How NVIDIA launched 7 Web sites in 6 weeks
The situation: NVIDIA, the global leader in advanced graphics and multimedia processing technology for the consumer and professional computing markets, learned its Web site visitors were having a hard time finding information. With that knowledge in mind, along with the realization that the company's existing Lotus Notes-supported Web site platform was difficult and time-consuming to use, NVIDIA's marketing and IT departments recognized its Web infrastructure wasn't supporting the business. They decided to move to a new Web content management system, one that would provide greater functionality; simplify the publishing process; require less IT support; and most importantly, help site visitors find what they want quickly and easily.
The challenge: Go live with seven Web sites (for U.S., U.K., Japanese, Chinese, German, French and Italian audiences) by June 4, 2001, the launch date of NVIDIA's new nForce™ Platform Processing Architecture (just six weeks after approval of creative).
The solution: EM3 iOn™ (information object network)
Coming to the conclusion that a new Web content management (CM) solution was necessary, NVIDIA set out on an extensive search for a new provider. Working with a consultant familiar with the CM space, NVIDIA started its selection process with 13 contenders. After throwing out complicated Web development platforms, a handful of vendors remained, among them, San Jose-based Group EM3, Inc. (EM3).
NVIDIA's Web Site Manager, Andy Kordsmeier, said it quickly became clear that EM3's offering was head and shoulders above the others, meeting all the functionality requirements and ease of use sought by the search team. Positives cited by NVIDIA's marketing and IT personnel included:
- All CM functionality is easily usable by the Web marketing team, and minimal IT support is needed after deployment
- EM3 iOn provides an all-in-one solution (purchasing other applications is not necessary)
- The Web-based infrastructure is easy to learn and support
- The solution was extremely cost-effective
- The best practices enforced with EM3 iOn ensure consistency in look and feel as well as information organization
- NVIDIA retains full control of the data (information is stored in a non-proprietary, open repository)
- NVIDIA retains full control of the template code base (look-and-feel changes can be made without EM3 intervention)
- EM3 iOn is compatible with NVIDIA's security system and includes a robust search engine
Once the decision to use iOn was made, NVIDIA worked with the EM3 implementation team to decide how the Web sites should be architected, which is the most critical aspect of enhancing a site visitor's experience and success. All creative was approved in mid-April, leaving EM3 with the daunting task of building and integrating 36 optimized DHTML templates, completing installation and testing on NVIDIA's Web farm, and training the content team within the very short deployment time of less than six weeks.
Despite the "insane" time constraints, the sites went live as planned. Once iOn was installed, a team of five NVIDIA content providers took one week to build the seven sites. The sites have remained stable since the launch, even as more information is continually added. Feedback has been very positive and commonly accessed information that previously took about three clicks for site visitors to access now takes just one click.
Kordsmeier gives EM3 high marks for building the necessary components and delivering them on schedule, noting that he had never completed any project of this scale within such an aggressive schedule. Now that the revamped Web sites are operational, the NVIDIA team has the time to go back and learn the higher-end functionality afforded by iOn, including personalization and workflow, which will be used to further enhance their site visitor experience.
