CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., Aug. 12, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With Oregon's Concordia University adding students, degree programs and campuses at a rapid rate, Joe Foster knew he needed a more flexible and powerful CRM system.
As Director of Operations in the Office of Admission, Foster was charged with finding a replacement for Concordia's home-grown CRM. Flexibility was the number one problem, he decided, and TargetX's Recruitment CRM was the solution.
"I wanted a system that can change as we change and can grow as we grow," said Foster. "I need to be able to add features and functionality as I go, to keep up with all the new programs we are adding and pools of students we are trying to recruit."
Following a comprehensive search, Foster and his colleagues decided on the cloud-based Customer Relationship Management system from TargetX, which specializes in providing CRM technology and services to higher education.
The key differentiator, said Foster, was the Force.com platform on which TargetX has built its CRM solution -- the development platform of Salesforce.com, the worldwide leader in CRM and a pioneer in cloud computing.
"I'm a big fan of the Salesforce platform," said Foster, "particularly its flexibility, very broad user base and proven reliability." He also became a big fan of TargetX, especially after attending its users conference last summer.
"As a prospective client," Foster explained, "TargetX invited me to the conference so I could talk candidly with current customers about their experience with the Recruitment CRM. I talked to a couple dozen clients and didn't hear any negative feedback. It was incredibly reassuring."
One of the aspects of the TargetX CRM that really appealed to Foster was the way the company had bundled together a lot of what he considers crucial components. "I didn't have to find an email vendor or mail merge solution or data connector or web form integrator," he said. "TargetX has already found a way to combine those and other pieces into a completely integrated system of engagement."
TargetX offers both technology tools and professional services to help colleges build relationships with their most important constituencies, including prospective students, current students, alumni and potential donors. Its flagship product is the first CRM built expressly for higher education on the Force.com platform.
The Recruitment CRM used by Concordia and many other schools helps admissions officers manage, integrate and automate the process of student recruitment from the first point of contact through enrollment. Among its strengths is built-in electronic communication, including the leading email broadcasting tool in higher education marketing. It is also fully integrated with a powerful event manager and online application.
Following a smooth implementation process, Concordia went live with the Recruitment CRM in May. The system is already being used by four different teams of recruiters -- for freshmen, transfer students, graduate students and participants in the university's rapidly growing online programs. Just recently, Foster was asked by the Law School if they could use the CRM to recruit their special group of prospects.
"I feel completely comfortable adding a new and very different pool of prospective students to our CRM," said Foster. "Because I know I can customize the system to do virtually anything I need it to do. And I know I can count on the support of TargetX to help me do that."
About Concordia
Concordia University is the fastest-growing institution within the Concordia University System, which consists of 10 colleges and universities affiliated with The Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod. A private, Christian, liberal arts university open to students of any faith, Concordia is located in Portland, Oregon. It was recently cited by U.S. News & World Report for having one of the best online graduate education programs in the country and it has been named to the U.S. President's Community Service Honor Roll for the third consecutive year.
For more information, visit www.cu-portland.edu
About TargetX
TargetX is a higher education CRM company that provides an enterprise-wide solution to help colleges build relationships with their most important constituencies, including prospective students, current students, alumni and donors. The company's Enterprise CRM is built on the powerful development platform of Salesforce.com -- the worldwide leader in Customer Relationship Management and a pioneer in cloud computing. With its 15-year reputation for innovative technology and industry expertise, TargetX has become one of the most trusted CRM providers in higher education.
To learn more, visit www.targetx.com