Datatel Honored as 2009 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference Awards Winner in Public Sector, Education Partner of the Year

Business Wire, June 24, 2009

FAIRFAX, Va. -- Today, Datatel proudly announced it has been selected as a 2009 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference Awards winner in Public Sector, Education Partner of the Year. The company was chosen out of an international field of top Microsoft partners as delivering market-leading customer solutions built on Microsoft technology. Datatel, a software and professional services company focused on higher education, has been a Gold-level member of the Microsoft Partner Program for three years.

“This award acknowledges Datatel’s innovative application of Microsoft’s advanced technology to accelerate the value of cost effective and easy-to-use business solutions at a time when higher education needs them the most,” said John Speer, President and CEO, Datatel. “Our employees are also energized and passionate about transforming the user experience for our clients, as we work together to build a Strategic Academic Enterprise that gives our clients a competitive edge.”

Awards will be presented in a number of categories, with winners chosen from a pool of nearly 2,000 entrants worldwide. The Public Sector, Education Partner of the Year award is given to a partner who has been a leader in delivering innovative solutions built on Microsoft technologies that provide our education customers with the benefit of cost savings and improved efficiencies.

“Datatel is an expert in their field, with an exclusive focus on providing fully-integrated administrative and academic solutions to colleges and universities,” said Linda Zecher, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Public Sector, Microsoft Corp. “Datatel has addressed the complete business and academic needs of these institutions, providing a campus-wide experience of enhanced user satisfaction, increased productivity, and greater institutional effectiveness.”

The Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference Awards recognize Microsoft partners that have developed and delivered exceptional Microsoft-based solutions over the last year.

Datatel’s ActiveCampus® Portal solution, built on Microsoft SharePoint® technology, is a powerful enterprise work environment and collaborative social learning platform that serves as a personalized one-stop service center for all constituents. When both traditional and on-line college and university communities become more connected, productivity soars and the institution thrives with streamlined workflows and enhanced communications. Throughout the student lifecycle from recruitment to endowment Datatel leverages Microsoft technology to deliver student success.

Datatel is also utilizing Microsoft Silverlight™ 2 controls to enhance its clients’ new user experience. Silverlight is an extension of the Microsoft .NET Framework, which enables the delivery of next-generation, rich Internet applications (RIAs) and media experiences within a browser.

Datatel’s Strategic Academic Enterprise is a holistic approach that focuses on and supports five cross-functional domains that are essential for achieving institutional and student success: Strategic Enrollment Management, Strategic Planning, Institutional Advancement and Marketing, Teaching and Learning, and Performance and Operational Management. The Strategic Academic Enterprise extends traditional enterprise resource planning (ERP) models by viewing administrative and academic functions as vital interdependent business processes across the higher education environment.

About Datatel, Inc.

Datatel is a leading provider of technology solutions and professional business services to higher education institutions throughout North America. Colleges, universities, and technical schools leverage Datatel's comprehensive expertise to construct Strategic Academic Enterprises that ensure student and institutional success. Serving five million students at more than 770 institutions, the company has focused on higher education for more than 30 years. Datatel is headquartered in Fairfax, Va. For more information, visit http://www.datatel.com.

©2009 Datatel, Inc. All rights reserved. Datatel and ActiveCampus are trademarks or registered trademarks of Datatel, Inc. All other names, products, and services mentioned are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.