CCCApply CollegeNET Proposal 2000

e ci A Proposal To a4 To Provide an Online Admissions Application Service Prepared By August 30 2000 Table of Contents Section Executive 11 Summary 21 Section Vendor Qualificiations 21 Introduction Section 23 Section Advanced Technology Hardware and System Software 31 CollegeNET Answers to RFP Questions from Part B s CollegeNET Universal Forms 31 Engine Technology CollegeNET Security CollegeNET Section Answers to RFP Questions from Part B 41 Service 44 Application Process CollegeNET Answers to Section Pilot RFP Questions from Part B Section Customer 51 Plan Support Proposed Project CollegNET 47 51 Implementation and Support Project 35 41 Software Application Proposed Section 53 Team Answers to RFP Questions from Section Investment Part B Section 54 61 Summary Cost Structure 61 Service Costs 61 CollegeNET Answers to RFP Questions from Part B Section Section References 71 References CollegNET Answers to RFP Questions from Part B Section 72 Section Vendor Addendum CollegeNET 63 August 30 2000 ilk Appendix A CollegeNET Client List Appendix B New Customer Packet Appendix C CollegeNET Standard Contract Appendix D Cardinal Group Report Creating Custom Reports for REsouRcE25 1b Version April 1999 I d Section Executive Summary This section provides an overview of the online admissions application solution CollegeNET is proposing to the California Community College System CCC CollegeNET proposes to deliver an online admissions application service that could be transparently linked to from the CCC application web site from individual college web sites and from non member college web sites as needed CollegeNET would build the common admissions application and additional questions required by particular colleges to CCC specifications including required field and data validation requirements Only CCC and college logos and other identifying information would appear on the application and absolutely no advertising or vendor logos so it could be seamlessly linked to the CCC application web site district sites and nonmember college sites We will also recast any of your application instructions as context sensitive online help Applicants could access the online admissions application from any of these locations the CCC application web site individual college web sites or linked non member college web sites Although the application would live on the CollegeNET server applicants would be unaware that they had left the System college or non member college web site to access complete and submit an application If the applicant accesses the online application from the CCC application web site or from a non member college web site the application presented would include a section where the applicant can select the college to which they re applying When they make their selection the common application and any additional questions specific to the selected college would be presented a customized version of the application for that college If the applicant accesses the online application from a college web site the common application and any additional questions for that college would be presented a customized version of the application for that college but the application would not contain the college selection section Applicant information would be savable This means that an applicant could begin filling out an application in one browser location resume work on it later at another browser location and complete it at yet another browser location Applicant information would be secure The CollegeNET service collects stores and transmits applicant data in a fully secure https environment In addition CollegeNET guarantees absolute data privacy Every individual who begins a California community college online admissions application would be provided with a user account area accessed by a user name and password specified by the applicant Applicants would be able to access their account area at any time to reaccess applications they have in process or to check the status of their submitted applications When an applicant submits a application CollegeNET would validate applicant data and ensure that all required fields had been completed before processing the submission Upon successful submission the application data would be electronically transmitted to the CollegeNET secured server where it would be immediately available to the college to which the applicant is applying CollegeNET August 30 2000 11 Section Executive Summary The admissions application data each college wants to download would be available in encrypted flat files accessed from a secured WWW page This electronic delivery would be customized to conform to the field values and restrictions specified by CCC and the colleges CollegeNET can also provide a secured automated FTP data transfer if preferred An administrative interface is part of the CollegeNET service College personnel responsible for processing online applications would have access to a secured web page from which they could download data view sort print and electronically transfer applications analyze data graphically for example by gender residency and set up automated messaging CollegeNET August 30 2000 12 y Section Vendor Qualifications Introduction CollegeNET is in a unique position to satisfy the online admissions services requirements of the CCC