INSTRUCTURE - CANVAS CLOUD CATALOG - SOLE SOURCE LETTER (VENDOR).pdf
PDF 150 KB Posted
- Attached to
- 9280-27-R-RFIN-00012
- Solicitation number
- 3150007062
- Issued by
- Greene County, Mississippi
About this file
This is a sole source justification letter from Instructure regarding Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) for the University of Mississippi System (USM). The letter establishes why Canvas LMS represents a unique cloud-native platform with no viable alternatives in the LMS marketplace. The document outlines the technical and operational advantages that distinguish Canvas from competing products, including its cloud-native architecture built on Amazon Web Services, auto-provisioning capabilities for peak performance, seamless live updates without scheduled downtime, and robust multi-geographic data redundancy and disaster recovery systems. Instructure emphasizes that all Canvas users operate on the same current version, eliminating version management complexities and enabling cohesive collaboration across the user community. The letter references the Canvas App Center, which integrates over 500 third-party LTI-compliant tools, and highlights Canvas's compliance with global standards including IMS Common Cartridge and IMS Learning Tools Interoperability.
The sole source justification emphasizes Instructure's security posture, including annual independent open security audits that the company claims distinguishes it as the only LMS provider conducting such transparent third-party evaluations. The letter explicitly states that Instructure is the sole developer and provider of Canvas LMS and its constituent parts, with no other vendors, resellers, or distributors capable of providing the platform. The notice indicates that objections to this proposed sole source purchase must be submitted to the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration by 8:00 a.m. Central Time in accordance with Section 31-7-13(C) of the Mississippi Code, with the RFx number 3150007062.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| SSP27_011 CANVAS REACH MS.pdf | ||
| INSTRUCTURE - CANVAS CLOUD CATALOG - BUSINESS JUSTIFICATION.pdf |
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877.576.5364
6330 SOUTH 3000 EAST, SUITE 700
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84121
INSTRUCTURE.COM
REACH MS
To Whom It May Concern:
This letter describes what makes Canvas LMS by Instructure unique in the Learning Management System (LMS) industry and why no other LMS product can deliver the same features, functions, support, and security as Canvas LMS.
Canvas is a true cloud-native learning platform.
The Canvas platform has a true cloud-native architecture. It is a single instance, multi-tenant system that is designed to scale to tens of millions of users with maximum uptime. Using Amazon Web Services, the entire architecture is designed to scale in a horizontal fashion and avoid the "single database bottleneck" constraint found in traditional LMS architectures. Canvas LMS is spread across availability zones and geographic regions to ensure that failure at a single data center does not stop service. In contrast, LMS platforms that use managed hosting or a “private cloud” cannot provide the same combination of scalability and geographical distribution for redundancy.
Canvas is auto provisioned for consistent, peak performance.
As opposed to traditional (fixed or even ASP) LMS provisioning, Instructure has developed techniques for the Canvas platform that detect usage spikes as they happen and immediately spin up additional servers and apply resources for consistent, optimal provisioning. Leveraging our cloud-native architecture and Amazon Web Services, we are able to scale horizontally instead of just vertically. This enables Canvas to provide optimal user experiences that are resistant to performance degradation even during periods of high demand and peak load.
Any institution’s data is backed-up both in near-real-time in multiple distinct locations, and additionally on periodic schedules (e.g., daily, weekly, and monthly). The near-real-time backup happens automatically, meaning that there are always up-to-date copies of an institution’s data.
Canvas LMS is also self-healing across multiple geographic locations (provided by Amazon S3 Web Services) and engineered so that in production master/slave fail-over of data sources typically take only a few minutes. Clients can be confident that Canvas provides the best available system of data redundancy and disaster recovery.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84121
INSTRUCTURE.COM
Canvas is up to date for all users.
Like most cloud-native applications, Canvas obviates the old LMS model of versions and service packs for a seamless and dynamic system of updates and features. Canvas is designed to accept any and all system updates live, without scheduled outages. This eliminates significant hassle for institutional IT, and downtime for end-users. This also allows Instructure to provide hands-free bug fixes, security patches, and feature enhancements faster and for everyone.
An additional, if less obvious, advantage of a true multi-tenant cloud architecture is that all Canvas users are on the same version. This means that every teacher and course designer benefits from the best Canvas has to offer. The growing community of Canvas users does not have to differentiate between versions and service pack numbers, allowing more cohesive collaboration based on their shared understanding of a common system.
Robust security backed up by annual, open security audits.
Canvas’ robust design, development, and QA processes represent our commitment to security for all Instructure clients. Security patches are installed as soon as they are available, typically with no downtime, ensuring that the Canvas software is secure and up to date for all users.
Canvas’ multi-tenancy enables our top-notch security team to monitor security for all customers holistically and granularly without worrying about differentiated and disparate versions, installations, or service packs. We conduct extensive internal security testing of Canvas and all its updates and enhancements.
Instructure is currently the only LMS provider that conducts annual, independent open security audits. This not only proves our security, but it also demonstrates our company’s commitment to transparency and accountability to our customers. See https://trust.instructure.com for more details.
Canvas App Center Canvas LMS is able to share authentication and authorization following IMS LTI Standard from the Canvas enabling Canvas courses to include LTI-compliant third-party tools. The Canvas App Center (http://apps.instructure.com) includes over 500 third-party LTI-compliant tools, resources, and services that can be integrated with Canvas. These tools and App Center websites can also be leveraged by other LMS vendors in the industry.
https://www.instructure.com/canvas/security https://trust.instructure.com/ http://apps.instructure.com
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84121
INSTRUCTURE.COM
Canvas LMS is built to extend and to network Canvas LMS not only supports global standards such as IMS Common Cartridge for import and export of content and IMS Learning Tools Interoperability for integrating other systems, Instructure makes “plugging-out” to external tools easy for teachers as well as administrators at the course or account level through a browsable, store-like interface.
Canvas LMS is Unique We have briefly described some of the key features, capabilities, and services that make Canvas unique in the LMS industry. But we have only scratched the surface. If you require additional information or have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I and my colleagues at Instructure will gladly demonstrate why Canvas is uniquely the best education technology platform and LMS solution for your institution and the teaching and learning communities that you serve.
Instructure is the Sole Provider Instructure is the sole developer & provider for Canvas LMS and its constituent parts. No other vendor, reseller, or distributor can provide Canvas LMS by Instructure.
Sincerely, Caroline Gozzard Sr Account Executive caroline.gozzard@instructure.com 1 (800) 203-6755 9/15/2026 mailto:caroline.gozzard@instructure.com Marydean Keyes Highlight
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .