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> Overview
> Why use portalroom?
> Modules & applications
> Pricing Structure

Portalroom is a rapid solution for developing and launching information and community–based sites, whether they are vertical community sites, information portals, corporate portals, intranets or extranets.

Portalroom can be implemented and installed in a matter of weeks, vastly improving the time to market for complex sites, with the knowledge that the technology really works! All you have to do is run the site, not think about how it works! Our modular approach means that new applications can literally be "plugged in" to the site whenever needed.
 
 
Portal and Virtual Community sites can be separated into the following categories:
 
Consumer-focused communities
   
1. Geographic communities, centred around a physical location
   
2. Demographic Communities, focused on gender, life stage or ethnic origin. Examples include communities for teens, single parents, empty-nesters and seniors
   
3. Topical Communities centred on topics of interest and include communities for hobbies and pastimes such as painting, music, gardening, politics and spiritual beliefs
   
Business-to-business communities
   
1. Vertical industry communities. These are communities focussed on a particular industry such as software developers, physicians online, agriculture, textiles
   
2. Functional communities. These communities serve the needs of users representing a specific business function, such as marketing or purchasing.
   
3. Geographic communities. Although these were mentioned in consumer-focused communities, they are also relevant for business, such as a site devoted to business within the local area.
   
4. Business Category communities, such as the small business community or franchises
 

   
There are numerous benefits associated with developing and using a portal or virtual community.

These include:
   
> Community sites generally have a distinctive focus, for example of a geographic or topical area, a vertical industry or functional expertise. This makes the sourcing of information much easier.
   
> The integration of both content and communication greatly enhances the users experience, making it truly interactive.
   
> Usually with a community site there is an appreciation of member-generated content, giving a sense of ownership to the user.
   
> There is one central respository for information specific to a certain topic or area. It is the one "port of call" that people should make when seeking information or if they wish to communicate with like minded individuals.
   
> There are reduced search costs for customers and vendors because virtual communities provide an environment for aggregating relevant participants and information.
   
> An enhanced ability to target, based on browsing behaviour and knowing that the audience is specific.
 

Corporate >>    Government >>     Specialist interest >>

Corporate portals can be created for various different uses such as online trading, closed portals specifically for customers, staff training etc. Corporate portals provide an excellent mechanism for communicating information via one central source as well as providing for peer-to-peer communication.

An example of how portalroom could be used as a corporate portal would be as a Project Management tool, i.e. used for the running of an internal company project. The project in question would probably mean using the system as a closed portal – meaning that nobody can access it without a username and password. Entering the portal, the employee would find a document centre containing the latest documentation for the project, including document storage and sharing of project deadlines, progress reports and powerpoint presentations. There would also be an employee directory attached detailing the staff working on the project, their location and contact information as well as a discussion forum where project members can share views and discussions even though they are working at different locations and timezones. A whiteboard could be used to collaborate on imagery for the project, including the ability to annotate an image.

One of the benefits of this approach is that members of the group who are working on the project don’t have to be in the same physical place to collaborate.

A portal relating to a specific health condition is a good example of where a community site can be put to good use for the distribution of information, a reduction in resources and the well-being of patients. For example, a site for patients could include online or downloadable articles relating to treatment, frequently asked questions, online forums regularly staffed by experts, discussions with other people suffering from the same condition, directories of alternative remedies, and many more useful sections.

The benefits of such a community site are that it is not constrained by location and one site could cover the entire country (or the world) if necessary, benefiting members by a pooling of shared knowledge and experience.
The internet is used for Hobbies and specialist interest groups who normally would find it difficult to interact with people who have similar interests. For example, an Aston Martin classic car enthusiast could set up a site devoted to their passion. They know that there is a market for information, memorabilia, the sale of cars and parts, as well as owners or aspiring owners who would like to share information and stories. Using Portalroom, this enthusiast would be able to add a classifieds section for the sale of cars and parts, include a discussion forum with multiple areas of discussion, provide downloads of scanned car brochures and include a directory of garages and restoration specialists. Coupled with this, he also includes both a banner advertising and affiliate module to generate revenue for the site.

Ultimately, the above community site becomes an incredibly useful resource to all owners, would be owners and fans of Aston Martin cars.
     
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