It’s 2017 and Terra Dotta is already hard at work making Terra Dotta software even better. We have a lot on our plate, providing for exciting roll-outs that you will be seeing in the coming year. A special benefit of this year’s Terra Dotta User Conference will be the opportunity to gain greater understanding of the new functionalities.

In 2016, we rebuilt our software’s architecture, a dramatic update that positioned the software for the improvements to come. This year we will focus on incorporating ideas for improvements and new functionality from our user community. Just what are some of these new, exciting developments? Here’s a peek at what is keeping our developers and testers busy:

• Due Dates for Process Elements – our #1 requested feature from
  client feedback
• Prospect Inquiry Form – let your site visitors complete a Questionnaire
  without first logging in or having a user identity in the system. Think
  recruiting! Think pre-application Q&A’s!
• Query Watches – increased reliability to give you the information
  you need
• Study Abroad Directory – upgraded to provide even more
  dependable updates

We have also taken some administrative steps that will allow us to take our customer service to the next level. Garrett Christian has taken on the role of Chief Strategy Officer to guide our product development strategy and systems analysis. And we have welcomed Brendan Haggerty as new Chief Technology Officer. Learn more about Brendan below in the Getting to Know Us section.

Yes, 2017 will be a busy year at Terra Dotta, but we’re ready for it. And we’re dedicated to improving your user experience. As CEO Brandon Lee recently wrote, we “value the trust you have put in us to provide the best possible solutions for your office. Our history is in international education, and so is our future.”

Make sure your future includes plans to attend our next TD User Conference, April 5-7, where you can join our leadership to learn more about these new features and optimizations!

Last March, this column considered the array of conferences available each year to international educators, and how one might strategically decide which ones to attend. There are plenty of conferences from which to choose depending on one’s needs, interests, budget and time. This month, we revisit the conference topic, but from a slightly different perspective.

As you consider the conferences that you or your office colleagues will attend this year, desired outcomes are certainly important. Regardless of the goal being training, knowledge building or networking, the extent to which any, or all, of these is offered will help determine the conference’s value to your needs. Conferences require not only an investment of your time and energy, but also require a financial investment from your institution. Whether the meeting is across town or across an ocean, there is the time spent out of the office, away from the routine activities. Then there is the time spent catching up upon your return. So choosing the best conferences is important.

Read the full article >

 

Brendan Haggerty is Terra Dotta’s new Chief Technology Officer. He is responsible for Terra Dotta’s product organization which includes Development, Professional Services and Support. His current focus is planning for 2017 and helping each of the teams put the necessary structure and processes in place to enhance the product and customer service we are delivering to our clients. For the Development organization, his goals include improving product stability as well as designing and delivering new features for our suite of offerings. On the Professional Services and Support side, Brendan is focusing on optimizing our ISSS implementation practices and polishing our support processes to provide clients with faster resolution times to their issues.

Prior to Terra Dotta, Brendan was the CTO for Clarabridge, a Software solution company. Clarabridge allows clients to monitor and track the experiences of their customers by automatically processing feedback - surveys, call center transcriptions, social media, etc - and identifying and rating important customer topics. Brendan is bringing to Terra Dotta the experiences and techniques he used at Clarabridge as it grew to help us optimize our performance.

Brendan received a BS in Computer Science from Bucknell University during which time he spent a semester abroad in London attending classes and interning for a British company. He then went on to receive an MS in Electronic Commerce - a joint program between the Computer Science and the Business schools - from Carnegie Mellon University.

When asked about his enthusiasm for joining Terra Dotta, Brendan replied “There are a number of aspects that I enjoy about Terra Dotta. The first is that my own personal study abroad experience was the highlight of my undergraduate college career so it is exciting to be working with a team and solution helping to make that possible for so many other students. The employees at Terra Dotta have varied experiences throughout the world and are extremely passionate about what they do.”

Brendan also said, “I see so much potential in Terra Dotta. With such a strong foundation of clients and offerings, I am excited to help the company grow and reach the next level.”

Maintenance tools are powerful, and when you learn to use them effectively, it makes you feel like you are a hero who can save the day. Come to this session to learn about some of the lesser-known Maintenance permissions and tools that allow you to edit and update user records, delete test applications and programs, troubleshoot logins and your SIS Refresh, and customize the text on your site. Whether you are a new TDS user or an experienced pro, you can learn to use the Maintenance tools to escape a sticky situation.

JANUARY 11 4:00 PM EST

You have lots of important information to share with your students before they depart for study abroad, but do they complain about sitting through a multiple-hour in-person orientation session? Do you or your staff have to stay late or come in on a Saturday to deliver these sessions? If so, Terra Dotta software can help! This webinar will cover the benefits of using TDS to deploy pre-departure orientation content that can allow you to shorten or eliminate your in-person sessions, allow your students to consume the orientation content on their schedule (i.e. 11:00pm when they are avoiding their philosophy paper) and administratively track completion of modules. We will also demonstrate how to build a simple and streamlined orientation using tools of TDS that you are likely already familiar with. Join us, and bring your questions and ideas to share.

JANUARY 25 11:00 AM EST

Proxy registrations can be used to allow a third party to register for travel on the applicant's behalf. Join us as we demonstrate the process for enabling and configuring a one-step form to be compatible with proxy registrations.

FEBRUARY 8 4:00 PM EST

Click here for a list of all upcoming webinars.