I took a look at Internet Advancement 2.0 and wonder why? Why not have Scoutbook be the single place to record advancement even for units who use nothing else in Scoutbook?
As I understand it, Internet Advancement 2.0 was under development before Scoutbook became “free to all”. Why continue to develop 2 systems? If Scoutbook auto creates Scouts, why shouldn’t units who don’t use it for everything, just use it for advancement? Would it be that much more work for them? That is, how much effort are you saving those units vs. the effort for the BSA to have 2 systems?
I do know that with limited IT resources, maintaining 2 systems that do the same thing is a not thrifty.
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The issue at hand is dealing with units that prefer to continue using other tracking systems. Previously they were sending data back and forth between the old and new. I think that IA 2.0 removes the old system altogether. I am not sure if the other tracking systems are still able to send data in.
Matthew, Internet Advancement 2.0 is simply a different interface to access the same Scoutbook advancement database you use. This interface is simplified for Advancement & Recognition, plus it will allow a unit to upload a file from other Unit Management systems for the larger Troops.
Yes, but both systems have to be maintained. Including interface. Why have 2 systems and not just allow an import into Scoutbook?
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A while back, there was an announcement that “Scoutbook Lite” would be created for units that did not use Scoutbook. This system would allow for uploads from other software. Did BSA revise the name to “Internet Advancement 2.0”? Or is Scoutbook Lite still in developement?
Internet Advancement 2.0 is Scoutbook Lite. They decided to rename it.
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I understand that part. But it isn’t Scoutbook Lite, it is a different platform. Why not abandon it and add
a few features to Scoutbook to streamline it for non-users?
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I checked with my contacts in BSA IT and received permission to post the following:
- SB Lite/ Quick Entry / IA2 was a beginning for how Scoutbook would look like in the future. It is a re-architecture of Scoutbook using the common technology toolset used for all of our other BSA products we are building. An APIs based product using fullstack Javascript. Being on a consistent platform + stack => lower cost of maintenance, faster time to market. Currently, Scoutbook is on Classic ASP, a technology that was outdated 10-years back. Please look at thread below for perspective - Classic ASP - It’s totally outdated but is it irrelevant? - Stack Overflow – one can’t find development talent for something outdated.
- Bulk advancement import functionality for folks coming in via other products to minimize double-entry for them.
- Advancement Quick Entry.
- ScoutShop Award purchase invoice generation. Can eventually reuse the same in Scoutbook.
- Supports the strategy of having one portal to manage everything a UnitLeader needs to do.
All in all, IA2 will keep adding more to its repertoire and will eventually be what Scoutbook is today + more. It is start of the modernization path for Scoutbook. Hope this helps.
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Information like this is very valuable. Thank you!
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Thanks, @edavignon. This would be great information to share in the BSA IT roadmap, or a similar forum so that it gets wider distribution. A lot of folks around probably be interested in where things are going down the road.
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Ed, thank for presenting, much better, what I was trying to say to Matthew. As was indicated in the FAQ, Internet Advancement 2.0 is the new name of Scoutbook Lite. It allows units, who prefer to use other unit management products, i.e. Troopmaster, Scout Trials, etc. the ability to upload advancement data into the same database used by Scoutbook. That way BSA will no longer have to sync between 2 different databases.
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Thanks for the info. This makes more sense.
Thanks, this makes more sense now. I wish the IDG site would be updated.
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The ultimate goal it would or should be to move all web fronts on scoutnet to the new platform. The approach appears to be to develop in parallel then decommission the legacy items. Scoutnet itself has long outlived its useful and supported life cycle.
It seems, based on what Ed said, that the Scoutbook platform is the older and the Internet Advancement 2.0 Platform is the more modern one.
Matt
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Actually scoutbook is not that old but was written in classic ASP, which itself is older. Scoutnet as a platform based in Oracle has been around I gather since 2000 or so and has gone beyond normal support provisions.
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I guess not Scoutnet, but what ever IA2 is built upon is more “modern” than Scoutbook’s ASP.
From my earlier post, Internet Advancement 2.0 is
Internet Advancement 2.0 accesses the Scoutbook database.
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So glad to hear that they are moving to API based software. I am a developer and also still work with the same technology as Scoutbook. My company is also starting to move away from the older technology. And while Microsoft is still improving that technology, the shift in developers is occurring and finding developers willing to work in the older technology will become harder.
And as noted, the change will allow faster time to market for changes. Hopefully they will open the API and we might see some very exciting things from third party developers.
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If we’re currently using Scoutbook, should we stop and transition to IA 2.0?
