August 2026

What if your team could build and modernize Ellucian Data Connect pipelines up to 5x faster?

That is what we are now seeing with Akaden, our Agentic AI engineering platform built on years of Banner, Colleague and Data Connect modernization experience. We have validated it through dozens of higher education customer engagements, helping institutions modernize to SaaS.

Akaden connects requirements, engineering review, testing and validation in one workflow, reducing manual effort, accelerating delivery and helping lower project budgets.

In this issue, we are sharing a selection of recent modernization projects, along with practical Data Connect implementation patterns our engineers have documented from the field. These projects represent only part of the Ellucian modernization work our team has recently delivered.

Meet Akaden

Akaden helps teams build and modernize Banner and Colleague integrations on Ellucian Data Connect using specialized AI agents.

The agents assist with analysis, specifications, development, testing and troubleshooting while engineers continue to set goals, review the work, make decisions and validate outcomes.

Based on our internal use, Akaden helps achieve up to 5x faster Data Connect pipeline development, depending on pipeline complexity and scope.

Built from real Ellucian modernization experience, Akaden can work with Amazon Bedrock, OpenAI and other leading AI providers while keeping project context, engineering tools and human review in one workflow.

Explore Akaden and book a demo

Read our Akaden case study in the ABCloudz blog

Recent Ellucian modernization projects

The projects below are only a selection of the Banner and Ellucian SaaS modernization work our team has recently delivered.

We used Akaden to simplify and accelerate delivery across this work, reducing manual engineering effort and helping lower project budgets while keeping specifications, implementation, testing and review under engineering control.

Each project started with a different legacy process, business rule or external system. The common goal was the same: preserve the behavior the institution still needed while moving away from unsupported on-premises dependencies.

403(b) contribution limits for Fidelity

A Banner payroll process maintained annual 403(b) contribution limits for Fidelity NetBenefits. ABCloudz rebuilt its age rules, effective-date logic, conflict checks and audit controls in Data Connect.

Banner-to-Fidelity retirement contributions

A custom Banner process created retirement contribution files for Fidelity. ABCloudz moved the logic to Data Connect while preserving plan mappings, contribution rules, duplicate controls and required file output.

Fidelity retirement benefits in Banner SaaS

A Fidelity feedback file drove deferrals, retirement benefits, employer match and eligibility updates. ABCloudz rebuilt the workflow as modular Data Connect pipelines with APIs, validation and audit controls.

Perceptive Content Financial Aid integration

Perceptive Content iScripts depended on Banner database lookups and stored procedures. ABCloudz preserved the Financial Aid document workflow while moving Banner interactions to supported APIs.

TouchNet third-party sponsor billing

A custom Banner billing engine prepared sponsor billing for TouchNet. ABCloudz rebuilt contract rules, funding limits, allocations, reconciliation and processing controls around Data Connect and supported SaaS access.

JasperReports invoices in Data Connect

Sponsor invoices depended on JasperReports templates that could not move to Data Connect. ABCloudz recreated the layouts in HTML and CSS and generated the required PDFs inside Data Connect.

Banner enrollment reconciliation

A custom Banner job recalculated section and cross-list enrollment through direct database access. ABCloudz rebuilt it in Data Connect with supported APIs, audit-first processing and controlled corrections.

Late graduation processing in Banner SaaS

A custom Oracle job identified late graduation applicants for downstream degree processing. ABCloudz moved the rules to Banner Native Population Selection while preserving the existing Registrar workflow.

Banner eligibility logic for TouchNet

A custom Banner process determined student eligibility used by TouchNet payment processing. ABCloudz separated policy evaluation, supported Banner updates, operational state and reporting into a SaaS-ready workflow.

Point and Click immunization integration

Point and Click Solutions supplied immunization data used for Banner status and registration holds. ABCloudz rebuilt the flow with Axway, S3, Data Connect and supported Banner APIs.

TouchNet and DATAMATX student billing

Custom Banner billing produced electronic statements for TouchNet and paper output for DATAMATX. ABCloudz rebuilt the workflow while preserving calculations, statement rules, distribution and reconciliation.

Data Connect know-how from the field

Real modernization projects also produce practical engineering lessons that are useful well beyond a single implementation.

Our engineers have been documenting recurring Ellucian Data Connect problems, edge cases and implementation patterns from real development and troubleshooting work. The series focuses on specific technical questions and shows practical ways to solve them.

Ellucian Data Connect tips and implementation patterns

This growing catalog brings the series together in one place. Each post focuses on one implementation problem, explains why it occurs and presents a reusable pattern for solving it.

Topics include:

What could your team modernize faster?

Every institution has its own mix of Banner and Colleague integrations, custom jobs, reports and business rules that still need to work after the move to SaaS.

ABCloudz can help identify what needs to remain, redesign it around supported Ellucian architecture and use Akaden to reduce manual engineering effort and accelerate delivery while keeping engineers in control.

If your team is planning an Ellucian SaaS transition or working through a modernization backlog, talk with us about what should come next.