Evaluate Technologies
Our chosen charity : The Cleft Lip and Palate Association Managed web hosting
n-tier architecture

The Evaluate application has been built with an industry standard ‘three tier architecture’, making it easily expandable and scalable, whilst at the same time being secure and robust.

The Evaluate application tiers are as follows:

  • Database tier

    Databases

    The database environment used is Microsoft’s latest ‘2005’ implementation of SQL Server. This allows us not only to maintain a secure and quick data store, but also to implement advanced reporting functionality, such as trigger based reporting. This offers cutting edge XML support that allows Evaluate to store and query bespoke data in XML formats inside the database, allowing very rapid development of new functionality.

  • Business/Data level tier

    Cogs

    The Evaluate web application has a robust data and business tier that separates the data access components from the business logic, essential in securing such a data sensitive application. It also allows developers to work on a truly object orientated system with the benefits that this brings in terms of reduced development times. The application uses Datasets to pass information between its presentation layer and database, a technology that utilises a raw XML data format, making the application very quick and scalable. It also allows us to implement some very powerful features, such as using XSLT to quickly transform data into the XML formats used by your panel of Lenders.

  • Presentation layer tier

    Pages

    The presentation layer of the Evaluate system has been built using up to date best practices, for example using cascading style sheets that allow us to roll out presentation changes across the entire system with minor changes to one file. We also store page text in the database to allow us to easily implement different language / user versions of the site without requiring expensive application changes. The site utilises the latest technologies to enrich the users' experience, such as using AJAX to make the pages slicker and quicker to use.

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Our advisers need speed and certainty to help them provide the best advice to our clients and Evaluate offers both. The most important feature of a sourcing system is its accuracy and we are particularly impressed that Evaluate delivered 100% accuracy throughout our trials

Ray Boulger, Senior Technical Manager, Charcol

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