What's New in 4.49?
Welcome to ebs 4.49, our last release of 2025. This release covers extensive updates to improve our support capabilities for fund management, alongside enhancements to our enrolments journey. I am also pleased to share that users in ontrack can now send correspondence to staff and learners and transfer grades out of Markbook Verification into the client-based exams manager module.
As with the previous release, users of ebs: central will be prompted to view the release notes post-upgrade. All changes are documented in the release notes, which we recommend all customers read; they contain key information on product updates and how you can make use of them. Recordings of release webinars including a solution demo are available on Tribal Communities for all releases.
Fund Manager
The updated Fund Manager in Ontrack makes managing learner support simpler and more flexible. Institutions can now create and oversee multiple types of support funds tailored to diverse learner needs. Staff can assign learners to specific funds, build evolving support plans, and schedule recurring support to reduce admin time and ensure consistent delivery. Assessment evidence, including documents and notes, can be recorded directly against learners for a complete audit trail. With seamless ILR integration, both planned and delivered support items are tracked for accurate reporting. Fund Manager functionality is included in your Support and Funding licence at no additional cost.
Concierge
This release completes our initial Concierge goals of safely supporting temporary staff during onboarding, laying the foundation for future expansion into broader administrative tasks. Based on user feedback, we’ve improved performance, search optimisation, and navigation to make Concierge more reliable and user-centric. Enhancements now include richer enrolment functionality, staff can create offers directly in Ontrack, add child or elective courses to parent enrolments, and allocate learners to available interview slots. Additionally, learner agreements can now be sent to prospective enrolees for digital review and approval within the Learner Hub.
Correspondence Manager
As part of our ongoing move to bring more client functionality to the web, Correspondence Manager is now available within Ontrack. Users can generate correspondence for individual learners directly from key areas, including learner details, applications, enquiries, interviews, and offers. We’ve also added the ability to generate correspondence from the staff search function and improved the usability of contact detail editing within the new correspondence wizard. The updated wizard provides a clear, step-by-step process, making it easier for staff to create and send accurate, efficient communications.
Ontrack Hub
Continuing our drive to bring more ebs functions to the web, staff can now take ePayments on behalf of learners directly through the Ontrack Staff Hub. Reflecting our commitment to security and modern integration, we’ve also added support for updated authentication methods for Microsoft Exchange Online email sending, along with AFD integration for secure email and phone validation.
Exams Sync
As part of our ongoing work to strengthen the connection between ebs modules, we’re excited to introduce one of the most requested features, the ability to sync grades from Markbook Verification directly to Exams Manager. This new functionality supports both forecast and actual grades for internally assessed units and includes new user roles to manage access and permissions. Previously, users had to manually transfer grades from Markbook Verification into the client-based Exams Manager. Automating this process not only saves time and resources but also reduces the risk of human error, improving overall data accuracy. Institutions can configure this functionality through Institution Settings in the client system and the new role-based access controls, providing flexibility to align with processes. To maintain data integrity, additional validation and reference data controls have been added, ensuring only accurate and verified grades are synced between systems. This update removes an unnecessary touchpoint in the ebs client while streamlining the end-to-end process.
Future Plans
This release marks another step forward in our commitment to continuous improvement, integration, and innovation, setting a strong foundation for further enhancements in 2026. Next year, we’ll continue to build on this momentum, driving development and collaboration to deliver the features our customers value most and addressing the challenges that matter to you.
As a new member of the ebs Product Team, it’s been fantastic to witness the hard work and dedication that has gone into this release. Looking ahead, our focus remains on delivering smarter, more connected solutions that simplify processes, enhance user experience, and empower institutions to achieve more.
Sam Ellis-Hughes
Senior Product Manager, ebs and Engage