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It took about three weeks to transfer 160 courses over to the Microsoft platform, hosted on Embanet’s servers. Embanet conducted all training for OntarioLearn.com and provided support both during and after the installation went live. “It was insane,” recalls Feldberg. “A project like this typically takes about six to eight months to deploy, but when there’s a will there’s a way.”
Building OntarioLearn.com on Microsoft technology has provided tremendous benefits. For Embanet, the Microsoft platform has enabled developers to scale to new heights. Instead of employing multiple servers for a large user base, Embanet is able to use a single server for the job. That means less hardware, less administration worries and less complications, reducing costs significantly.
Using the Microsoft platform, Embanet was able to deploy the solution at a third of the cost of other companies. That was especially important to OntarioLearn.com, which receives little government funding. “If we had to run a non-Microsoft solution, the hardware and software would be more expensive, the people running it would be more expensive, and the security issues would be more difficult,” explains Feldberg. “We can scale easily with Microsoft and pass the savings on to our customer.” By switching from Windows NT® Server 4.0 operating system to Windows 2000 Server, performance increased by almost 40 per cent. Says Feldberg: “We had a sudden surge of productivity with the flip of a switch. And now that we can cluster our servers, it makes work on the backend that much easier.” SQL 2000 Server has helped both Embanet and OntarioLearn stay competitive. “We can turn on a dime,” says Feldberg of SQL Server’s robustness. “If a customer said they wanted 100,000 users online immediately, we can do it. With other systems it would take twice as long and would cost twice as much the money. Microsoft allows us to stay ahead of the game.” Because the Microsoft back-end can support a number of course management systems at one time, the OntarioLearn.com consortium is able to satisfy all of its members’ unique needs. Special “hooks” in the software allow users working in PowerPoint® presentation graphics program, Microsoft Excel or other applications to take full advantage of Microsoft over the Web. Says Feldberg: “In some of these systems it’s like using Word in a Web browser, which is absolutely fantastic.” For OntarioLearn.com, improved scalability means the consortium can add courses and increase its enrollment cost-effectively while students can pursue their education in a convenient manner. “They don’t have to give up their jobs to go back to school,” says Feldberg. “They don’t have to drive to class, walk through a dark parking lot at night or brave a winter storm to go to class. They can gain an education from the convenience of their home or office, anytime and anywhere.”
With a powerful e-learning platform in place, OntarioLearn.com has seen a tremendous increase in enrollment. The typical drop-off rate of online learning is between 25 and 50 per cent over the length of an entire course, but OntarioLearn.com has cut that number to less than 25 per cent. Holland attributes the high number of returning students to a stable platform, access to Embanet’s 24-hour live help desk, and full service and support. In fact, the project has been so successful that OntarioLearn.com expects to enroll 15,000 students for the 2001/2002 academic year, a huge jump from the 1,500 students who were registered just three years ago. OntarioLearn.com currently offers 285 online courses, with another 220 under development. With Embanet’s assistance, OntarioLearn.com runs regular faculty development courses to teach other colleges how to develop and deliver online courses successfully. The courses are offered at various locations throughout the province, with many participants becoming active in the OntarioLearn.com consortium once they complete the course. “OntarioLearn.com gives the college community an opportunity to work together, grow together, and eliminate much of the duplication that might occur otherwise in terms of course development and other related activities,” says Judith Morris, Dean of Continuous Learning at Sault College in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. and an OntarioLearn.com consortium member. “And it increases the opportunity to access education in a unique and positive manner.” Dan Holland is especially proud of the Microsoft/Embanet/OntarioLearn.com collaboration, which he says “has really gelled” and continues to flourish every day. He hopes to extend the OntarioLearn.com model across Canada and internationally in the near future. “I might not be a technical person but I just know the solution works, and OntarioLearn.com’s students know it works, too” he says. “The technology is in the background, so it’s a win-win situation all around.”
For more information about Microsoft products or services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Co. information Centre at (800) 563-9048. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information via the World Wide Web, go to: http://www.microsoft.ca/casestudies
http://www.ontariolearn.com
http://www.embanet.com or contact solutions@embanet.com © 2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Microsoft, PowerPoint, Windows and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein might be the trademarks of their respective owners. 05/01 Case study at the Microsoft website
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