DYNAMIC PORTAL

A Web portal is a key focal point for users when they connect to the Internet. There are general portals and specialized or niche portals.

Most portals have adopted the style of content categories with a text-intensive page that visitors will find easy to use and to return to. Typical services offered by portal sites include a directory of Web sites, a facility to search for other sites, news, weather information, e-mail, stock quotes, and sometimes a community forum.

Several groups benefit from a portal solution including: employees, suppliers, businesses, and customers. In a business environment, the portal is especially helpful at streamlining tasks, providing a new online work "community", enhancing corporate branding, and strengthening employee loyalty.

The IKANO Dynamic Portal is similar to traditional portals with a home page, customizable features, current news, and updateable content. Users can change the layout, content, and look easily by using re-configuration features. By using a database to hold the content of the portal, current content is added to the database and displayed without Web-site maintenance. Information is delivered to the IKANO content engine by content aggregators and then sent automatically to each user's customized portal.

IKANO's portals provide a personalized information center -- a homepage with customizable, current, and updateable content. Users of the Dynamic Portal can easily change the layout, content, and look by using the customization features of the portal.

The Dynamic Portal hosts a wide array of tools which let you perform several tasks ranging from managing your email account to customizing news and weather objects. The Portal also includes a dynamic calendar feature. The dynamic calendar is highly customizable where, for example, employees can view work schedules by day, week, month or year.

The Dynamic Portal provides a vehicle for daily communication whether it be keeping customers up-to-date on the latest offerings, or posting the results of the latest survey.

IKANO's Dynamic Portal not only provides a central location for communication between branded partners and customers, it also enhances the stickiness of your portal and services by giving users information where and how they want it.

Standard Five Zones of the Dynamic Portal - Definition in Detail:

Zone 1 - Static Header Area:

Also known as the header, Zone 1 is where the main branding elements take place. The header features custom information including your corporate logo, imagery, and color scheme.

Header features include: drop down menu navigation, banners, Internet search, customized images, etc. Zone 1 is custom developed HTML and imagery that is static in nature and is not updated via the Dynamic Portal Administrative Area.

Zone 2 - Static Menu Area:

The left menu area is designed to hold the browsing options for your branded ISP services. These can be divided up into ISP Links, Member Links, ISP Services, etc. The Branded Partner can work with the designer to have the buttons structured as requested.

Also standard within Zone 2 is the E-mail check object, which checks if your customer has new mail within their box. Zone 2 is custom developed HTML and imagery that is static in nature and is not updated via the Dynamic Portal Administrative Area.

Zone 3 - Main Dynamic Content Area:

This is the main content area. Standard setup includes News Object (headline news, entertainment news, financial news), and the Article Collection Object where the partner can upload information to the server on the fly without contacting IKANO. All articles that are uploaded can also be stored in an archive. Customers will be able to move content into Zone 3 from Zone 4 if set up by the Administrator.

Zone 3 is a dynamic object based area that is updated via the Dynamic Portal Administrative Area.

Zone 4 - Additional Dynamic Content Area:

This is the right content area. Standard set-up includes date and time stamp, weather object, and note pad. The weather object allows customers to enter a zip code or city location and add additional weather locations to their customized profile. Zone 4 can also include a customized stock quote object. Stocks must be contracted separately.

Zone 4 is a dynamic object based area that is updated via the Dynamic Portal Administrative Area.

Zone 5 - Static Footer Area:

Also known as the footer, Zone 5 is where the corporate terms and conditions or copyright information is placed. Additional branding elements can be added here including imagery and color configurations.

Zone 5 is custom developed HTML and imagery that is static in nature and is not updated via the Dynamic Portal Administrative Area.

IKANO's Dynamic Portal solution allows VISPs, branded internet services providers and ISPs to quickly and easily launch a robust informational website for their customers. Contact IKANO today to learn more about our VISP Portal solutions!