CollegeNET currently delivers online application services similar to those described in this RFP to more than 500 colleges and universities including over 20 of the 200 largest schools in the United States Our clients include large high volume sites such as the University of Washington Virginia Tech the University of Virginia Ohio University Ohio State University the University of Nebraska Northeastern University Howard University Indiana University and many more see Appendix A CollegeNET is the largest most experienced outsource provider of webbased forms processing in higher education We were the first commercial vendor to stage and serve a webbased admissions application for a major university Virginia Tech 1995 CollegeNET has extensive credentials in technical innovation In the area of webbased forms processing we have filed nine patents to date related to innovations in our Universal Forms Engine UFEthe engine on which we stage all forms commerce As opposed to relying on end user development tools such as Cold Fusion we have built our systems from the ground up to provide for scalability and innovative functionality Choosing CollegeNET would allow the CCC to leverage the proven reliability of the UFE and its innovative features 411 The size of CollegeNET s online forms processing business and the technical experience of our staff put us in a unique position to safely and reliably process the expected application filing volumes of the CCC The filing spikes our large clients experience near deadlines are only small humps in the overall volume of filings we process daily Many of the largest schools in the country have chosen us precisely because we have the hardwaresoftware bandwidth and the technical know how to easily handle even their largest transaction volumes The CCC would also benefit from CollegeNET s mature understanding that security and reliability on the web derives from two sources our policies and practices regarding the use and treatment of user data and the dependability of our network architecture and development tools With respect to user data CollegeNET understands that it acts as the legal agent of CCC in processing admissions applications Although FERPA doesn t technically apply to non enrolled student data CollegeNET treats all enduser data in any forms commerce it serves as if FERPA applied We don t present students with vendor check boxes send vendor newsletters or otherwise intervene in the admissions function of the institution to gain access or rights to student data Instead we operate as a conduit similar to a phone company or courier service CollegeNET August 30 2000 21 Section Vendor Qualifications Aik IIP With respect to network reliability CollegeNET makes system software choices based on our preference for open source software We believe the open source strategy adds an important security dimension to our network configuration Open source products such as the Apache server are constantly attended to by thousands of hands from around the world Any hole is quickly patched and patches are readily available for installation By contrast closed source products such as Microsoft s Internet Information Server IIS entail a much slower protocol for any refresh or patching Not only are clients unable to create a patch themselves they must generally wait for the next release of code from the vendor We believe that in the worst case such delays can open an ecommerce operation to undue risk CollegeNET is in a unique position to provide for CCC s future ecommerce needs in many areas First we are able to provide a unique unifying scalable forms commerce environment Because the UFE provides for transparent extensible sharing of common data across multiple forms the CCC or individual colleges could easily stage ancillary forms such as parking or financial aid through our service This would allow you to present a unified web experience for your end users because common data transports automatically from form to form CollegeNET s technology doesn require presentation of a vendor profile to effectuate data sharing common data sharing t is automatic across any forms staged through our UFE Many of our clients like Cornell University Graduate School are taking advantage of our ability to stage multiple forms transparently on their behalf In addition CollegeNET has invented powerful technologies such as HumanForm and ESponse Through the UFE s unique triggering mechanism data entered in the online application could automatically generate transmission of emails or data files to the prospective student to other sectors of the System and or to constituents outside the System Triggering would allow the CCC to automatically tie together workflow and generate notification across colleges to outside constituents whenever that is logically called for based upon field values in submitted applications s financial position is solid and independent Our company enjoys strong cash flow CollegeNET from both our successful scheduling subsidiary Universal Algorithms and our explosively growing forms commerce business Our company continues to experience steady growth with cashonhand currently in excess of 10 million Because we have earned our strong financial position through successful product introductions our management retains control of the majority of the stock of the company and control