What Does Partnering With Your Technology Vendor Look Like, and Why Should You Do It?
In the world of higher education, institutions are constantly looking for technology solutions that can improve operations, enhance the student experience, and adapt to the evolving needs of their campus communities. But not all technology providers are created equal. The difference between a vendor and a true partner lies in the quality of the relationship; technology partners understand the value of open communication, trust, shared goals, and collaborative problem-solving. A vendor who acts as a partner understands that the relationship doesn’t end after the transaction. Instead, that transaction is a milestone—one that deepens mutual trust and opens the door to continuous collaboration toward achieving shared goals.
By investing in long-term relationships, prioritizing communication, and helping solve real-time challenges, Jenzabar and those institutions we partner with have achieved substantial results. To illustrate the benefits of fully partnering with your technology vendor, we asked some of our customers to recount how partnering with Jenzabar led to success at their institution.
Identifying and Solving Internal Inefficiencies
Part of what makes a vendor a true partner is the ability to help institutions uncover inefficiencies in their current processes and find ways to improve.
This was certainly the case for Russell Diaz, Executive Director of Information Technology at Dominican University, when he and his team partnered with Jenzabar. “Working with the Jenzabar consulting team, and our great project manager, we have exposed poor practices, missing data, and manual processes that could be automated,” Diaz explained. “These things were exposed as we were installing the new [Jenzabar One] modules… We are still working on correcting our ways, but we are on the right path and will be much better off for it.”
Ensuring Security and Business Continuity
As instances of ransomware and other cyberattacks in the higher education sector grow, having a trusted technology partner is invaluable. In this instance, technology partnership goes beyond just providing solutions—it extends to safeguarding operations and ensuring long-term stability.
"For me as the CIO, the most important story must be the decision to move the Jenzabar system from local servers on my network to the hosted servers at Jenzabar,” said Diaz. “While we were at it, we also had an Azure Active Directory (AD) server hosted by Jenzabar (Jenzabar One SaaS). We directed all the other hosted servers such as Blackboard to use the Host AD. We had to adjust a few things, but this hosted server was stable and runs well.”
This decision proved to be crucial when, in 2021, the university faced a ransomware cyberattack over Thanksgiving break. “The Jenzabar cybersecurity system detected the attack on the hosted AD. It stopped the attack, and we were notified in real-time. Due to the quick response, we were able to stop the attack. No data was lost, business and classes went on without interruption. Had I not moved the Jenzabar system to Jenzabar One SaaS, we likely would have had a major loss of data, and possibly the university would not have recovered and been forced to close, like has happened to so many other places. [With] one cyberattack [there are] two possible outcomes: 1) The data is lost, we have to pay the ransom and most likely it is the end of the University. 2) No problem, no data loss, no bad press, no interruption to classes or running the business at all. Jenzabar gave us option 2.”
Offering Training and Support to Maximize Vendor Solutions
A true technology partner doesn’t just provide a product; they work closely with institutions to make sure that the institution’s users understand how to best use the solution and how to get the most value from that solution.
According to Walter Gibson, Assistant Director of Administrative Systems, at UVA Wise, Jenzabar’s support and training played a large role in the enrollment increases the institution saw between 2022 and 2024. “At UVA Wise we were experiencing decreased enrollment even before COVID-19. We had talked about using [Jenzabar Recruitment]... We pulled the trigger in 2020 just as COVID hit, and it took us two years to get it all running correctly, mainly because of COVID and losing our Vice Chancellor of Admissions. But we increased enrollment in 2022 by about 8% and in 2023 by about 12% and by 15% in 2024. That is an accomplishment that is no fluke, but a real trend and we owe it to Jenzabar and their help with setup, support, and training on Jenzabar [Recruitment].”
For Sustainable Success, Make Sure You're Getting the Most Out of Your Technology Partnership
Partnering with a technology vendor isn’t just about acquiring a product–it’s about fostering a long-term relationship that drives innovation, streamlines processes, and ensures lasting success. At Jenzabar, we worked closely with our clients from day one, ensuring seamless implementations, thorough training, and ongoing support. This level of collaboration is why over 250 institutions have partnered with us for more than 25 years. The strongest partnerships are built on trust, mutual understanding, and a shared commitment to achieving common goals.
