Agreement paves way for growth of eFolio electronic portfolio system

EFolio, the award-winning electronic portfolio system developed by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and used by numerous college campuses around the United States, has announced a new business agreement that paves the way for continued future growth.

Under the agreement, Avenet Web Solutions, a Minnesota technology company that jointly owns eFolio with the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, will handle day-to-day business operations of eFolioWorld, which is licensed in states outside Minnesota. Avenet has been involved with eFolio since its creation in 2001. The University of Minnesota also has become a major contributor to eFolio.

EFolio is a Web-based portfolio system that allows individuals to showcase their education, career and personal achievements. It is provided free to Minnesota residents through eFolioMinnesota.

In announcing the new arrangement, eFolio director Paul Wasko said the agreement will help meet growing demand. “This will allow the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system and the University of Minnesota to concentrate on what we do well – developing ideas for new functions, consulting and training schools on the use of eFolio services, and making sure that the tool continues to meet the needs of students,” he said. “Avenet will concentrate on other areas of business operations, such as sales, billing and contracting, that have been challenging to pursue in a government setting.”

Avenet President Michael Norton said the main purpose for the transition is to increase responsiveness to eFolioWorld customers and to enhance the overall marketing efforts for the popular tool. “We have an opportunity to significantly expand the customer base for eFolio,” Norton said. “EFolioWorld is the most successful electronic portfolio system in the country, and we want to build on that success with the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and the University of Minnesota.”

EFolioMinnesota has more than 55,000 active users in Minnesota and eFolioWorld has more than 31,000 active users outside Minnesota. Since its launch, eFolio has served more than 200,000 registered college and K-12 users in Minnesota and nationwide.