CAMBRIDGE, MA–August 14, 2001–When it comes to selecting an information processing system, Albany College of Pharmacy's strategy is to "shop early and avoid the rush."

	Albany College of Pharmacy

In October of 2000, Albany (New York) College of Pharmacy (ACP) decided to phase out its then-current software. "Our President wanted to be proactive, to find a replacement and avoid any last-minute rush," Tom Weaver, ACP's Assistant Director of Computer Services, remembers. However, there also was one other consideration driving the decision: the University Heights Association (UHA), a philanthropic organization that is a consortium of ACP and three other area schools (Albany Law School, The Sage Colleges, and Albany Medical College). The presence of UHA and the possibility of a shared service (with Datatel neighbors Albany Law and Russell Sage College) played a role in giving this search the utmost priority.

Starting in December 2000, ACP began a 7-month-long selection process that involved:

• Numerous phone calls to current users, pharmacy schools, and institutions that had converted the same software as ACP was then presently using
• A 200-item survey sent to current users at ACP
• Departmental interviews
• Demonstrations by two vendors of three products
• User participant reaction
• Field trips to St. Louis College of Pharmacy and Green Mountain College
• A user vote and town meeting
• Presentation of findings to the President and Dean, and
• Contract review and ultimate signing.

All users were invited to each of the three demos, under the supervision of Marty Smith, University Heights Association IT Consultant and Weaver.

When the dust had settled (June, 2001) ACP had selected Jenzabar Teams Elite™.

"We truly valued the opinion of our user community," Weaver notes, "because ultimately they're the ones who have to buy into the decision."

And user feedback was very positive, with remarks such as:

• "I am very pleased with Teams and ready to go with it...when can we start?"
• "We can easily incorporate Microsoft products with Teams."
• "I am very pleased with the ease of use and customization within the±product."
• "I think that Teams meets the current and future needs of my department."
• "We can obtain reports or perform queries ourselves!"

Basically, the Windows™ look and feel to the product eased a lot of initial fears in migrating to a new package. The addition of Scheduling software and a Student Affairs module essentially gave Teams an edge. The companies that had already converted rated the implementation teams very favorably.

"We also thought that the current staffing levels could remain the same for Teams Elite, as they had for the past 17 years with our then-current software product, which happened to be another product in the Jenzabar family," Weaver observes. "The cost of ownership was favorable. We look at this purchase as an investment."

Other factors included the fact that ACP felt that Jenzabar would decide its own destiny on many of its products, without heavily relying on partnerships that might make such decisions for them. ACP felt it would reap the benefits of Jenzabar's web portal and instructional management components as well. The interface back to the legacy data would eliminate many minute office tasks. And ACP required an end-to-end solution that would promote user autonomy.

"We're excited about growing alongside Jenzabar," Weaver remarks. "I realize that it's going to be a long process, but it's a great excuse to examine ourselves under the microscope and change the way we conduct business. It's a great opportunity to implement best practices into our daily tasks. The staffing requirements fit, and the policies were just what we were looking for! A recent memo from President Gozzo stated that, 'This system will allow us to move forward, as we both continue to seek to enhance student centeredness and promote educational innovation.'"

About Albany College of Pharmacy
The Albany College of Pharmacy prepares students for licensure and rewarding careers in a number of fields. Everything is directed at providing one of the finest academic preparations available in pharmacy. Because the College is so focused and is small (only 670 students), faculty provide attentive, personal instruction and a rare opportunity for students to grow and discover their full potential. The rigorous scientific/humanistic curriculum fosters students' independence, responsibility, and self-awareness. Located in the medical/academic University Heights section of Albany, the College is at the center of a world of opportunity for learning. Albany, in New York's "Capital Region," is also the center of a world of recreation and fun - a world of professional sports, world-class entertainment, and internationally renowned venues for skiing, camping, fishing, hiking; whatever a student's interest, it is available.

About Jenzabar, Inc.
By improving the exchange of information through powerful business intelligence applications and services, Jenzabar's Internet enterprise software, e-learning solutions, and services deliver a competitive edge to higher education institutions. Dedicated to supporting and enhancing the educational community, Jenzabar's business units serve 700 higher education institutions worldwide, including students, professors, and administrators from private liberal arts, medical, law, state, and community colleges. Institutions employing Jenzabar solutions include The Claremont Colleges, Colby College, Daytona Beach Community College, William Mitchell College of Law, Governors State University, Bluffton College, Florida Southern College, Bay de Noc Community College, Berry College, and Harvard Medical School.

Jenzabar's offerings include Web-based enterprise software with student, institutional advancement, human resources, and financial applications; e-learning solutions; and a higher education enterprise information portal (EIP). Founded in 1998, Jenzabar is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and currently employs more than 300 people in regional offices across the United States.