Avectra Announces Next Generation Membership Management Solution

August 21, 2006; 07:08 AM

Avectra Inc., a leading provider of 100 percent web-based association management software (AMS) solutions, unveiled netFORUM 2.12 at the annual American Society of Association Executives meeting in Boston.

netFORUM 2.12 exploits the enhanced platform capabilities of Web 2.0, and delivers new levels of usability, performance and functionality. In addition, the release includes a robust Business Intelligence (BI) solution to help associations better manage their member base and improve the overall efficiency of their operations. These enhancements will be available to associations running enterprise versions of netFORUM, as well as those who have embraced netFORUM OnDemand, a fully hosted, subscription-based AMS solution.

New Business Intelligence Offering

Associations have cultivated enormous stores of member history information. However, most of the data lies fallow and out of reach of end users. Traditional BI approaches have proven too costly and daunting for all but the most technically astute. Moreover, they have downplayed the time and effort required to create intelligent, subject-oriented data warehouses. Enter Avectra's netFORUM BI.

netFORUM BI is built on Microsoft's BI platform and includes a comprehensive, pre-built membership data warehouse. netFORUM BI enables staff members to work smarter through interactive, role-based dashboards. Staff users are able to understand member behavior and hone their acquisition and retention strategies. Event planners enjoy improved visibility into registration metrics and are able to take corrective action just in time, while marketing users are able to track the overall performance of their marketing activities. Executive directors are able to take the pulse of the association by measuring actual performance against objectives, improving the accountability and overall efficiency of the operation.

"In the marketplace, companies who make the best decisions most often have the competitive advantage," said Bill Baker, general manager in the Office Business Applications group at Microsoft. "In the same way, associations are being asked to optimize results, drive efficiencies and be more analytically oriented in their decision making processes. Avectra knows that the only way to do this is to empower the greatest number of employees to make the best decisions they can at the right times. With the simplified user experience and low per-user price point that the Microsoft BI solution offers, netFORUM BI will enable all association users to access the information they need when they need it."

Enhanced Functionality

netFORUM 2.12 incorporates a new user interface with dramatically improved performance, usability and interactivity. Based on the new AJAX/ATLAS framework from Microsoft, netFORUM 2.12 enables users to get access to the functionality they need with fewer clicks of the mouse. Role-based personas, new sliding menus, and a simplified user interface have received high marks from the independent Avectra Users' Group. In addition, the release boasts significant performance improvements through more efficient usage of network resources. Screens and forms have the interactivity and performance that users desire, without sacrificing the mobility of a true "thin" client architecture.

Built on Web 2.0 Framework

netFORUM 2.12 was architected against the backdrop of Web 2.0. Web 2.0 has begun to permeate all aspects of internet-based application development. At the highest level, Web 2.0 is about making web and internet applications more inclusive, more collaborative and easier to use. netFORUM 2.12 embraces the key tenets of Web 2.0 by delivering lighter weight user interfaces with increasing levels of interactivity, including non-traditional devices, like PDAs and cell phones. In addition, the new ATLAS framework enables netFORUM to plug-and-play with third-party applications. For example, GPS information stored in netFORUM can be rendered directly through Microsoft MapPoint to create interactive "mashups" within the netFORUM application. Existing users of netFORUM can migrate to netFORUM 2.12 using the standard upgrade wizard. netFORUM 2.12 and netFORUM BI will be generally available this fall.

"netFORUM 2.12 is a significant achievement," says Barry Malek, CEO of Avectra. "We have been listening to our customers and monitoring the marketplace. Associations are looking for new ways to measure and manage their performance and improve their insight into member behavior. They are also pushing these solutions to a broader audience, so the solution has to be 100 percent web-based. netFORUM 2.12 is the only product in the marketplace that delivers against this set of requirements."

About Avectra

Avectra is the leading provider of membership management software solutions. The Avectra family of products is designed to fit any size organization and budget. Our solutions are the result of more than 13 years of experience serving more than 40 million individuals and 750 member-based organizations. Avectra's netFORUM is the industry standard in association management software. Using netFORUM OnDemand, organizations can quickly and easily deploy a subscription-based solution taking advantage of the same world-class netFORUM technology. Avectra is headquartered in McLean, Va., and has offices in Chicago and Los Angeles.