Student Manager 9: Capabilities and FlexDesk Hosting
Student Manager 9 manages courses, registrations, payments, instructors and reporting for continuing-education programs in one system. ACEware can also host it through FlexDesk, so your institution doesn't need to run the server.
- For decision-makers: SM9 adds automation (scheduled reports, confirmations and reminders), a redesigned interface and support for custom API integrations. It keeps unlimited users with no per-user software licensing fees. FlexDesk hosting includes 3 staff logins and unlimited student users, with more staff logins available as needed. ACEweb gives students and instructors self-service around the clock.
- For technical staff: SM9 adds a PostgreSQL option alongside MS SQL Server. FlexDesk provides access over Remote Desktop through an SSL gateway, with Duo multi-factor authentication.
This paper covers the challenges continuing-education programs face, SM9's capabilities, ACEweb online registration, how FlexDesk works, and how its cost compares with running Student Manager on your own servers.
The Challenge for Continuing-Education Programs
Continuing-education units must serve learners at any hour while running lean, and their IT support is often shared. A typical program has to:
- Publish and update a changing catalog of courses, workshops and events.
- Take registrations and payments online, including during heavy opening-day rushes.
- Give instructors rosters, attendance and grading tools without adding staff work.
- Report on enrollment, revenue and budgets for leadership and accreditors.
- Protect student and payment data while staff work on campus and remotely.
Using separate tools for each job leads to re-keyed data, slow reporting and more systems for IT to maintain. Student Manager handles all of these jobs in one system, and FlexDesk takes the hosting off your team's plate.
Student Manager 9 at a Glance
Student Manager 9 (SM9) is ACEware's current registration and records system for continuing education. It is built around automation, performance and integration, and keeps the full feature set of earlier versions (Help Center).
| Capability | What it does |
|---|---|
| Automation | Scheduled reports delivered by email; automated enrollment confirmations, reminders and notifications; recurring tasks with no manual intervention |
| Redesigned interface | Multitasking window management, support for 4K and high-resolution displays, streamlined navigation, improved contrast, font scaling and keyboard navigation |
| API integrations | SM9 can connect to other systems through REST APIs. ACEware builds these integrations to order as custom programming; an existing example is a HubSpot integration. |
| Payment services | PCI-compliant interfaces for credit card and other electronic payments in Student Manager and ACEweb. |
| Enterprise scale | New PostgreSQL database option; built to handle millions of records |
| Core modules | Courses, Names, Registrations, Payments, Reporting, Budget Builder, Catalog Builder, Company Invoicing, Email Module, Faculty Manager, Financial Aid, Pocket Ledger and Workshops (module index) |
| Web Interface (ACEweb) | A 24/7 online portal for students and instructors, connected directly to Student Manager data (see ACEweb Online Registration below) |
Optional Modules
These optional modules are available for use with Student Manager. Attendance Tracking, Course Packaging and Gift Cards are purchased separately; for pricing, contact your ACEware technician. SMS Text Messaging requires a Twilio account.
| Module | What it does |
|---|---|
| Attendance Tracking | Track attendance for courses. |
| Course Packaging | Bundle registrations for sale as a package. |
| Gift Cards | Sell gift cards and accept them as payment for registrations, in Student Manager and ACEweb. |
| SMS Text Messaging | Send text messages from Student Manager to people in your database, using the Twilio API. |
ACEweb Online Registration
ACEweb gives students and instructors self-service around the clock, all connected to Student Manager data.
ACEweb puts your program offerings online, so students can register at any hour (ACEweb). It runs directly against Student Manager data, so online registrations, payments and course information stay in one system.
| Area | What it does |
|---|---|
| Students | Search and browse courses, register and pay, pay outstanding balances and invoices, cancel registrations, view registration history, and use coupons and deposits. Membership courses and proxy (on-behalf-of) registrations are also supported. |
| Instructors | View course information, print rosters and attendance sheets, email students, record hours, credits and grades, record attendance (requires the Attendance Tracking module), submit course proposals and edit their profiles. |
| Configuration | HTML and email templates, INI settings and custom pages control the look and behavior. The documentation includes accessibility compliance guidance and opening-day registration tips. |
Optional Modules
These optional modules for ACEweb are available for purchase. For pricing, contact your ACEware technician.
