Company: Via TRM
Company Description: Via TRM believes global experiences change our world. That’s why we created traveler relationship management and travel risk management software - to help International Educators efficiently engage, enroll, manage and track students participating in global opportunities. Via’s innovative, user-friendly, and affordable software solutions simplify study abroad for both students and administrators.
Nomination Category: New Product & Service Categories - Education
Nomination Sub Category: Emerging Technology Solution for Administrators
 Nomination Title: Via TRM's Intake and Program Match
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated new or new-version product or service, OR written answers to the questions for this category? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: If this is a brand-new product, state the date on which it was released. If this is a new version of an existing product, state the date on which the update was released:
Via TRM believes global experiences change our world. That’s why we created traveler relationship management and travel risk management software - to help International Educators efficiently engage, enroll, manage and track students participating in global opportunities. Via’s innovative, user-friendly, and affordable software solutions simplify study abroad for both students and administrators.
Built by and for international educators, Via offers two products: Via Global and Via Travel. While Via was founded in 2014, our software solutions have greatly improved since then. On October 17th, 2022, Via released a brand new Intake and Program Match for Via Global that is fully accessible and mobile-friendly. This new design also improves the user experience for students through more engaging language and features to get travelers excited about study abroad. Now administrators can reach students before they apply to a program, helping them understand their interests and needs while streamlining the advising process, saving our clients time and money.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Describe the features, functions, and benefits of the nominated product or service (up to 350 words):
Total 243 words used.
Intake and Program Match innovates by engaging travelers early in the process through simple questions that help align them to their ideal program. This increases participation by giving admins the power to meet travelers where they are. With Intake and Program Match, administrators are given key data points like travel goals and barriers, as well as preferred program countries and travel timing. This data helps to engage travelers based on their responses, allowing them to better plan and prepare for upcoming terms based on trends in their organization.
Traveler Intake is a series of questions that travelers are prompted to answer when they first create their account in Via. These questions provide essential information to administrators to help determine the interests and needs of incoming travelers as well as allow travelers to raise any questions and concerns in a matter of minutes. Passport status, travel goals and motivations, and financial aid are among the types of questions asked. Traveler Intake streamlines the process for advising, creating less work for administrators by reaching more travelers while saving time.
Via is the first organization to create a guided experience where travelers can receive program matches based on personal preferences and priorities. Program Match is Via’s proprietary matching engine, designed to help travelers find the program options that best meet their needs. Travelers are prompted to answer questions about their program preferences upon first logging in to Via, including program length, language immersion, and subject areas.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Outline the market performance, critical reception, and customer satisfaction with the product or service to date. State monetary or unit sales figures to date, if possible, and how they compare to expectations or past performance. Provide links to laudatory product or service reviews. Include some customer testimonials, if applicable (up to 350 words):
Total 334 words used.
As a company built by and for international educators, we continually gather feedback from users and incorporate those ideas into our road map planning. To build what our clients need, we created a process to regularly gather input from all of our stakeholders - both internal and external - which helps us prioritize features and functionality to integrate into the product.
Since 2014, Via has grown to serve 115+ paid subscribers and 150+ freemium subscribers. Our growth can be ascribed to three main principles - listening to clients, building intuitive user-friendly products, and supporting users with a best-in-class client success model. Via has grown steadily since our inception and is on track to record 100% growth from 2021 to 2022.
The response in the market to Via’s new intake and match outside of positive results has been tremendous in driving sales, awareness and overall market share. In the past year alone since release we have added 40+ new clients.
Here’s what our clients say about Via:
“We have 850 students in our system that we never would have met last year at this time in our previous software because the students weren’t visible to us until they applied. Now we can work with early stage students. It’s a game changer.” - Mark Eckman, Director of Education Abroad at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
“Via is very affordable and user friendly,” Katy says. “There’s a little bit of a gamified aspect to it. It’s really attractive and easy for the students to navigate. It does some of the advising work for me that, as a one-person office, is really helpful.” - Catherine Clark, Director of Study Abroad at Averett University.
“We’re amazed at what Via can do. It’s made it so much easier for us to have everything in one place. Via is easy. It’s intuitive. It’s smooth. It’s quick. And the customer service is very responsive, very helpful.” - Monya Lemery, Director of Study Abroad/International Student Services at Southwestern University.
- You have the option to answer this final question: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
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