The new website of SURFnet

TF-PR meeting

Vienna, 17 September 2004

Paulien RinsemaCommunication, Information and Support

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SURFnet

• The Dutch computer network for higher education and research

– 150 customers, institutions connected to the SURFnet network

– 750,000 end-users

More direct contact!

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Why?

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Contact with the end-users

• Collaboration with Kennisnet• Special department at SURFnet

Community Support

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SURFkit CDROM and website

• Knowledge

• Instructions

• Tools

Annual update!

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SURFkit annual update

Knowledge

Knowledge

Instruction

Instruction

Instruction

Instruction

Instruction

Instruction

Instruction

Instruction

Instruction

KnowledgeKnowledge

KnowledgeKnowledge

KnowledgeKnowledge

Help!

Tool

Tool

Tool

Tool

Tool

Tool

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Current SURFnet websites

• Information is split up

• Outdated information

• Too little user contact

• Content creation and keeping it up to date requires a lot of work

A lot of people involved

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Content Management System (CMS)

a tool used to organise documents

and keep track of what is where

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Content Management System (CMS)

Features:• Content control by a web browser (knowledge of HTML not necessary)• Seperation of lay-out and contents• Use of content in multiple places• Scheduling of content (date of creation and removal date)• Obligatory labelling of content with meta data • User roles• Workflow

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What?

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The end users and the website

• Collaboration with Kennisnet => more end-users

• Information easier to find

• Portals with one theme/topic

14DatabaseContent

Portal X

section pages

homepage

detail pages

Portal manager

Section manager

Information supplier

User roles

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Project groupCommunication, Information and Support Jeanne-Marie Michiel Paulien Mariska

Account Management Jasper Sjaak

Community Support Andres Elise Roland Sandra

Advanced ServicesLizette

MiddleWare ServicesFloor

External expertiseFinalist en Q42

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The seven portals

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How?

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CMS selection: MMBase

• Open source• Solid technical basis

(open standards)

• Many users -> strong community

• Exchange of management modules (Kennisnet, Leeuwarden Council)

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External expertise

• CMS fit to size by two development organisations:

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Extra

• Communities• Statistics about visitors• SURFkit: export to CD

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History of the process

Selection development partner

Application selection

System implementation and test

Content creation

Decision about themes for the portals

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Creating content in the CMS

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Summary

• User contact• Content control• Information easier to find

The new SURFnet website:

Why?

What? • Content Management System• Theme portals• Communities

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Thank you for your attention!