| Module | What it does |
|---|---|
| Alternate ACEweb Interface | Create separate storefronts, each with its own settings and templates. |
| ACEweb Calendar Module | Display courses in a monthly calendar format. |
| BOGO Special Offer | Offer discounts such as “Buy One, Get One Free.” Part of the Course Packaging module. |
| Flex Deposits/Payments | Give students flexibility in the deposit and payment amounts they make toward a registration. |
| Limit Member Discounts | Limit the number of courses a member can register for in a given term. |
| Partner Enrollment Packaging | Let registrants select a partner when enrolling in specific courses. |
| Payment Plans | Set up payment plans for registrations made through ACEweb. |
| Quick Pick Module | Simplify registration and speed up high-volume registration periods. |
| Required Document Uploads | Require registrants to upload files before they can proceed to checkout. |
| Term Fee Module | Charge a fee the first time someone enrolls in a course in a given term or semester. |
| Tile Layout for Course Groups | Display course groups in a grid, with a tile (or card) for each group. |
| Transaction Fee Module | Add a transaction fee to each transaction completed through ACEweb. |
FlexDesk: Student Manager, Hosted by ACEware
FlexDesk lets staff run Student Manager on an ACEware-hosted server, reached securely over SSL from anywhere with an internet connection (Connecting to FlexDesk). Your institution doesn't have to provide its own Student Manager server.
For decision-makers: staff can work from the office, from home or on the road using the same environment. Your institution doesn't need to supply or maintain a Student Manager server of its own. SM9 is also tuned for faster performance in ACEware's cloud hosting environment (Help Center).
For technical staff: this is how access works.
- ACEware gives each user a server address (for example, yourschool.aceware.com) and a username.
- The user connects with Remote Desktop (RDP) through ACEware's RD Gateway, gateway.aceware.com.
- Duo sends a push notification to the user's mobile device. The connection opens only after the user approves it (multi-factor authentication).
- Student Manager runs on the hosted server, and the user's screen shows that remote session.
| Topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Supported clients | Windows Remote Desktop (built into Windows), mRemoteNG, Microsoft Remote Desktop for Mac, Remote Desktop Manager |
| Transport | SSL, through the RD Gateway |
| Authentication | Windows Server account plus Duo push approval |
| Server account passwords | At least 7 characters, with 3 of 4 character types; no account name or name fragments (password requirements) |
| Student Manager staff passwords | If enabled: 8–29 characters with no spaces; at least one digit, one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter and one punctuation mark |
| Student and instructor web passwords | Optional complexity rules, set on the template |
Why Choose FlexDesk
With FlexDesk, you get all of Student Manager and ACEweb, and ACEware runs the servers. Your team can focus on programs and students instead of infrastructure.
| Benefit | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| No servers to provide | ACEware hosts Student Manager and ACEweb. Your institution doesn't need to provision or maintain servers for them. |
| Users included | Includes 3 staff logins and unlimited student users. Additional staff logins can be added to the annual hosting fee. |
| Backups and updates | Backups are included. Minor updates within your current version (for example, 9.0 to 9.1) are also included; major version upgrades (for example, to 10.0) are not. |
| Work from anywhere | Staff connect from Windows or Mac over SSL from any internet connection. |
| Strong sign-in security | Every session goes through ACEware's RD Gateway, with Duo multi-factor approval and enforced password complexity. |
| Built for the cloud | SM9 is tuned for faster performance in ACEware's cloud hosting environment. |
| Flexible email | Send email through Amazon SES, or connect to your program's own email system if your IT team allows it. |
| One partner | One vendor supports both the software and the environment it runs in. |
ACEware works with you on payment gateway options and any data import or export routines.
Security and Compliance
ACEware is SOC 2 Type 2 audited. Your IT and procurement teams can request ACEware's SOC 2 report, HECVAT and VPAT through the ACEware Trust Center.