over the direction of the corporation Our outside investors include ACT Inc and 3i the world s largest venture investor These investors firmly support our company s commitment to serving the higher education community and upholding the data privacy and non commercialism of college processes CollegeNET August 30 2000 Section Vendor Qualifications CollegeNET Answers to RFP Questions from Part B Section Introduction to Your Company 2 How long has your company been providing Ecommerce solutions to higher education CollegeNET Response Years since 1995 What percentage of your company s resources are entirely dedicated to the support of higher education CollegeNET Response 95 Do the products and services you are proposing comply with current State and Federal regulations and statutes CollegeNET Response Yes our products and services comply with all current State and Federal regulations and statutes 3a How you assure compliance with revisions to state and federal regulations and statutes CollegeNET Response Through client direction 3b What is your current policy for implementing revisions to state and federal regulations and statutes time lines client costs etc CollegeNET Response In addition to responding to any general service changes recommended by our legal counsel or our clients we routinely make changes to client forms per their requests 3c Does you maintenance contract provide the client with not only problem fixes but also product enhancements CollegeNET Response As an ASP we support and maintain the application environment used by all our clients Problem fixes and enhancements to that environment are automatically provided on an ongoing basis CollegeNET will also work proactively with CCC to ensure your ongoing satisfaction with our service We will modify your online forms annually as directed at no charge We are also very responsive to client suggestions for changes to our Administrative services backend We base our development planning decisions on client feedback Do your products and services comply with industry standards CollegeNET Response Yes our products and services comply with industry standards including Internet browser compatibility and current best practices for security CollegeNET August 30 2000 23 1tai 00 i A Ir II rift 44 M sue C 41 00 ti i a Community User C 40 Adrian 1 Cornell College Community College Culinary Agnes Scott College Albany College of Pharmacy Albertson College of Idaho Albion College Alfred State College Alfred University American University in Cairo Daemon Andrews Antioch University University Dakota Drexel University College Benedictine University Bentley College Bethune Cookman Bucknell University Buena Vista University Buffalo State College Butler University Calvin College University University Chico Fresno College Canadian Canisius College College of Business and Computers College Cayuga County Community College Central State University Central Washington State University Centre College Charles County Community College Christian Brothers University Christian Heritage College Emory University Erie Community College City Campus North Campus South Campus Fashion Institute of Technology Fielding Institute Finger Lakes Community College North Carolina State University Northwest Christian College Northwestern College Nova Southeastern University Ohio State University Ohio University Onondaga Community College College Francis Marion University Fulton Montgomery Community College Garden City Community College Genesee Community College Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia State University System Greensboro College Golden Gate University Guilford College Gustavus Adolphus College Hanover College Harding University Herkimer Kendall of Notre Dame Kent State University Cleveland Institute of Art Community College Colby College College College College College of Ceramics at Alfred College College of St Elizabeth College College of of University at Morrisville of William and Mary Columbia Greene Community College Columbus College of Art and Design Concordia University Canada Concordia University CA Concordia University Michigan Concordia Concordia Concordia Concordia University University University University College College University Keystone College at Canton Technology Technology River Forest IL St Paul MN Nebraska Texas Lake Erie College Lehigh University Lewis Clark College Education 14 campuses Pepperdine University Prairie Bible Institute Pratt Institute Purchase College Purdue University North Central Campus Quinipiac College Radford University Roosevelt University Royal Holloway at the University of London Saginaw Valley State University Saint Lawrence University Saint Michael s College Saint Norbert College Salt Lake Community College Salve Regina University Santa Clara University Graduate School Schenectady County Community College Seattle University Seton Hall University SETONWORLDWIDE Shenandoah University Simmons College Graduate School Simpson College South Carolina State University South Dakota State System six campuses Southeastern Illinois College Southern Adventist University Southern Bible Institute Liberty University Lincoln Memorial Pennsylvania State System of Higher Roger Williams University College Henry Cogswell College of Eastern Utah College Palm Beach Atlantic College Park College Patten College Pennsylvania