NorQuest College

By Inorbital Inc, Canada
Site of the Month, July 2024
www.norquest.ca
NorQuest College
Customer Stories
Education
Multichannel
Personalization
Site of the Month
Upgrade
Xperience by Kentico

NorQuest College serves around 19,500 students each year in the Edmonton region and across the province, offering full-time, part-time, distance learning, and regional programs. The college aimed to upgrade all its websites to the latest version of Kentico to benefit from modern features and improved support. This was a big project, involving moving their main website with over 2,000 pages, along with seven other sites the college manages.

faster search

How did Kentico help NorQuest College consolidate their websites?

Technical snapshot

  • Page Builder
  • Form Builder
  • Content Hub
  • Lucene Search integration
  • Website consolidation
EXPLORE THEIR SITE

8 NorQuest sites migrated to Kentico in just 9 months

Challenges

Inorbital was selected for their deep expertise with Kentico and their proven success in migrating Kentico websites, having already deployed around 15 MVC solutions. Migrating from a portal to MVC architecture involves significant considerations due to the differences in coding frameworks. This transition often requires rewriting code and redeveloping the site to function seamlessly in MVC. The project was particularly complex, as it involved custom-coded modules and several integrations that needed to be adapted.  

Goals included:
 

  • Successfully upgrade and rebuild NorQuest’s portal websites as fully functional MVC sites.

  • Maintain the existing front-end user experience and design. Enhance flexibility in content creation. 

  • Transition NorQuest’s website backend to a fully supported CMS platform for long-term reliability.

Solutions
To complete the upgrade to the latest version of Kentico by June 2024, NorQuest College required a well-structured process and realistic work plan. Inorbital had a nine-month window to rebuild, migrate, test, and deploy the websites as fully functional MVC sites. The team conducted a detailed content audit, mapping structured data where possible and developing new MVC-equivalent widgets, page types, and controls, while keeping the user experience similar and intuitive for NorQuest content editors.
 

Favorite new site features:

  • MVC-equivalent widgets, page types, and controls developed to replace portal functionality
  • Streamlined form controls using Kentico’s advanced MVC features
  • Reduced number of page types and widgets to increase flexibility for content editors
  • Redesigned content editor controls for a more intuitive editing experience
  • Consolidated templates using page-level custom fields, widgets, and section types
  • Repurposed or replaced custom APIs to work with .NET 8 and updated session state requirements
  • Migration of 4,000+ pages using a combination of automated and manual processes
  • Integrations with Moneris for registrations and PeopleSoft for dynamic course and program display
Powered by Kentico, the upgraded MVC sites provide NorQuest College with a fully supported, efficient platform that increases flexibility for content editors and supports long-term reliability.
Why Kentico?

NorQuest College needed a fully supported CMS to complete their upgrade to the latest Kentico version and move from a portal-based setup to modern MVC sites on a strict timeline. Kentico provided the flexibility and technical depth required to support complex redevelopment, integrations, and large-scale content migration, while remaining intuitive for content editors.
 

Custom-built capabilities included:
 
  • Modern MVC components tailored to replace legacy portal functionality

  • Simplified content structures that reduced maintenance and improved editor flexibility

  • Redesigned editing tools to create a clearer, more efficient authoring experience

  • Updated integrations and APIs aligned with .NET 8 requirements

  • Support for high-volume content migration and dynamic data delivery

  • Secure connections to third-party systems for registrations and academic data

Kentico enabled Inorbital to deliver a reliable, future-ready platform that supports ongoing development, simplifies content management, and meets NorQuest College’s long-term needs.

Statistics

Since completing the upgrade ahead of the June 30 deadline, NorQuest College has seen improved site performance and a smoother content management experience. Built on the latest version of Kentico, the upgraded websites are easier for staff to manage, with intuitive tools that simplify page building and content updates.

As a result, the site now delivers a faster, more efficient experience for users and content teams alike.

  • 3.5× faster program search functionality

  • Over 22-point increase in overall Lighthouse performance score

Future Plans

NorQuest College will continue evolving their website to support changing needs over time. The focus will remain on maintaining a reliable and flexible platform. Ongoing updates will help ensure the site continues to perform well and remains easy to manage. The team plans to build on the current foundation as priorities evolve. This approach will support future growth and long-term sustainability.

point increase in Lighthouse performance score
sites migrated
faster program search functionality
NorQuest College

“The Inorbital team’s expertise and commitment to keeping the project on track was invaluable to our success. There have been some impressive performance enhancements that were realized during the upgrade. However, I think the biggest win is how well this project was managed and executed. I was impressed with how both of our teams managed a challenging project with tight timelines and were able to deliver a terrific final product with very little disruption for the college and our internal clients.” 

Inorbital Inc

Inorbital Inc

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  • Cloud
  • Content Strategy
  • Digital Commerce
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  • Integration and Customization
  • Intranet/Extranet
  • Personalization

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