NexPort Solutions Blog: Inaugural Post

By Dr. Rob Miller
Chief Knowledge Officer

NexPort Solutions has come a long way from its rather humble beginnings in 2002.  Back then, it was all we could do to keep the Distributed Content Management System (DCMS) up-and-running, and meeting customer requirements.  However, the insights gained through that experience proved extremely valuable as we progressed from a hybridized platform to a model-view-controller architecture.  With each release, NexPort matured and the NexPort Solutions organization matured with it.  The pending release of NexPort 5.0 positions NexPort for compatibility with emerging technologies (e.g., cloud-based delivery, HTML5). 

Agile Practices

From the beginning, NexPort’s development has been mediated by agile development practices (i.e., build what the customer needs at the moment, get it into users’ hands as soon as possible, gain insight from its use, revise if necessary).  Basing development upon empirical evidence rather than on market hype often distinguishes NexPort from other similar products.

Another agile development practice that has affected NexPort’s development has been anticipation of change.  From the beginning, NexPort Solutions has given sincere thought to what will our customers need in the coming years to stay competitive?  That has led to an emphasis on paying down technology debt and positioning NexPort for compatibility with an ever-changing array of browsers, operating systems, databases, and security requirements.

Supporting Customers' Endeavors in the Corrections Industry

A significant NexPort customer, Smart Horizons Career Online Education (SHCOE) relies upon NexPort to provide an online learning environment that meets the security and reliability requirements of their customers in correctional facilities.  Not only is SHCOE the world’s first fully accredited online private school district, they are also leading the way in providing Internet-based education to correctional facilities throughout the nation.
  
Convincing Governors, State Legislators, Superintendents of Corrections, Wardens, and Correctional Educators to provide inmates with access to the Internet is certainly no easy task.  However, the staff at NexPort Solutions has repeatedly demonstrated to these customers that NexPort is up to the challenge.

What's Next?

In the coming year, NexPort will help SHCOE expand into the correctional education field with more mature capabilities that address increased security requirements, blended delivery modes (i.e., synchronous and asynchronous), delivery on mobile devices (i.e., tablets), adaptive testing, intelligent assignments, and aggregated reporting.

At the same time, NexPort Solutions will continue to grow a family of interoperable products:  NexPort, NexPort Reporting Services, and NexMeeting.  Watch this forum for more discussions on these developments.

Click here to view the NexPort Solutions blog.