Institute of Technology Rice University University Hendrix of Charleston College Claremont Graduate Cornell Monterey Institute of International Studies Mount Aloysius College Niagara County Community College County Community College Hiram College Houston Baptist University Howard University Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University East Indiana University South Bend Iowa State University Iowa Eastern Community College Jamestown Community College Main Campus Olean Campus James Madison University Jefferson Community College Cincinatti Bible Clinton College College Emanuel College Harwick Castleton State Chowan Management Corporation College Florida Southern Bowling Green State University Bradley University Brevard College Broome Community College California State Milligan College Mohawk Valley Community College Montana State University Billings Montana Tech of the University of Montana Elon Benedictine California State Miami University Middle Tennessee State University Elmira College University Seattle Atlantic Cape Community College Audrey Cohen College Augustana College Austin College Cabrini Medical University of South Carolina University University Elmhurst T MCP Hanemann University McPherson College University Education E Massachusetts Institute of Technology McGregor School Institute of America CollegeDowling College Drake Antioch Baker N e College Wesleyan University DePauw of Paris g Lipscomb University David Dixie e University Adirondack American o Southern Methodist University University Southampton College Lon Morris College Louisiana State University Graduate Lyme Academy of Fine Arts Macalester University Marlboro College Maryville University of Saint Louis Marymount University Mary Washington College School Southwestern College of Christian Ministries Spring Hill College St Andrews Presbyterian College St Gregory s University St Mary s University St Thomas Aquinas College Stanford University State of New York University System 53 campuses Sterling College Sullivan County Community College Swarthmore College Sweet Briar College Taylor University Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology The Art Inst of Florence Lorenzo de Medici The College of the Bahamas Tompkins Cortland Community College Transylvania University Trinity University Trinity Lutheran College Tri State University Towson University Ulster County Community College Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara University University University of Cincinnati of Farmington Maryland Baltimore County University University of Maryland of Maine School of Law of Miami PresNET The President s Network applications for Averett institutions College Baptist University Florida Southern of Vermont of Virginia of Washington of Wisconsin Oshkosh of Wisconsin Platteville of Wisconsin Stout Georgetown College Hastings College Heidelberg College High Point University Northwood College Fashion Institute of of the Pacific University University University University University University Community College Wesleyan University LaGrange College Lincoln College Louisiana College Marshall University Mercer University Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Newberry College College California Baptist College Carson Newman College Charleston Southern University Clarkson University Elizabethtown University Kansas Brewton Parker East Texas University of Montana University of Nebraska Lincoln University of Nevada Las Vegas University of Nevada Reno University of New Mexico University of North Alabama University of Notre Dame Business School University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus University of Puget Sound University of Redlands University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of Tennessee Knoxville University of Toledo University of Tulsa Illinois Eastern College University Bellevue Cumberland international the following of Minnesota Morris University Design College Los Angeles University Otterbein College Pacific Union College University of Wisconsin Whitewater Vassar Virginia Tech Virginia Union University Wabash College Walden University Walsh University Wartburg College Washington College Westchester Business Institute West Virginia Wesleyan University West Virginia University Western Kentucky University Western State University Whitworth College Widener University Wilkes University Willamette University Winona State University Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities 21 campuses Wittenberg University Wright State University Palomar College Rochester Institute of Technology Saint Mary s College Minnesota Salem State College Southeast Missouri State University Southern Illinois University Spartanburg Methodist College Graduate Strayer College Four Year University of Findlay University of LaVerne University of Missouri Columbia University of Missouri Rolla Waldorf College William Jewel College Wilmington College f t f is za C 24 r SAMPLE REVIEW INSTRUCTIONS FOR NEW APPLICATION Greetings I am an applications editor at CollegeNET and I am pleased to release for your review your online application Below are instructions for the review process Review the application as an applicant by going to https www comapplyvour application name applyweb Click on Application for Admission and enter the following as BOTH the username and