University Business - March 2008 - (Page 71)

W H AT ' S N E W Looking for higher-education technology products and services? Start here. Edited by Michele Herrmann Checking Your E-mail (Addresses) Designed for those who rely heavily on e-mail communication, Email Object by Melissa Data verifies e-mail addresses in databases, address books, and spreadsheets, or from a website form. The API tool offers three optional degrees of verification to ensure only legitimate e-mail addresses are saved to a database. Users can remove invalid characters and correct and update the domains of addresses in n batch or at point-of-entry. Features include batch and point-of-entry y validation, editable spelling lists, custom blacklisted and valid domains, and a list of 125,000-plus valid domains. Available for Windows and UNIXws based users, Email Object can be purchased as part of the Data Quality Suite—a toolkit for complete contact data verification (pricing starts at $3,100 depending on volume per record)—or as a stand-alone for $1,295 per year. For a free trial or more information, visit www.melissadata.com/emailobject/emailobjres.asp. With the Touch th T h of a Screen Touchpanels are making the management of A/V equipment easier. With a high-contrast 5.7-inch color touchscreen and a 640 x 480 video window display, the Isys TPS-6L Wall Mount Touchpanel from Crestron enables users to incorporate features such as full-motion video display from video servers, cable TV, or even security cameras, right on the touchscreen. It contains WAV (waveform audio format) file audio feedback, a built-in microphone, an amplified speaker option, and a faceplate containing 12 programmable “hard key” pushbuttons. These optional pushbuttons align with fluctuating text and graphics onscreen to support context-sensitive menu functions such as lighting presets, channels, or digital media files. High-speed Ethernet provides easy network integration and communication. A built-in light sensor automatically adjusts the display brightness for optimal visibility in the room. It’s designed for easy flush-mount installation in a wall, lectern, or flat surface. Pricing is around $2,400 but varies depending on programming and installation. Learn more at www.crestron.com. Good Advise One advisor responsible for 100 or more students is a poor ratio for monitoring student retention. Created in partnership between the University of Southern California and Urban Insight, UAdvise identifies students who are at risk for not graduating within four to six years. It presently focuses on undergraduate students. This web-based software program leverages 20 indicators, among them, courses that have not been completed or a significant drop in GPA. Serving as a central online repository for advising information, users can assess each student’s academic situation and map out needed or required courses. It also tracks communication with students through personalized e-mails, logs all advising records, tracks course data, and generates online multiyear course plans. Pricing depends in part on school size. A typical 10,000-student university would pay an estimated $90,000 the first year, which includes a $30,000 startup cost and a monthly fee of $5,000. Learn more at http://uadvise.urbaninsight.com. A Monitoring Eye Swann Communications has released the DVR 16-8500AI, a 16-channel security monitoring solution that offers professional grade security with features such as a 3D operating system and highspeed search engine. Its H.264 level video compression allows users to o see more detail on screen and view large files over the web or network, while taking up less storage space. A menu system and USB port mouse operation make navigation easier, and the DVR can automatically detect the user’s IP address. Its hard drive can record up to one month of continuous video footage from 16 cameras. The solution sells for $1,499. Check it out at www.swannsecurity.com. universitybusiness.com March 2008 | 71 http://www.melissadata.com/emailobject/emailobjres.asp http://uadvise.urbaninsight.com http://www.crestron.com http://www.swannsecurity.com http://universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - March 2008

University Business - March 2008
Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
Stats Watch
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
EduComm Insert
Financial Aid
Money Matters
Human Resources
Higher One Insert
Community College
Cadets on Campus
Keeping an Eye on the Network
Sizing Up Second Life
Endowment Management
What's New
Calendar of Events
End Note

University Business - March 2008