The hosting and infrastructure controls below apply to ACEware's hosted environment (FlexDesk). If you run Student Manager on your own servers, your IT team manages the security of those servers.
| Area | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| SOC 2 Type 2 | ACEware's security controls are independently audited. The SOC 2 report is available under NDA through the Trust Center. |
| FERPA | Student Manager is designed to support your institution's FERPA obligations. FERPA applies to the institution; ACEware acts as a service provider and processes student data on the institution's behalf. |
| HECVAT | ACEware's completed Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Toolkit (HECVAT) is available for your review. |
| VPAT | ACEware's Voluntary Product Accessibility Template is available through the Trust Center, and the ACEweb documentation includes accessibility compliance guidance. |
| Data protection | All customer-facing connections use TLS encryption in transit. Customer data is encrypted at rest using industry-standard algorithms managed through Amazon Web Services (AWS). |
| Hosting infrastructure | Production infrastructure runs on AWS in the United States, with network access restricted by firewall rules and segmentation, and servers built from hardened images and patched regularly. |
| Access control | ACEware staff need multi-factor authentication for administrative access to production systems. Access to customer data is least-privilege, uses named accounts only, and is reviewed periodically and revoked promptly when roles change. |
| Penetration testing | An independent third party tests ACEware's network and application at least annually, and critical and high-risk findings are tracked to resolution. |
| Monitoring and tested backups | Logging, monitoring and alerting watch for security events. Backups run automatically, are stored on AWS with geographic redundancy, and are restored to a non-production environment at least annually to verify them. |
| Incident response | ACEware maintains a documented incident response procedure. If a confirmed incident affects customer data, ACEware notifies affected customers in line with its contractual commitments and applicable law. |
| Secure sign-in | FlexDesk sessions run through ACEware's RD Gateway over SSL, with Duo multi-factor approval and enforced password complexity. |
| Payment security | PCI-compliant interfaces to payment services. Cardholder data is processed by your payment service and is never stored in the Student Manager database. |
Cost Comparison: On-Premise vs. FlexDesk
Running Student Manager on your own servers carries costs beyond the software itself. The illustrative comparison below estimates the annual cost of self-hosting Student Manager for a mid-size continuing-education program, alongside the FlexDesk Student Manager 9 plan, which includes the software, hosting and support.
| Cost item | Assumption | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| Server hardware | 2 servers (application and database) at ~$12,000 each, replaced every 5 years | $4,800 |
| Hardware maintenance agreements | ~10% of hardware cost per year after the warranty ends | $2,400 |
| Database licensing | SQL Server Standard, 4-core minimum ($3,945 per 2-core pack), spread over 5 years; $0 with SM9's PostgreSQL option | $0–$1,578 |
| Other software | Windows Server, backup, endpoint security, monitoring | $2,000 |
| Infrastructure | Power, cooling, rack space, firewall share, offsite backup, SSL | $3,000 |
| Security audits and vulnerability testing | Annual third-party penetration test and vulnerability scanning, at the low end of published pricing ($5,000–$30,000 for a web application test) | $5,000 |
| Student Manager license, support and maintenance | $62,925 for the on-premise license (one-time purchase) and 5 years of support and maintenance, spread over 5 years | $12,585 |
| Total on-premise | ~$29,800–$31,400 | |
| FlexDesk (Student Manager 9 plan) | $1,149 per month, billed annually; includes Student Manager, the Web Interface, cloud hosting, up to 3 staff logins with Duo, and Premium Support | $13,788 |
| Estimated annual savings | ~$16,000–$17,600 (54–56%) |
Over five years, that is roughly $80,000–$88,000 in savings, and the self-hosted option also requires about $61,000–$69,000 up front in hardware, database licenses and the Student Manager license before it runs.
That means FlexDesk costs about 54–56% less than running Student Manager on your own servers; the low end assumes SM9's PostgreSQL option, which has no database license fee. The comparison doesn't count the IT staff time needed to run and patch the servers, which would widen the gap further.
Figures are planning estimates; actual costs vary by institution, vendor pricing and education discounts. Additional staff logins ($15 per user per month), optional modules, data conversion and Web Interface design beyond logo and colors are priced separately. Database pricing: Microsoft SQL Server 2025 list pricing. Penetration testing: published 2026 U.S. pricing guides. FlexDesk pricing: aceware.com/pricing.
Conclusion and Next Steps
SM9 brings automation, integrations and scale to an established continuing-education platform. FlexDesk lets programs use it without running their own server.
- Request a demo of SM9 and ACEweb tailored to your programs.
- Plan your FlexDesk setup with an ACEware technician, covering database choice, payment gateway and email options.
- Discuss custom integrations with systems you already use, such as your CRM.
Contact ACEware at support@aceware.com or visit the Help Center.