password yourpassword We have already created this account for you Please feel free to create additional accounts with the first name Just and the last name Testing by clicking Create an Account on the main menu at name application your aw com applyweb www https Note Just and Testing are case sensitive with a J and a T Fill out the application as an applicant would Note any changes you d like for us to make to the application see step below Next review the application retrieval procedure by taking on the role of a school administrator Then log into this address 1111 com applyweb admin https You will only have access to this screen by using the username and password we have provided for you see step If you are in your broswer under a different username close down your browser and reopen it Bookmark this page and change your password as soon as possible Click the Application button at the top of the page which will display options such as Print Download Search etc Next click on the Print link This will take you to the Application Print screen You see your application and others listed with their transaction ids in the left column To print your ll application first click on its transaction id Use your browser print function to print the application and your back button to return to the next application Or to print several at once click on the radio button marked Create Print File for all Applications checked above at the bottom of the page Use your browser s back button to go back to the screen that lists your applications Click the acknowledge radio button this time to acknowledge your applications This step needs to become part of your regular procedures because a It informs the applicant you have received the application b It removes the application from your inbox c We only pay you fees for applications you ve acknowledged Send your required changes directly to the web developer assigned to your application Your web developer contact name and email address SAMPLE REVIEW INSTRUCTIONS FOR NEW APPLICATION Reminders a Once your application does go live you should reference it on your school s admissions page by creating a link from that page to name aPPlication your apply com applyweb www https b An automatic email reminder will be sent to the following address if applications have been waiting for acknowledgment for more than 48 hours edu school specific admissions contact CCC admissions c If we don t hear from you by DATE we will assume you have no changes and will take your application live There are a few notes to consider during your review Terms have been setup for all applications based on the following TERM START CUTOFF TERM CODE DATE DATE Summer Conditional 2000 200045 2000 01 08 2000 01 08 Fall 2000 200120 2000 01 08 2000 15 09 Intensive Trial 200125 2000 01 08 2000 15 09 200130 2000 01 08 2001 01 200135 2000 01 08 2001 01 200140 2000 01 08 2001 01 04 200150 2000 01 08 2001 01 06 Fall 2000 Winter 2001 Intensive Trial Spring Winter 2001 Summer 2001 2001 If you have any questions or concerns I can be reached via e mail at jsmith @collegenet com or via telephone at 503 9735246 Monday thru Friday 10 00 a m to 30 p m EST Congratulations and thanks again for choosing CollegeNET Sincerely James T Smith Applications Editor CollegeNET Inc 503 9735246 jsmith @collegenet com e e ee z k c I N N NI NI I z z4 i z i n 34 t A s z co la0 re T S gina ri ailey State University 71 695 532s prom 4000 511 3av goad icianhr d ve r c rer Office of Admissions 517 90 4200 300 9500 968 March 2000 Pat Carmody College Net One SW Columbia St Portland OR 97253 Dear Pat This past year we contracted with College Net to put all of S S s application on line I e peen in higher education for twenty years and my experience with College Net is the best have had w h an outside vendor Your professionalism customer service and ability to provide a top notch product is second to none Herb Riley Tom Jones and Blythe Gatewood constantly went above and bevor c he line of duty to insure we were extremely satisfied with the end result Having our aociications totally transparent and seamless linking directly to our home page is fa stic The student is unaware we are using your services Due o ycur echneicg upon eceiving our applications hey are fully edited and completely paid for when our ofnce receives them We know they are legitimate applicants unlike the probierns we had with a hcrne grown system College Net allowed us o design each one of our applications at wound hest neec he needs of hat department at no additional ccst This sold my Colleagues on arnDus who were responsible for admissions n acciicatIons heir departments on line might This serf cewas add we made critical c having everybody several changes during his 17utzln7 rrimit heir process and lever once a your staff complain Finail am impressed that you are constantly evaluating ICU product and am Jenulneiv excite about he enhanced new common that Ili erent ate you from om rte cC n in letter of recommendations but am sincere in w features ousi instilled ocv a spir vita your staff that iticn I aiize es gerat on have said about makes you n e in he evec r T u c jT C Sine s e m e rectar D J 1Dbjm C Fiies V edu sysu E mail admissions @tardis htt www vsu du F K r 487 11 College of Charleston 66 George Street Charleston South Carolina 294240001 Office of Admissions and