Its Web strategy, talented staff and dedicated customer care have made Washington State University's in-plant one of the country's most successful.

By Mike Llewellyn

"This makes us more visible to the campus," adds Rigby, "and also allows us to recapture lost revenue."

But helping to change the way a university does business is no small undertaking.

"Security was the first challenge," says Read, referring to the need to keep sensitive financial data, like credit card numbers, under electronic lock and key. The work was split up with the university's IT department into a two-level security system, Read says, so the departments that lacked the necessary technical support can now rest easy.