New website ushers in change, deeper content, more end-user control over “information rot.”
On September 2, we launched a redesigned website that’s easier to use and showcases the accomplishments of students, faculty and alumni. Featuring more appealing colors and graphics, the changes affect the home page and main site — the top several hundred or so pages of Binghamton’s online presence that serve as a springboard into the tens of thousands of web pages at the University. You’ll find frequently refreshed news content, plenty of videos and stories about life on campus, and you’ll also see why Binghamton is the best public university in the northeast.
The website’s planning, design, writing and implementation has been a team effort across all divisions, involving approximately 60 staff members who devoted time to the project. There were many designers, writers, programmers, site migrators, and project managers on the vendor side, too. I appreciate all the efforts of everyone involved. Phase II and III work will continue through 2009 and beyond with many new enhancements to the site being planned.
The project also included installation of a content management system (CMS) at the same time as the web redesign and redevelopment. The CMS provides for easy updates and more control over content by individual departments and offices. Training for site editors using the OmniUpdate CMS continued the second week in September and on the 22nd and 25th of this month. If you are authorized to edit your pages and need training, contact the University Center for Training and Development or email “training at binghamton.edu.”
If you would like to know how your department of office can make progress toward implementing a new site with the CMS, contact me using the “Contact” link in the left column.