Adult Student Services 843 953 5670 843 953 5620 FAX 843 953 6322 May 14 2000 Mr Patrick Carmody CollegeNet Inca One SW Columbia 100 Portland OR 97258 Dear Mr Carmody I would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation at the College of Charleston for the quality of internet recruiting services provided by CollegeNet and in particular the support given to our electronic application As you know we went online with our applications on October 1999 Our Administrative Computing staff programmed the interface with our Student Information System within two months of going online with CollegeNet which saved our Admissions Office enormous amounts of data entry time with student applications It also provided our students with more efficient processing of their applications resulting in earlier decisions In our first year of our total applicant pool applied electronically and during this 11 The ability of applicants to pay an application fee by credit card or electronic check has greatly facilitated the administrative burdens in our Admissions Office which we would find nearly impossible to manage on our own with such a second year thus far it has increased to limited staff I also wish to compliment the technical support staff at CollegeNet for their immediate response to both our Office concerns and periodic issues raised by prospective students We have found this staff to be very knowledgeable about the functional area of admissions which is quite rare among system programmers This has alleviated the burdens placed on our internal computing staff We look forward to utilizing the expanded services provided by CollegeNet allowing students very quick and personal contact with our departmental faculty as well as other administrative offices We have been working with Erica from your staff in establishing a date and time for that demo and hope to have all procedures in place for the upcoming 2000 2001 recruiting year Thanks again for all your assistance We look forward to a lasting and mutually beneficial partnership with CollegeNet See you in Columbia South Carolina on May 19 S ly Donald C Burkard 4111 Dean of Admissions and Adult Student Services STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK OFFICE OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR PRIDE SERV EXCELLEN UNIVERSITY AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS UNIVERSITIES University University at Albany Binghamton University at Buffalo University at Stony Brook COLLEGES Brockport Buffalo Cortland College Emone nce m ental Science Environmental and Forestry Farmingdale Application M May Processing Center 2000 System Administration Slate University Plaza Albany NY 12246 Pat Carmody 443 5373 518 Director of Internet Sales 3811 342 800 CollegeNET One SW Columbia Suite 100 FAX 518 443 5374 Portland OR 87258 Fredonia Geneseo Institute of Technology Dear Pat at UticaRome New Old itime Westbury Oneonta Optometry It is with great pleasure that I write this letter CollegeNET has been one of SUNY s approved online application vendors since 1998 During the last three years SUNY has seen an increase of over 600 in the number of applications submitted by students using CollegeNET Oswego Plat tssb ugh Purchase Ceramics at Alfred University Agriculture Life Sciences at Cornell University Human Eddlogy at Cornell University Industrial Relations Labor at Cornell University Veterinary Medicine University at Cornell TH SCIENCE CENTERS HSCatBrooklyn HSC at Syracuse s commitment to a provide a quality online product shows in your unparalleled CollegeNET approach in developing web pages that are functional and user friendly My office processes PP over 230 000 undergraduate admissions applications annuallyY for 50 of the 64 statewide SUNY campuses The marketing value of having an online application web page that is identifiable with each SUNY campus is priceless Market research from the Student Poll by the Arts and Science Group Inc Spring 1998 issue shows that students have a strong preference for using individual college home pages for gathering information and applying online rather than using online college information services Taking this into consideration it makes sense to have a link to a personalized admissions application web page COLLEGES OF TECHNOLOGY Alfred In addition Y outstanding dedication to Pproviding your outstanding a quality q Y online system Y application PP your Y Canton customer service staff are exceptional On the few occasions we have experienced gremlins Cool pe Y n the system i Y your staff has been able to identify and correct the situation qquicklyY and efficiently Your system developers have always been more than receptive to our needs and Morrisville COMMUNITY COLLEGES ideas for web site design and data collection Adirondacx Broome Cayuga The real joy of using the CollegeNET online application is its seamlessness Once an applicant Corning has chosen to use the CollegeNET online system they are unaware that their electronic application is being processed on a web server on the other side of the country This Outcness Erie seamlessness provides a high degree of comfort and confidence to the online application Climmn Columbia Greene Fasnion Institute of Technoiogy Finger Lakes Fulton Montgomery Genesee Hencirrer hulls Hudson iaiie J tawn Jame jerterson MonawK Val Nassau Nassau Niagara