ESKADENIA and SYNTAX join expertise in launching Fastlink's multi-access portal

The portal is designed by SYNTAX and powered by ESKADENIA. It has earlier been revamped by ESKADENIA, and enabled on Oracle 10G Application Server platform, thus becoming the first portal for a Telecom Operator in the region to be developed using this advanced technology.

The delivery of the new portal architecture and design came after an extensive period of user research, strategy development, information architecture and design efforts that were undertaken by the team of SYNTAX and ESKADENIA in close cooperation with Fastlink's team.

ESKADENIA has applied the architecture and creative designs by SYNTAX into the multi-access portal technology and developed the new agreed-on functionalities and features.

SYNTAX has conducted extensive consultation with all Fastlink departments, as well as researched customer needs and international trends in telecommunication services. A site strategy that reflects Fastlink's vision of its online channel as an interactive platform for the delivery of services, communication, information, entertainment and customer service was developed, making it an integral part of the overall user experience of Fastlink's customers.

This integration of user experience was further supported by strengthening the links between the mobile, Web, call centre and retail experiences. Designing a creative, elegant and flexible graphical user interface for the site was also a critical component of the project. The portal's look and feel reflects Fastlink's corporate design and brand values, is easy on the eye, and further strengthens the overall user experience.

In addition to the implementation and development of the new-structured portal on the same Oracle 10G Application Server platform, ESKADENIA will be providing support and maintenance services for the portal. The multi-access portal platform provides access to Fastlink's dynamic applications and serves as an umbrella providing a common way of handling a vast range of services. The portal's platform comes with a wireless option that supports the multi-access features of the portal, and provides connectivity with information channels and with other wireless components.

The portal is furthermore delivered with flexible and empowered Content Management functionalities to manage, edit, and publish the portal's content. These functionalities streamline the portal's administration process and reduce the workload of the Fastlink staff.

Any content editor with proper training can benefit from a wide range of rich features without technical assistance or knowledge of the underlying technologies. The multi-access portal also allows access through the Internet, WAP and SMS, and provides a wide variety of features for guests and registered users.

'We are thrilled to see the new portal launched and hope that it will set the standard in customer-centric web portal design for corporations across the region. It has been one of the most challenging and exciting projects our company has undertaken and we are honoured to have been part of it. By allowing us to focus on our core strengths in strategy and design, Fastlink has ensured that the new site is conceived in a user friendly and customer oriented manner. We acted as the customer's advocate and designed the user experience accordingly', said Ahmad Humeid, SYNTAX CEO.