Question: I keep hearing different Banner terms—Banner PROD, Banner online, Administrative Banner, ERP, Banner Web, client/server Banner forms, Internet Native Banner forms and Banner Forms on the Web. What do all these terms mean?

Answer: Many of these terms mean the same thing. Some refer to the administrative system versus self-service. Others refer to the difference between running administrative forms on the local PC or through a Web browser. Below is a detailed breakdown.

Banner PROD: This term refers to the Administrative Banner system used by employees to manage the business of the college for Student, Accounts Receivable, Financial Aid, Finance and Human Resources. Think of it as the college's ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system. Banner PROD is also the name of the icon on the desktop that runs the client/server Banner forms, and is often referred to as Banner online. The client/server forms run from an executable on the user PC and access the shared Oracle database across the network.

Banner Web: Banner Web refers to the Web-based, self-service access employees and students have to personal Banner data through MetroConnect on the Registration/Banner Web tab. Faculty also use this to access class registration/roster information.

Internet Native Banner Forms / Banner Forms on the Web: Both of these terms refer to the execution of Banner PROD forms across the Web. These are accessed from the Administrative Banner channel on the Employee tab on MetroConnect. They differ from Banner Web in that they execute the Administrative forms, not the self-service options. They run from a Web browser, and the code is remotely executed from a server on the network. Within 24 months, this will be the only way to access the Banner administrative system.