County North Country Onondaga process Thank you your support and dedication to SUNY and our online application system I look forward to our continued relationship incerely S C ame Orange County Rockland sdnanectady County SutfolkCounty Sullivan County Tompkins Cortland Ulster County Westchester ate W Murr Director niversit of New York c of Enrol I ent Managem nt and Marketing Application Processing Center 110 c 4co 11 CARDINALGROUP international May 29 2000 Pat Summers Vice President Marketing CollegeNET Inc Southwest Columbia Portland OR 9725S Dear Pat We were pleased that Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT asked us to participate in a technology assessment and strategy of their inhouse processes tools and online applications provided by suppliers to the Office of Admissions Part of this study included a review of MIT s two online application vendors We performed a comparison of approximately 40 attributes that MIT indicated were important as a result of interviews with key MIT Admissions personnel One of our recommendations consequently was that Coilege NET be chosen as the online application vendor for MIT This recommendation resulted from examining three major areas what differentiated CollegeNET from the competition which of the 40 attributes were most important to MIT and how ColiegcNET seemed equipped to meet those requirements All in all CollegeNET provided the best match for MIT s needs MIT has given Cardinal Group permission to share with you some of the findings of our study reported to MIT illustrated in the following tables The first table is a list of necessary objective features that MIT required of its vendor and how each supplier met the need The answers were obtained from the supplier s themselves The second table is a list of features that are subjective yet very important to MIT and were gleaned from people who have worked with each of the vendors for at least one application cycle The results of these findings are based on interviews and conversations conducted in March and April of 2000 We expect that both companies are working diligently to quickly address any shortcomings that came to light as a result of this study In order to choose the most appropriate vendor for Admissions CGI interviewed either in person or on the telephone MIT personnel who interfaced with the vendors other Universities and the s technical and support staff members These conversations allowed the following tables Jf vendor information to be compiled Table below shows a side byside comparison of the metrics of each company 495 Old Connecticut Path 508 520 9119 Suite 12C www corn cardinalgrouo Framingham MA 01701 Table below lists important features of working with a vendor and the rating each vendor received during this evaluation The ratings on these subjective topics are based on the personal experiences of Admissions personnel and references from other universities Anyone whose opinions were considered in this study met a minimum requirement of having used the5vendor s services that they were raring for at on scale from least one application cycle Ratings average good are unacceptable below average a very good Other Online Vendor CollegeNET Customer Support Willingness to Assist Customer Service Oriented Adherence to Formal I to handle during application cycle s Needs Understands MIT Evidence to suggest the ability 3 Approval Cycle Amount of downtime a high volume 4 of Applications i Prompt Resolution of Technical Issues non Technical Issues how the of Resolution Prompt I application looks how to use the Admin module etc Fasv to use Admin Module Look User Interface Cutting Edge Average if weighted equally Table Customer Experience Ratings The above tables detail objective and subjective ratings of the two online services Both companies are similar in the services they actually offer However it is CollegeNET s ability to customize the application to meet MIT s needs use web forms to capture valuable information from applicants download that captured information to MIT s Admissions database and customer service levels that earn them the higher overall rating Proper use of technoiogy i e the web should reduce the amount of manual labor that the Office of Admissions must perform and we felt Co1lege s solution best met NlET that requirement s commitment to customer satisfaction and desire to meet MIT CollegeNET s requirements demonstrates that they are willing to work with Admissions to provide an application suitable for MIT s needs This was evidenced in many areas The first area vas their demonstration of four prototypes of the Part One piece of the application and the second area was your willingness to modify the current application to look more crisp and clean The third area was CoIIegeNET s willingness to build a coursecredits grades form which would allow students to enter self reported grades The fourth area was CollegeNET s awareness that their improvements cycle or rollout of software upgrades must be done and testing completed long before the application cycle started CollegeNET seemed to have a keen awareness that whatever was needed to make their systems work should happen behind the scenes without upsetting the performance availability or speed of the prospective students completing their online applications These four areas demonstrated a wiliingness