Leading Education Institutions Globally Go Back to School With Information Builders

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Sep 6, 2012) - Information Builders, a leader in business intelligence (BI) and analytics, information integrity, and integration solutions, today recognizes the continued success that several leading education institutions have realized since deploying the company's WebFOCUS BI platform. Information Builders has a wealth of experience in the education market, and now the Minnesota Department of Education, the European University of Madrid, and University of the Fraser Valley have joined the ranks of Information Builders' global range of education customers who are reaping the benefits of its advanced solutions.

Information Builders has a full range of education sector customers, a few of which are discussed below.

• European University of Madrid
  The European University of Madrid (UEM) serves more than 16,000 students with a full range of traditional, masters, and ongoing education courses in a variety of disciplines. To optimize decision-making and strengthen the budget management of its numerous areas and departments, the University selected Information Builders' BI technology. In addition to providing access to high-quality data in real time, UEM is using WebFOCUS to develop and implement a data warehouse, storing data from the university's main campus and its affiliated center in Valencia, Spain.
  
  According to Ruth Alcazar, UEM's director of financial planning and analysis, "Information Builders' software allows us to incorporate pre-defined queries and reports that facilitate information analysis, as well as a design tool for advanced users to conduct their own queries and reports."
  
  
• Minnesota Department of Education
  The Minnesota Department of Education is responsible for gathering student enrollment, assessment, staffing, and other data that helps schools compute funding formulas at the federal and state levels. To help the state run its academic programs more efficiently, and to enable educators and administrators to make knowledgeable decisions, the Department created a BI environment that helps demonstrate student progress, identify strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately improve educational systems.
  
  In addition to external-facing reports that parents and teachers use to compare performance among schools, districts, and regions, WebFOCUS provides a set of comprehensive data analytics that give advanced users insight into critical areas such as accountability and assessment, district information, early learning, school finance, special education, staffing, and student enrollment by category, year, school, or district.
  
  "With WebFOCUS, we can take our reporting activities one step further, providing analytic information to parents, educators, and administrators so they can make better decisions for Minnesota students and their families," said Cathy Wagner, business analytics and data manager at the Minnesota Department of Education.
  
  As a result of these and other advancements, Computerworld selected the Minnesota Department of Education to receive its 2012 "Best in Class BI" award, an elite distinction offered to organizations that use analytic tools to make better business decisions and achieve quantifiable returns on their technology investments.
  
  
• University of the Fraser Valley
  University of the Fraser Valley's (UFV's) Strategic Plan states that it is to be innovative, entrepreneurial, and accountable. WebFOCUS is enabling the university to transform the way staff and management receive and consume information. Staff and management are now able to base planning and decisions on evidence, measure progress made toward achieving plans, and target and compare performance across instructional areas.
  
  A great example is its academic dashboard, which provides faculty, deans, and program areas with comparative and operational information from its student systems. All stakeholders are now able to dynamically create any combination of reports on everything from program applications, registrations, student details, and demographics to graduation statistics. Prior to WebFOCUS, getting this level of detail was painful and often required engaging multiple departments and days of effort.
  

"Whether it's a K-12 school, a college or university, or an agency overseeing or supporting education programs, institutions in the education sector can achieve great advantages through the more strategic use of information," said Gerald D. Cohen, president and CEO of Information Builders. "By tapping into data about students, administration, and finance, they can drive higher levels of enrollment, improve student performance, and increase fiscal efficiency."

About Information Builders
Information Builders helps organizations transform data into business value. Our software solutions for business intelligence and analytics, integration, and data integrity empower people to make smarter decisions, strengthen customer relationships, and drive growth. Our dedication to customer success is unmatched in the industry. That's why tens of thousands of leading organizations rely on Information Builders to be their trusted partner. Founded in 1975, Information Builders is headquartered in New York, NY, with offices around the world, and remains one of the largest independent, privately held companies in the industry. Visit us at informationbuilders.com, follow us on Twitter at @infobldrs, like us on Facebook, and visit our LinkedIn page.