Secure Connection

Lead data should be transferred in an encrypted format in order to comply with all laws and ensure the security and privacy of the data. Sending data over secure connection encryption at least 128-bit SSL encryption (through HTTPS web services, etc) is recommended.

Real-Time Lead Delivery

Lead data should be transferred in real-time. The amount of time that elapses between the prospective student submitting the request for information and that new lead record arriving in your CRM should be no more than a couple seconds. You can’t follow up on a hot lead if your provider is waiting until the end of the day to batch deliver them.

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Talisma iServices API Integration

EDU Interactive completed another successful integration of Lead Genisys with Talisma CRM for a valued client this week. In real-time Lead Gensiys creates, sources and assigns new leads in Talisma. Remarketing efforts seamlessly update existing lead records. Lead Genisys also automatically pulls complex reports from Talisma and processes the data to drive business decisions.

Talisma CampusCRM

Talisma CRM is a Client Relationship Management software product which encompasses enrollment management, student retention, student services, education finance, alumni relations and more.

Campus Management

Talisma CRM was aquired by Campus Management Corp in November 2008 as part of an agreement with nGenera Corporation that included the asset aquisition of its subsidiary, Talisma Corporation.

Technical Details

The integration utilized the Talisma iServices Web Service using the SOAP protocol. SOAP is a simple XML-based protocol which allows communication between applications running on different operating systems, with different technologies and programming languages.

What is an API?
I am frequently questioned by my peers as to what exactly an API is… The acronym API stands for Application Programming Interface. An Application Programming Interface (API) in layman’s terms is simply an interface for allowing two different programs or systems to communicate. Note: API is also commonly called a 3rd-Party Integration Method or Web Services Intergration. Think of it as a universal language – like Sign Language. Now imagine an Italian trying to speak Italian with a German who only knows German. This gets them nowhere. Now imagine that they are both able to use Sign Language. The language barrier is now broken. An API is kind of like Sign Language, in that it breaks the programming language/interface barrier. All modern programming languages today are able to communicate to APIs using standard protocols. My personal favorite – the world’s most popular web programming language – is PHP. Using PHP, I am able to interface with modern online systems, as well as perform complex third-party integrations with legacy systems for our EDU Interactive clients.

Who offers an API?
Many of the larger, more reputable online companies offer API integration to some or all of their services. A few companies that have mature APIs are Google, Yahoo, Salesforce, Digg, Flickr, Basecamp, etc. With the internet’s growing number of disparate systems, programs and languages, APIs are rapidly growing in popularity and use.
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I had the opportunity to attend the Online Media, Marketing & Advertising Conference & Expo 2007 this year in New York. It was an excellent conference with great presentations and panel discussions on Video Trends, Media Fragmentation, Monetizing Content, Analytics / Reporting, Search Marketing / Optimization.

Is it right to give attribution to the last click? Does this give too much credit to search? What if you could measure all of the consumer touch points and create algorithms that properly weight credit for each? Methodologies are being developed and tested that will change the way we attribute credit for Web and search campaigns, creating a model for multiple digital platforms in the future. Some call it Multiple Attribution Protocol. In my opinion, this was the most interesting topic. This protocol examines the life of the relationship with the consumer, providing a weighted attribution, and credits the most significant points of contact with the sale or conversion. Each point of contact impacts the others, and nothing can be defined in a vacuum. The most-recent-exposure reporting approach is where only the final point of contact is credited for the sale or conversion.

Brand Awareness, Offline Purchases and Pass Along (Telling a Friend) are not accounted for in the Multiple Attribution Protocol at this point. Hopefully some day, new technologies will enable us to include these missing areas in some capacity.