Higher education software development experts.

Our expertise comes in part from our exclusive focus on colleges and universities. We create software that is a perfect fit for higher ed because we understand the mission, the people, the infrastructure, the economics, and even the bureaucracy.

Student Information Systems

Student Information Systems are the lifeblood of a school’s teaching operations. Despite the many SIS platforms out there, there are still plenty of schools that can’t find a good fit for their specific policies and integrations. 

West Arete takes a highly specialized approach to SIS. We’re able to achieve a level of data modeling and process implementation that isn’t possible on conventional SIS platforms. This reduces friction and inefficiency throughout the organization, because the system is designed to mirror the way that your school already thinks and operates.

We strive for an agile, incremental migration from legacy systems. This reduces risk and gets working production software with legacy integration in the hands of your staff and faculty within months.

Research Information Management Systems

OCLC defines Research Information Management as “the aggregation, curation, and utilization of metadata about research activities.” These systems combine metadata from many sources, allowing research institutions to understand the individual, departmental, and global nature of the research that they are producing. These insights are necessary for the strategic operation of a large research university, and are frequently coupled with Open Access workflows and Faculty Activity Reporting.

The system that West Arete developed with Penn State University Libraries was featured by OCLC in their report Research Information Management in the United States.

Service Contracts

Most mission-critical software at universities lives for more than 10 years. Some of West Arete’s software is nearing 20 years of active production service. Whether software is vibrant or whether it’s a relic at that age is not a function of when it was introduced—it’s a function of the planning and processes that surround it.

West Arete’s service contracts ensure that the software that your institution depends on remains secure, accessible, modern, and relevant. We work closely with your stakeholders to evolve the platform to match the changes at your institution. And we do so without burden to your IT teams.

Custom Software Development and DevOps

There are situations where your in-house software development team may require some additional expertise. Or perhaps there is a software development project that keeps getting pushed down your team’s to-do list.

West Arete specializes in collaboration with university software development teams to develop solutions according to your team’s and stakeholders’ needs. We bring the best practices of the software development industry, along with specific knowledge of higher ed identity systems and regulatory requirements.

Finally, we work closely with your team to ensure that there’s adequate transfer of knowledge. After all, the intellectual property goes well beyond source code.