Signing up for services: how it all works

Choosing a Moodle services provider can be a slog, particularly if you’re new to e-learning. Quite apart from figuring out what the terminology all means, you’ll need to be able to pick an appropriate hosting package, investigate support options, identify potential technical requirements, compare the various costs… And as part of the process, you’ll naturally be assessing the potential providers themselves.

Why choose e-Learn Design?

We’re the Moodle experts; you’re the subject matter expert in your field. Our job is to provide the technical know-how that gets your expertise online in a powerful and engaging learning experience. And we’ve been doing just that – in a wide range of sectors – since 2007.

We value transparency. That’s why our prices are all clearly listed, so you know exactly what you get, for how much, and for how long – no hidden costs, no pricey extras.
We prioritise cost efficiency. Both for ourselves and our clients. We won’t try and sell you something you don’t need, and our scalable services are designed to suit all budgets.
We believe e-learning is a right, not a privilege. Everything we do is focused on helping you get your learning online as efficiently and effectively as possible.

How do I sign up for services?

e-Learn Design is a Certified Moodle Partner dealing with commercial requests on Moodle’s behalf. That might seem like a mouthful, but everything else is easy to digest. And as we like to keep things simple, here’s the process – from first contact to completion.

1. Get in touch.

Tell us in writing what you’re planning, and we’ll send you details on how we can help. Read them over, have a think, and if you want a call to talk options, we’ll arrange a convenient time via email.

2. Have a quick call (if you want one).

These usually last between 30 and 60 minutes, and you’ll be speaking to a Moodle expert, not a salesperson, so you can be assured of practical answers to any questions you may have. If you don’t need a call, skip to…

3. Request a Quote.

We won’t ask for your budget unless your needs are very complex. Our services are modular, and our prices clearly published, so the Quote is just confirmation in writing of exactly what you’d be getting.

All look good? Keen to get Moodling? Then the last few steps are quick…

4. Confirm in writing that you accept the Quote and want to go ahead.

5. If you’re migrating an existing site, we’ll coordinate a day/timeslot to mitigate downtime; if it’s a new installation, set-up will be within 24 hours of Quote acceptance (M-F*).

6. As soon as the site is live on our servers, we’ll send you access logins and raise an invoice.

7. You’ll get clear instructions for any other tasks that might be required to complete onboarding, but this page covers the basics.

8. That’s it!

* Excluding Scottish public holidays.

How does migration work?

The beauty of Moodle is that so many people use it, which means there are plenty of providers offering services to support it. This also means you’ll have plenty of options when it comes to finding someone who perfectly fits your needs.

Obviously, if your site is particularly complex, there may be extra stages required, but whatever your situation – whoever you choose – the basics of Moodle migration are:

*Backup instructed. This is essentially a snapshot of your site as it stands at the moment of instruction. You can continue to operate as normal while this data is being collected, but how long that takes depends on both your access levels with your current provider and the size of your site.
*New environment built on ELD servers. With this, your site can be smoothly replicated (and the data migrated) at a time that is convenient to you. Like transferring the contents of one box to another, the size and shape need to match precisely – preparation is key.
*Site tested. This is to ensure that all configuration is exactly as it was before the migration. As testing is done in a UAT environment, tweaks and corrections can be made without impacting user experience.
Migration started. It is important to note that your site needs to be in maintenance mode to allow all data to be totally in-sync. In a perfect world, your backup will already have been seeded to your new environment, which will make the final sync relatively fast. Much like deep-cleaning your house in preparation for visitors, if you start the process in advance, the final push only needs the bits and bobs from daily routines to be picked up and put away – the hard work has already been done.
URL/DNS changes made. This is a ‘how long is a piece of string’ task. It’s just like getting a SIM moved to a new supplier – downtime depends on how long it takes the ‘networks’ to recognise the change. Need a little more detail? Go here.
Site made live. You are now offering your e-learning from e-Learn Design servers! Your users will automatically start to access it as the DNS servers around the world catch up to the changes.