Connect for Encompass
Connect for Encompass is our add-on feature to connect member identity and content from our client websites directly to Facebook and is available as an add-on feature for a nominal setup and monthly licensing fee.
The two most important features of Connect are single sign-on and news feed propagation. When a member first visits a Connect-enabled site they will have to authenticate both with Facebook and also with the alumni community. Once that is successful, the accounts are “connected” and on future logins, the member can authenticate with either their community or Facebook username and password.
Once connected, when a member completes an enabled registration or donation form that activity can then be pushed to that member’s Facebook News Feed. For instance if I were to register for Homecoming 2008, I could choose to publish “Mike plans to attend Homecoming 2008 hosted by Ithaca College” to Facebook. Both the event (form name) and hosting site are hyperlinks from Facebook back to the alumni community. In this first release we additionally support Class Notes for feed propagation as well.
Single Sign-on
Visitors to a site with a Facebook account will now be able to associate that identity with a member record of your alumni site. Any visitor to your site, with or without a Facebook account, may validate their identity with your site, using your password requirements to associate their accounts. Once associated, any future visit to your site the member can elect to use their Facebook username/password to login into the alumni community. If a Facebook user is already logged into Facebook and has made this initial association then chooses to visit your site will automatically be logged into your site. Logging off from Facebook, if these accounts are associated will also log the member out of your site.
News Feed
When interacting with an enabled form, members will be presented with a dialog box following submission that will ask the member if they would like to propagate this particular activity into their Facebook News Feed. The member can elect to not propagate their activity into Facebook. Following a positive confirmation the News Feed will show a news story using the appropriate news template.
Part of our overall community strategy
iModules continuously follows ideas and helps to define new trends for building connections in the education and alumni affinity markets. Our support for Facebook Connect is our most recent initiative in integrating online communities with Encompass.
Follow are a list of resources we have provided over the past five months for our clients to best leverage online communities, and in particular Facebook.
Press Release
IMODULES CONNECTS ALUMNI USING FACEBOOK(R) PLATFORM
Encompass implements Facebook Connect to bring alumni communities into the conversation
PALO ALTO, CA – November 11, 2008. iModules announced that its latest release of Encompass now supports Facebook Connect, the next iteration of the Facebook Platform that allows users to "connect" their Facebook identity, friends and privacy to any site. As part of this launch, four institutions are now using this new functionality on their alumni association Web sites including Ithaca College, Oklahoma State University, Oregon State University and the University of Toronto.
"When looking to engage young alumni, you have to become part of their conversation, and many of those interactions start on Facebook," said Mike McCamon, Vice President of Marketing for iModules. "Using Facebook Connect, Encompass just became more social by allowing member activity, like an event RSVP or a donation, to be published on members Facebook News Feeds. Along with trusted authentication and dynamic privacy, Facebook Connect is what our market needs to achieve their development and advancement goals."
Encompass is technology that builds community and connections. As part of this release, event registrations, donations, campaign activity and class notes can appear as social actions on Facebook. For instance, when young alumni register for a Holiday Mixer hosted by their alma mater, they can elect to have a story automatically appear in their Facebook News Feed like, "Steve Miller is planning to attend Holiday Mixer 2008 hosted by Ithaca College Alumni Association." Both the host and event title are hyperlinks back to the alumni Web site, which gives institutions a unique viral marketing tool to promote their activities.
Tom DeBacco, CEO for iModules added, "Our support of Facebook Connect is part of our overall strategy for Encompass to engage young alumni. This also includes evangelizing institutional support of Facebook Pages and other future initiatives using the Facebook Platform. As we outlined in our Leveraging Facebook to Engage Young Alumni white paper, we believe alumni offices need a strategy to connect with every segment of their alumni population." As a resource to alumni, advancement and development officers, iModules has released a series of white papers and best practices documents that explore and recommend strategies to engage young alumni.
"We have already launched our Facebook Page and are excited to see the results from Facebook Connect," said Melissa Mourer, Director of Communications from the Oklahoma State University Alumni Assocation. Ms. Mourer added, "Being able to share social actions on the Facebook News Feed is a killer feature and one we expect will make our events and campaigns even more successful."
ABOUT IMODULES
iModules provides technology solutions and services to help organizations achieve their missions and build meaningful relationships through member management and online communication. With more than 600 clients serving over 15 million members, iModules offers Encompass to deliver easy-to-use tools for managing Web site content, member data, and strategic communication. An industry leader since 1999, iModules has partnered with organizations worldwide to make a difference. For more information, please visit www.imodules.com.
Facebook is a registered trademark of Facebook, Incorporated. Encompass is trademark of iModules, Incorporated. All other company and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
CONTACT
Hilary Wright
iModules
913-888-0772
hwright@imodules.com