4D, Inc., Powering Networking Trends On and Off College Campuses

4D, Inc., Powering Networking Trends On and Off College Campuses

4D, Inc., Expands at Oracle-PeopleSoft's Expense

SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- John Wiley, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, knows the benefit of super-strength database software tools. Wiley started his tenure at the university almost thirty years ago as a faculty member of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

When he recently caught wind of the powerful database program the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) was using to maintain and update the half-million records of its constituents, it made a major impression on him. In fact, the 4D-powered database impressed him so much, that he encouraged each department of the 41,000-student campus to access alumni information through WAA's database. Subsequently, Wiley ordered the abandonment of the campus alumni module developed by PeopleSoft, which is on the verge of being swallowed up by Oracle Corp. for $10.3 billion.

"The 4D technology has made us a more market driven organization, because we use our data to establish a better one-on-one relationship with our members," said Angie Nash, WAA's vice president of information systems.

4D, Inc., headquartered in San Jose, Calif., is a 21-year-old company that develops software solutions that simplify the process of developing and deploying database applications. Using 4D-technology, computer programmer Jerome Schuh structured the database to accommodate a de-centralized campus culture through the use of unit tables that track information specific and proprietary to various campus entities (e.g., Dept. of Athletics, Schools of Medicine, Education, Law, etc.).

WAA is a membership-driven nonprofit organization, independent from the university. Since WAA has been hired by several university departments this year to manage its database needs, WAA's information systems specialist has seen his workload increase six-fold. Since last spring, he has gone from maintaining 20 lists to 120.

WAA's database is most commonly used to look up individuals using the Alumni Lookup search tool. This can be done by inputting a last name, a combination of last-first name, email address, or either of two IDs used in the system. The search results in a screen that displays demographic information, including addresses, phone numbers, spouse information, degrees, counties, WAA chapter regions, ethnicity, etc.

Nash said the software is also great for keeping specific involvement information on alumni, such as event attendance, interest and student organization data, so WAA can create very targeted invitation lists. "For example, if we have a group of alumni, who live in Chicago, and we know that they were Art History majors, who have indicated interest in cultural events or attended similar events in the past, we can target them for an event at an art museum in that area.

"The technology has revolutionized the way we do business with our campus partners, and has allowed us to set a bold vision for becoming a cutting-edge alumni association," Nash said.

About 4D Inc.

4D, Inc., headquartered in San Jose, Calif., is a leading maker of software solutions that simplify the process of developing and deploying database applications efficiently. 4D, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of 4D, SA, which has distribution channels in more than 30 countries. For more information, 4D, Inc., can be reached at 408-557-4600, or on the Internet at http://www.4d.com/. For press inquiries, contact Kevin Ferguson, 4D, Inc., Marketing Specialist, at 408-557-4674, or via email at kferguson@4d.com.


Source: 4D Inc.

CONTACT: Kevin Ferguson, Marketing Specialist of 4D Inc.,
+1-408-557-4674, or cell, +1-650-703-0883, or kferguson@4d.com

Web site: http://www.4d.com/


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