Assignment Tracking System™ (ATS) for Riverdeep

Printable Version

Challenge

•   Cross-platform development of ATS on Windows and Mac   platforms.
•   Integration of 25 applications into ATS to provide additional   functionality.
•   Creation of a Windows Installer for ATS.

Results

•   All project milestones were met.
•   Orbital was instrumental in providing ATS on both Windows   and Mac platforms.
•   Orbital provided four versions of ATS to Riverdeep.

Value

•   Riverdeep was able to go to market with ATS shortly after   receiving the key components of ATS completed by Orbital.

“We were very pleased with the ability of Orbital to deliver key components of Assignment Tracking System (ATS) to Riverdeep. In doing so, Orbital was able to provide us with a value-added solution that is fulfilling the needs of our customers. We greatly respect the technical expertise and management ability demonstrated by Orbital.”

          -Director of Product Marketing, Riverdeep Inc.

Riverdeep Inc. (Riverdeep) is a premier provider of comprehensive e-Learning solutions and offers courseware and supplemental curricula, assessment and management tools, and professional development to schools around the globe.

Riverdeep secured Orbital to develop the key components of an educational software product referred to as Assignment and Tracking System (ATS). Teachers use ATS as a powerful tool for enhancing and monitoring the computer activities of their students. Using this product, teachers can enroll students, create assignments, install new educational products, and print class reports.

Orbital participated in the development of four versions of ATS (Version 3.0 (Windows^®), 3.1 (Macintosh^®), 3.2 (Windows/Macintosh) and 3.3 (Windows/Macintosh)). For each subsequent version, Orbital increased the functionality of ATS to provide increased sound capabilities, an upgraded user interface, and value-added utilities.

Over the period of September 1999 to June 2002, Orbital conducted approximately 12 person-years of work on this project and successfully met all of the project milestones. Orbital employed its standardized project management framework to complete the project. This framework included the following action items:

•   Needs Assessment: An Execution Plan was developed to   reflect Riverdeep’s needs.
•   Design: A detailed specification and time and resource   estimate was developed.
•   Development: Orbital conducted project management,   coding and testing.
•   Progress Reports: Orbital provided regular progress   reports to Riverdeep.
•   Product Delivery: Orbital delivered the finished product to   Riverdeep.
•   Support: Orbital supported the finished product for a   specified period of time.

Orbital was able to offer extensive experience with Windows and Mac development and porting between these two platforms. Moreover, Orbital was able to offer its in-house testing lab that permits testing against Windows (95, 98, Me, 2000, NT4, XP) and Mac (8.1, 8.6, 9.0, 9.1, OSX) operating systems and a wide range of designated hardware devices, including PowerMacs and Intel machines. Orbital was also able to offer Riverdeep a high degree of confidence that it would require little supervision on the project, given its vast experience managing such projects.

Orbital encountered a number of key challenges that required innovative and time-efficient solutions. These challenges included cross-platform development of the ATS, in which Orbital ported all Windows libraries to the Macintosh, integration of 25 applications into ATS to provide Riverdeep’s customers with additional functionality, and creation of a Windows installer for ATS.

Orbital’s development of an ATS for Riverdeep demonstrates its focus on providing leading-edge solutions that meet or exceed customer expectations.

The Riverdeep name and logo and Assignment Tracking System (ATS) name and logo are trademarks of Riverdeep Interactive Learning Limited. Additional product names indicated herein may also be registered trademarks of other companies.