Product News

Vol 8, Issue 6
November 15, 2007

eCollege system upgrades lead to even greater performance, reliability

Microsoft SQL 2005 means more efficient eLearning

eCollege upgraded its online learning system to increase efficiency and provide users with even greater performance and reliability. eCollege worked closely with Microsoft to deploy the powerful Microsoft SQL Server 2005 database infrastructure.

“eCollege runs one of the largest databases in the world, and our customers deserve and expect the highest level of comprehensive services,” said eCollege President Matthew Schnittman.  “This upgrade to the SQL Server 2005 will result in an even more robust system to support student retention and program success.”

Based on internal eCollege testing, the upgrade to Microsoft SQL Server 2005 will result in:

• 130% increase in available database production server memory, providing users with highly reliable database transactions.
• 30% increase in database infrastructure capacity, adding to the scalability of the institution’s learning systems.
• 20% increase in overall database system performance, furthering eCollege’s commitment to providing a seamless user experience.

To launch this upgrade, eCollege underwent a comprehensive testing and migration analysis and worked closely with on-site Microsoft resources to ensure a successful deployment.  As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, eCollege has a long-established relationship that allowed the company to leverage Microsoft’s expertise to deploy the most beneficial system possible.

eCollege customers can expect to experience immediate benefits in three areas: performance, reliability and scalability.  System performance will increase to higher speeds so students can more efficiently move through their courses, through the use of advanced query optimization technology.  System reliability will increase to enable more availability options, especially during peak times, through the use of a highly redundant server cluster configuration within SQL Server 2005.  And system scalability will increase through the use of more efficient servers that will allow the system to handle more users and activity as institutions continue to grow their online learning programs.

“It’s imperative that eCollege users enjoy the highest quality experience no matter when and where they access their online course,” said Kim Sanders, senior director of SQL Server marketing at Microsoft.  “By upgrading to SQL Server 2005, eCollege helps their customers continue to experience the level of performance, reliability and scalability they have come to expect.”