An affordable revolution

HostedGroups was created to manage records and group operations for a high school service club. Clubs like this have limited budgets and resources, so HostedGroups was developed to meet their needs without a huge expense.

A valuable partnership

This project started with the Enloe High School Key Club, which struggled to manage 100+ members annually. Previously, the club handled event scheduling, member information, and credit using a disjoint system of paperwork and spreadsheets.

From proposal to development

In Spring 2006, Daniel C. Eckert -- then a Junior at Enloe -- proposed the development of a management system for the Enloe Key Club, and Board Members enthusiastically approved the project. Planning occurred during Spring 2006 and initial development was completed that Summer.

Testing and deployment

Testing was completed during the Summer with Key Club Board Members, and the system went online at the beginning of the Fall 2006 semester. This version was used through the end of the Spring 2007 semester.

Scalability concerns addressed

Since scalability issues were revealed during the first year of operation, a new version of the club management system developed for the Enloe Key Club during Summer 2007.

Analytics and ranking introduced

The development of the new version concentrated on increasing efficiency. This new system introduced basic analytics and member ranking using nightly snapshots, since realtime analytics were not desired at the time.

Target audience expanded

The major revision was launched for use at the beginning of the Fall 2007 semester and was used through the end of Spring 2008. This version was primarily used by the Enloe Key Club, but a second copy was deployed for the Triangle Gujarati Association Youth Group.

A new identity

Fall 2008 saw the launch of HostedGroups as the culmination of earlier development effort with the Enloe Key Club. The third major revision of the group management system included advances in data management and system capabilities.

Advances in data management

HostedGroups was rebuilt from the ground up using a new MySQL database to accomodate multiple groups under one roof. New features included:

• Increased database performance
• Realtime analytics capabilities
• A basic realtime member ranking system

Something for everyone

One benefit of running multiple groups from a central codebase and database is that a user can join additional groups with the click of a button. Additionally, implementing new features across all groups is a breeze, since there's only one set of code to maintain.

Considerations for continued growth

The HostedGroups user base and activity rate continued to grow in 2009, highlighting database performance issues. Accordingly, a focus was placed on optimizing both the database and the realtime analytics system.

Focused on speed

The fourth major version of HostedGroups, released in Fall 2009, concentrates on enhancements to the performance of both the application and database layers.

Progress made so far

Improvements made this year include:

• A more modular, streamlined user interface
• Completion of a more efficient realtime member ranking tool
• Web-based group administration tools
• Limited access-control measures for group leaders

There's always more to do

Despite the advances made this year, further performance-impacting issues have been revealed and development to resolve these will continue.

Progress so far

The first months of 2010 saw a focus on technical issues and minor updates, rather than extensive new development. However, Summer 2010 brought a variety of updates, including:

• Enhanced database performance
• New email alerts and updates

Plans for development

Some of the capabilities underway during Fall 2010 include:

• Increased access control capabilities
• Secure, web-based elections

Enhancement timeline

During the Fall 2010 development phase, HostedGroups is accepting applications for new groups. Development is planned for completion mid-late Fall 2010 -- at which point new groups may join at will.

Feedback is always appreciated

As always, HostedGroups exists to meet the needs of you and your group. If you find something that could be improved, or a functionality that would enhance the effectiveness of your group, please email the development team at dev@hostedgroups.org.