Foundation for Educational Services
SOCS (Simplified online communication system)
The MARE Board of Directors approved a full endorsement of SOCS -- Simplified Online Communication System -- a service provided by the Foundation for Educational Services, a nonprofit organization that has served the education community since 1986.
As a result of this partnership with MARE, FES will offer any member district a 5% discount on the annual license fee that purchases SOCS as a direct result of a MARE referral, conference or regional meeting.
SOCS allows staff to easily create and update online content regardless of skill level. Hosted on a state-of-the-art data center with redundant systems to ensure security and up time, SOCS eliminates the need for additional hardware or software purchases.
The following components of SOCS are included in the standard pricing package.
| Remote hosting in a secure, redundant data center | Moderated public feedback capability |
| Full control over content creation and modification | Security protection for private files and documents |
| Moderation controls that ensure content approval before posting | Survey capability with reporting |
| Multiple content navigation levels | Public polling capability |
| Scheduled content publishing | Training for staff |
| Slide Show capability | Interactive calendars |
| No server space limitations | User-definable "opt-in" e-mail calendar updates and reminders |
| Triggered e-mail notification for content review | Live phone support |
| Language translation | 24-hour access to online support and reporting system |
| E-newsletter listserv | Online help resources |
| Automated and unlimited archiving with search capability | Visitor traffic reporting |
| Unlimited number of content contributors | "AAA" W3C classification for ADA web access compliance for the visually impaired |
