ACXM Acxiom Holdngs (delisted)

In an effort to increase online academic integrity, new higher education policies require nationally accredited colleges and universities to verify that the distance learning student who registers for a course is the same student who performs the work. This is an issue for any institution that offers distance learning courses. The recently signed Higher Education instructs accreditation agencies to ensure institutions have policies and evidence of how they verify student identities in distance learning. Acxiom� is working with community colleges, public and private universities, industry trade associations and accreditation organizations to ensure the implementation of this new policy is consistent with authentication best practices in other industries and fits the unique needs of the distance-learning student. FactCheck-X� Authenticate is an online tool originally created by Acxiom to guard organizations against the risk of identity theft and fraud. The solution uses biographical data to create challenge exams to authenticate the identity of the individual logging on. These exams are user friendly because the information they use � such as house number, subdivision name or hunting license data � is known to the person being authenticated but not to others. �Acxiom helps colleges and universities maintain their academic integrity standards by verifying student identity,� said Tim Christin, managing director, Acxiom Risk Mitigation. �This online tool works without an enrollment process, expensive hardware or broadband requirements.� �The institutions and students who have participated in pilot programs of this solution have been pleased,� Michael Jortberg, Acxiom education project leader, said. �The ease of use, integration and flexibility of this offering are appealing to college and university professionals responsible for verification and authentication.� National American University and Acxiom presented�the results of a collaborative program�developed�to�authenticate online learners�at the�Higher Learning Commission annual�meeting in April. The pilot allowed NAU students enrolled in select online courses to experience online identification strategies. �Of�the�students who completed�the survey�about the pilot program,�we found that�94 percent indicated their�strong�preference for Acxiom�s online authentication service,��Dr. Jeffrey�Bailie, dean�of online�instruction�at NAU said. Bailie said that 72 percent of the students had previously relied on face-to-face proctored exams. Bailie also said that proctored examinations require university personnel to securely distribute examinations to qualified proctors nationwide and require students to report to approved testing locations at designated times. �We believe that�FactCheck-X Authenticate�will meet the expectations of distance learners who increasingly insist�on��anywhere-anytime� distance learning, while also reducing�administrative�costs�associated with�the �this-time-this-place� examination of traditional, on-site education.� Acxiom�s solution does not require webcams or fingerprints, and institutions using FactCheck-X Authenticate are notified of pass/fail rates of the authentication exams. The entire process is delivered by Acxiom through a Web interface, alleviating any student data management and authentication burden for schools. Because the university or college releases no information about students, there is no risk of noncompliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). To share more about FactCheck-X Authenticate�s benefits for distance learning programs, Acxiom will participate in the upcoming Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning, the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), and the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications (WCET) distance education conferences in October and November. Risk Mitigation Acxiom�s risk management capabilities are proven to empower organizations to make decisions that increase security and profitability, while reducing fraud across the enterprise. This is accomplished through a complete suite of risk solutions which include identification, investigative and authentication services. About Acxiom Corporation The global leader in interactive marketing services, Acxiom connects clients with their customers through deep consumer insight, powering effective and profitable marketing initiatives and business decisions. Our consultative approach spans multiple industries and incorporates decades of experience in consumer data and analytics, information technology, data integration, and consulting solutions for effective marketing across digital, Internet, email, mobile and direct mail channels. Founded in 1969, Acxiom is headquartered in Little Rock, Ark., and serves clients around the world from locations in the United States, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. For more information about Acxiom, visit www.acxiom.com. Acxiom is a registered trademark of Acxiom Corporation.