Industry Briefs

NEWS

ASK THE STUDENT CONCIERGE

National University (CA) has selected constituent relationship management (CRM) vendor Talisma to help improve overall student experience. The university will use Talisma Email and Knowledgebase to create a university-wide "concierge service" to assist current students with questions or concerns regarding financial aid, registration, course information, and more.

GETTING STRATEGIC

SunGard Higher Education has launched a Strategy and Assessment Service to help higher ed institutions better align IT with business objectives. The consulting service focuses on defining strategic goals, linking them with institutional resources, and then mapping them to the initiatives that can best help meet those goals. Through a series of workshops, the identified initiatives are then connected to the institution’s technology services, business functions, applications, and the IT infrastructure required to facilitate them.

NEXT-GEN CONTENT DELIVERY

Digital media provider Cdigix has joined Internet2 as a corporate member. By leveraging the speed and advanced capabilities of the Internet2 network, the company plans to develop innovative content distribution and federated identity management technologies.

M&A, ETC.

BLACKBAUD EXPANDS FUNDRAISING OFFERINGS

Blackbaud, a provider of software and services for nonprofit organizations, has acquired Target Software (large-scale database management and donor relationship software solutions) and Target Analysis Group (data mining, predictive modeling, and collaborative benchmarking services for nonprofits). Together, the acquired companies provide solutions that help organizations analyze, plan, forecast, execute, and manage high-volume fundraising campaigns while helping them maintain long-term donor relationships.

ONLINE CRM MERGER

Convio, a provider of online constituent relationship management solutions for nonprofits, has announced a definitive agreement to acquire online relationship management solution provider GetActive Software. The company plans to leverage GetActive’s expertise in advocacy, content management platform, and services operation to strengthen its set of internet solutions.

People

HI APPOINTMENT

F. Dan Burger

HiSoftware taps Burger to head up sales and service.

STRATEGY SVP

Jack Dziak has joined Sprint Nextel as senior VP of strategy. Dziak previously served as senior VP of services and distribution for Mobile Satellite Ventures, a developer and supplier of mobile satellite communications services.

TO HISOFTWARE

Web content and compliance solution provider HiSoftware has appointed F. Dan Burger as VP of sales and service. Before joining HiSoftware, Burger was CEO of NetView Technologies, an enterprise incentive management software company.

FROM BLACKBOARD TO TEGRITY

Linda Briesacher, former regional VP of sales for Blackboard, has joined student achievement systems provider Tegrity as VP of sales.

Update

Blackboard has extended support for its CE4 Learning System Platform through Jan. 1, 2009 (a year longer than stated in "A Tipping Point," CT January 2007). Representatives say the company will work with client partners on an ongoing basis, and will extend support as appropriate.

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