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TransformingTheChurch's Platform - Toolkit of Features

The TransformingTheChurch.org platform is a powerful toolkit of modules that can be assembled in any number of ways to meet specific objectives for each facet of our project. Each module provides its own defined set of features and functions. Each Virtual Classroom for each course, every community and every event is custom assembled from the modules in our toolkit as needed. Some classrooms/communities/events may use all of the module; some may use only a few.

Our approach allows us to tailor each portion of TransformingTheChurch.org to best serve each targeted constituency. Course instructors and/or community moderators/curators can select which features and functions they wish to make available to each of their constituencies. The platform conforms to each facet of its mission instead of requiring the mission to conform to the platform.

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All modules are built on top of our proprietary state-of-the-art content management system (CMS) that provide all common functionality, security, Dynamic Catalog, Registrar and Bursar features. Each Virtual Classroom, Community Space and Event Space is created in its own secure partition with the CMS. Inside each secure partition, modules providing specific features and functions can be turned on or off as needed.

We have a broad and robust set of modules that can be used as needed. Also, we continually develop new modules and add features and functions to the platform. As a standard operating procedure, we do three to four major upgrades every year to the platform. To date, we have been able to serve all of the requests of all of our current and in-development instrutors, moderators and curators from our existing portfolio of modules. However, we feel it our duty to anticipate future needs and requests and are therefore very proactive in adding new things and technologies BEFORE they are requested.

Not only does our approach provide a powerful ability to adapt the platform to the mission, it also provide highly-reliable operations and allows us to be very responsive to new opportunities.

The core CMS and all production modules are pre-programmed and extensively tested for robustness and reliability. We are currently operating version 8.5 of our platform and have been in full production-grade operations for almost eight years. All new modules are extensively recursion tested as they are added. Since all of our technology is pre-built, fully integrated and tested, building new customized spaces (Virtual Classroom, Community Space and Event Space) does not introduce any new programming bugs or errors.

Configuring new spaces typically requires only turning on/off modules from our administrative control panels. A new space typically only requires a day to build, test and turn over to its assigned instructor, moderator or curator.

Another advantage of our approach is providing a technology upgrade path for each space. New features and functions can be added at any time, usually within minutes. This ability allows the capabilities of each space to grow or adapt to changing demands of both students and instructors.

Additionally, each secure space is built and maintained by our staff. All technical operations are monitored 24x7x52 by our Network Operations Center (NOC) staffed with engineers and technicians. All hardware and major software subsystems have built-in telemetry to instantly report any warnings or failures to the NOC in real time so remedial actions can begin without delay. Instructors can focus on educating students rather than learning our technology or becoming system administrators..