and understanding of their role in the application process that we believe will be key to the success of the relationship between MIT and an online application vendor We believe CollegeNET is well positioned for the future as well as the current demand of online applications CollegeNET s commitment to robust dependable and fast hardware and software platforms positions them for growth scalability and reliable service Working with software and hardware vendors such as Sun and Informix with programs written in technologv like Java serviets will allow ColIegeN to easily upgrade both their machines and their applications without having to renovate their technology choices because CollegeNET s technology is platform independent Other Online Vendor CollegeNET Security 128 bit 128 bit enervation Hardware Platform 100 NT Servers encrrpnon Sun Enterprise 450 main application server Sun Sparc 20s hosting the database Sun Servers run Solaris OS VA Linux Intel machines Database Server SQL Application Server Microsoft Active Server Internet Multiple Connectivity Server Informix Pages T1 and T3 lines Serviets Peri Python XML Multiple T1 lines moving to a T3 Offsite Yes Backups Employees Number of Yes Core team of 15 developers and Core team of 60 20 people in QA hire contractors during heavy season Age of Company years years as CollegeNET 33 years I as overall parent company I Number of Schools 300 500 Set up Fee one time fee Maintenance Fee 000 35 SO Application Transaction 500 52 Fees S10 per References checked 30 application 15 of each application or a minimum of 55 per application Y es Yes Technical Support 9am 6pm PST 7am 7pm EST days Monday through Friday 24 hour phone coverage during application a week deadline days days 7am Midnight on application deadline 24 hour turnaround on emaiied requests Data downloadabie to MIT Yes Programmed Printable PDFs listed Non Application Forms Conditions Yes Actual Web Forms as supplementary forms fill out by hand mail in Price for Non Application Forms Supplemental PDFs created for cost and no cost for file PDFs nc can downloading are be there is each created and these No charge for creation of form 00 per form processed S1 minimum of 32 000 maximum of 55 000 per year are not web forms Ability to develop Inquiry Forms One technical point person for this account i Yes 55 000 to develop and 000 additional annual 35 Yes no charge for creation and maintenance fee application forms for usage No Yes unclear Services Received Free because of No services Exclusive Partnership set up fee Form Modifications available Yes before July Handle Online Credit Cards Handle Fee Waivers Administration Module cowcvcr waiver of Yes Yes I Yes I Yes fails under pricing for non Yes changes 510 per application Yes charges 35 per aoolicatio Yes Table Vendor Metrics CollegeNET excellent customer service coupled with your company s s skill in capturing web information and then transferring it to MIT s database thus reducing MIT s Office of Admissions workload are the accomplishments that differentiated CoilegeNET from the competition This expertise is what is most valued by MIT Partnering with CollegeNET is expected to substantially improve the online application experience of prospective students as well as reduce the amount of redundant labor the Admission s team would have to perorm If you have any questions please contact either Cris Peterson or me at 508 6209119 Sincerely el 4a k Z Katherine Urbanowicz Cardinal Group International Inc SAMPLE LETTER TO INTRODUCE AND EXPLAIN CollegeNET SERVICES The institution accesses their applicant data from an administrative page provided by CollegeNET The following is an example of the administrative page zt Batch Download Netscape lre a nn comfcgi binlroses9 11 admen applyweb https omis Her ite D PrInt it l NNtt 09 Tt nns Seth ed 04 stlF i P1 Oi 4t E On line Help lasted 6elaw are all applications that were Submiteed Prom Nov 01 1999 to Feb 01 2000 Statue tran saction It Fast luliiidie l Nae m Nam me Na S Num Email AK DEMOP RICALA 1102150750 AK DEMOPC SLAMB1 1104114718 AK 20000117 A110 DEMOPC WOSE t27 Wg G Sabah i3E IDl1 philrpoc one genet com Participate with the system and use CollegeNET as primary application from school s webpage Level II When a school chooses to use the CollegeNET application from their webpage it receives all of the benefits listed above as well as free access to many additional services Many of these services help to create a personal interactive experience for the student therefore increasing the likelihood of completing the application process They include Triggers workflow administrative services Esponse email management services Data Analysis Batch PDF printing Netviewbook Branded Scholarship Search Netcounselors ... Technology Hardware and System Software 31 CollegeNET Answers to RFP Questions from Part B s CollegeNET Universal Forms 31 Engine Technology CollegeNET Security CollegeNET Section Answers to RFP Questions... messaging CollegeNET August 30 2000 12 y Section Vendor Qualifications Introduction CollegeNET is in a unique position to satisfy the online admissions services requirements of the CCC CollegeNET. .. yeartoyear CollegeNET Response See our response to question Are audited annual reports available to potential clients CollegeNET Response See our response to question CollegeNET August 30 2000 24