In the world of higher education IT, few announcements cause as much collective anxiety as a software end-of-life notice. It’s a familiar story for many institutions: a core piece of your software infrastructure, something your teams have used for years, is being deprecated. This isn’t a new problem. Many of us remember the days of migrating off of clunky, outdated Content Management Systems (CMS) or homegrown student information systems that had become too cumbersome to maintain.
Today, that cycle continues with a significant deadline looming for many. Ellucian is officially sunsetting its popular Banner On-Premise solution, setting a hard deadline for users to migrate to their cloud software by the end of 2025. For the hundreds of colleges that have built their data stacks around the local control and stability of Banner On-Prem, this isn’t just an upgrade—it’s a fundamental shift that can feel forced and restrictive.
This common “one-key” approach, where a vendor sunsets a product and presents their proprietary cloud replacement as the only path forward, often overlooks the unique needs, budgets, and strategic goals of each institution. It’s like being told you have to replace your entire door just because the lock manufacturer has a new model they want you to buy.
The Locksmith Approach to Data Migration
At Datatelligent, we see things differently. We believe you shouldn’t be locked into a single solution. Instead of being a key-maker with one answer, we act as your institution’s locksmith—a strategic partner with a full set of tools to craft the solution that is right for you.
Our philosophy is built on a hybrid, data-team approach. We understand that “moving to the cloud” isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy. You have unique security requirements, established workflows, and a complex ecosystem of existing technology. Our goal is to work with you, not just for you, to navigate these transitions without disrupting your operations or forcing you into a corner.
Leverage Your Existing Stack, Avoid the Red Tape
One of the biggest hurdles in adopting new technology in higher education is the dreaded Request for Approval (RFA) process. It’s slow, complex, and can stifle innovation. Datatelligent’s approach is designed to minimize this friction. We specialize in working with the stack of tools your college already has and is approved to use. By integrating with your current environment, we help you modernize your data infrastructure without launching a dozen new approval processes.
Furthermore, in some cases, we even have an existing Request for Approval at the state level for community college systems. If you’re part of one of these groups, partnering with us can be an incredibly streamlined process. We encourage you to ask our team if this approach can benefit your institution.
Future-Proof Your Institution with a Data Lake
Whether you’re moving off Ellucian Banner On-Prem or another piece of deprecated software, our data lake strategy is the key to a smoother, more valuable transition. By migrating your data from a legacy system into a centralized data lake, you decouple your valuable information from the software itself.
This accomplishes two critical goals:
- Immediate Modernization: You don’t have to wait for a full system replacement to start leveraging your data. Our custom data sets allow for the easy flow of information into powerful KPIs and dashboards, delivering actionable insights to your leadership today.
- Long-Term Flexibility: Once your data is in a flexible, modern data lake, you are no longer captive to a single software vendor. Future migrations and integrations become vastly simpler, giving you the freedom to choose the best tools for your institution down the road.
Don’t let a software sunset dictate your institution’s future. You have more options than you think. Contact the Datatelligent team today to learn how our locksmith approach can help you unlock your data’s true potential and build a more agile, resilient technology strategy for tomorrow.
