Active Computer.

The needs of today's association

The modern association wants a solid infrastructure for office operations and proven Web software for hosting community communication, education, development, collaboration, and commerce. Associations do not just want technology; they need a fundamental relationship with a proven technology partner that understands what it is they do and why they do it. Few companies can consult on the strategic level and have the technical expertise to develop and deliver the best technology has to offer.

Often the attention to detail can determine whether a project is a strategic success for the association or something less. Active Computer has succeeded for 10 years where many others have failed by paying attention to details and consulting to identify and address the explicit needs of the association. Options for improvement are sometimes nontechnical.

Active Computer is well known for providing Osprey[R]. Osprey[R] provides associations with technically advanced capabilities seldom found, if at all, in any other association software system. Osprey[R] has repeatedly demonstrated its leadership position over the past 10 years.

A recent need was for associations to survey any contact in Osprey[R] efficiently. Rather than just program a Web site for a specific survey, Active Computer developed an Osprey[R] survey module for associations to develop simple to very robust Web surveys in Windows. Osprey[R] Surveys include user security, validation, and support for many relational tables. Striking a "Create Survey" button will auto-generate an Osprey[R]-driven Web site to collect the survey with the desired look, touch, and feel. By automating the generation of surveys, Osprey[R] associations can work smarter.

Several years ago Active Computer invested in moving Osprey[R]'s business logic into Osprey[R] Class modules running in Microsoft Transaction Server. The investment allows associations to efficiently support many users with different software or hardware (e.g., Web, phone) while maintaining the business rules of the association.

Most recently, Osprey[R] is being used to drive large Web sites taking advantage of its scalable design. Osprey[R] is the engine behind the HILLEL Israel 2000 Web site that accepted more than 9,500 registrations online with private logins in a little over a day. University HILLELs around the United States logged in through Osprey[R] Web to interview and select which registrants could participate. In Washington, D.C., HILLEL planned the trip using the Osprey[R] Silver enterprise application taking advantage of the Windows environment. The Israel 2000 trip was so successful, HILLEL has successfully repeated the trip several times this year.

Other association software cannot support so many Web users because their software is developed in a proprietary platform or specific database environment. With the fundamentally exceptional and proven capability in Osprey[R], many associations are turning to Osprey[R] as the infrastructure to their organization and community.

For Active Computer, the most rewarding part of providing Osprey[R] to associations over the past 10 years is how Osprey[R] associations have succeeded in serving rewarding causes for their members and society. For instance, Ohio State University has used Osprey[R] for many years and increased its ability to support reading capabilities and literacy of young children. Many Osprey[R]-based associations provide education and connections within their industry. Why is it called Osprey[R]? The Osprey is a fish hawk brought back from near extinction by the good works of the EPA and supporting associations. Osprey[R] symbolizes taking up a worthy cause and actively pursuing the cause to completion. Enlisting Active Computer not only gives the association a proven solution, but a partner in addressing the mission and goals of the association.

The Osprey[R] Suite includes: Osprey[R] Silver, an enterprise proven application for association operations; Osprey[R] Web, an enterprise proven Web site supporting staff, member, and nonmember operations including e-commerce and many other operations (registration, address changes, chapter functions, and more); Osprey[R] Phone Attendant, a phone integrated server provides 24/7 member-only areas, accepts orders, renewals, products, registration, fax-back documents, screen pops, and more; Osprey[R] Classes, the Osprey[R] scaleable association business logic that drives several different user interfaces (e.g., phone, Web); Osprey[R] Broadcast, a broadcast e-mail, fax, telex, cablegram application that easily creates and maintains lists; Osprey[R] Survey, an application that builds online Web surveys to collect information into the association database; and Osprey[R] Merge, an intelligent merge application built to assist associations managing many sources of input, removing duplicates, and still maintaining th e option to unmerge.