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Overview
Over a short period of time, the Internet has been a catalyst
that has ushered in dramatic changes in how we communicate
with each other. Web sites themselves have evolved from
static placeholders of content, designed to replace printed
media, to highly interactive applications providing new
capabilities and services that did not exist in the pre-Internet
era.
Resident Interactive is at the forefront of four significant
trends related to information access and e-commerce at
an ultra-local level. The Internet has evolved from a
medium that eliminates time-and-distance barriers on a
global scale to a convenient communication platform that
helps us manage our daily activities in our own neighborhood.
Within our communities, paper newsletters were replaced
by neighborhood news posted to first generation websites,
which are static in nature. Static neighborhood websites
are now being replaced by Community Intranets that provide
privacy, content management, and interactive communication
among neighbors, in addition to linking residents with
local merchants and service providers.
Many small businesses have web sites. However, these web
sites typically lack the ability to connect with nearby
communities where the majority of the customers live.
Citywide portals are useful for accessing local news online,
however the news relates to a broad audience out of necessity.
Citywide portals do not address the specific local interests
of a resident regarding their immediate surroundings.
Over the past three years, these circumstances have created
the driving force for the creation of a robust set of
applications that provide for greater interaction than
first generation web sites or citywide portals can offer.
These applications include Community Intranets, Digital
Villages, Merchant Villages and Service Provider Networks.
The illustration below provides a time line for the evolution
of printed media and communications to the Internet and
subsequently to an Intranet/Extranet based platform. |
EVOLUTION of WEBSITES and INTRANETS
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Community Intranet
A Community Intranet is a private, password-protected
web-based application featuring interactive communication
tools, such as online surveys, newsletters, files and
documents, message boards and broadcast messaging. Members
of a community of common interest, such as a Homeowners
Association, can interact online and retrieve information
in a secure online environment.
Digital Village
The Digital Village features a master-level intranet with
communication channels to multiple lower-level intranets.
Information can flow between multiple Community Intranets
as well as between the master-level intranet and the lower-level
intranets. For example, Surveys can be posted at the master-level
Intranet and distributed down to the underlying community
intranets. Residents can create classified ads and articles,
which can be submitted for publication on the top-level
master Intranet.
Merchant Village
The Merchant Village allows local businesses to
post special offers, products and services to the Digital
Village network of intranets. Residents can specify which
offers, products and services they are interested in and
access a personalized e-store that is dynamically created
based on their preferences, all in a secure environment.
Service Provider Network
The Service Provider Network allows residents to fill
out service requests online to be broadcast to dozens
of service providers via fax or email. This process eliminates
multiple phone calls and voice mail messages, saving time
for the resident. Service providers can respond to specific
jobs that fit their schedule and competency. After the
fact, residents have the ability to rate the quality of
the work in a secure, shared environment with their neighbors.
Resident Interactive's Platform
Resident Interactive is the only company that has addressed
all four ultra-local content trends with best-of-breed
applications that are available today. The integration
of Community Intranets with the Digital Village, Merchant's
Village and Service Provider Network, from one vendor,
provides a consistent and easy to navigate interface for
residents. The Intranet platform essentially acts as an
operating system for the neighborhood and the broader
community in a similar fashion to the way that Microsoft
Windows acts as an operating system for your personal
computer. A Community Intranet manages content and knowledge-based
applications like Message Boards and Local Event Calendars
vs. Windows, which manages files, pictures, music and
other documents on the hard drive of a personal computer.
Increasing Storage Requirements
of Intranets
Community Intranet implementations can quickly overcome
the database behind the scenes. Intranets are designed
to support thousands of individuals, all of whom can publish
information. Because the information that is published
can include video clips, audio files, articles and documents,
the Intranet database that stores the content needs to
be designed properly. In anticipation of this trend, Resident
Interactive has chosen the Oracle database platform and
has configured its architecture to support an unlimited
user population with no limitations regarding storage
requirements.
Mobility and Access
The ability to access information stored in an Intranet
using alternative mediums and access methods, such as
a cell phone or PDA, is another trend that will impact
the way we communicate. In light of this trend, the next
generation of Intranet technology from Resident Interactive
will support access methods such as cell phones, two-way
pagers, Blackberry devices, Interactive TV, Community
Cable Channels and wireless PDA's (Palm OS). Imagine being
able to use your television to book a baby sitter, bid
a plumbing job and check the status of your dry cleaning.
Growth of the Residential Broadband Industry
With the advent of wired communities with fiber-to-the-home
in new real estate developments around the country, new
applications are under development that will take advantage
of this broadband infrastructure. A father traveling on
business will be able to view the highlights of his son's
little league game with statistics and post game commentary
by the Coach.
Conclusion
The future of the Internet is exciting and most definitely
ultra-local. We can manage online the aspects of our lives
that matter to us the most; activities and issues that
are related to a 5-mile radius of our home. Although the
Internet has eliminated the boundaries of time and distance,
Intranets deliver the elements of personal relevance and
community while leveraging the communication power of
the Internet. |
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