modeling and Simulation to create a workforce for the 21st Century.

We’ve been happy to support Mark and the MODSIM initiative this year in their use of STELLA in High School. The presentation will cover how Systems Thinking, STELLA and dynamic modeling can be applied to High School curriculum.  We’ll be handing out a CD with tons of sample models, cirriculum and a 30-day workshop version of STELLA

isee’s consulting and training partner, the Whole Systems Partnership, recently launched the WSP systems modelling learning network . Developed for modelers in health and social care systems, this online network supports folks interested in learning how to use system dynamics modeling in their work.

• Access to models that address issues that may reflect your own
• Ability to share your iThink or STELLA models and get feedback from a wide range of people
• Training modules and online tutorials in specific areas of modeling such as communicating your models, linking model inputs and outputs to an Excel spreadsheet, creating modules and using array features
• A dedicated Network Manager who will respond to SD modeling questions and facilitate discussion between members
• Regular updates relevant to network activity and to support your development

The learning network is a great example of how isee NetSim software can be used to support online learning and sharing of iThink and STELLA models over the web.

To learn more or to register, visit http://www.wspnetsims.com/sd_home.asp or contact Peter Lacey at peter.lacey@thewholesystem.co.uk