IMS Helps Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation Launch Two Web Sites

IMS recently partnered with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF - www.warf.org) to develop and launch two additional Web sites: the re-designed WiSys Technology Foundation, Inc. (www.wisys.org) and the newly created WARF Wisconsin (www.warfwisconsin.org) site.

IMS recently partnered with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF - www.warf.org) to develop and launch two additional Web sites: the re-designed WiSys Technology Foundation, Inc. (www.wisys.org) and the newly created WARF Wisconsin (www.warfwisconsin.org) site.

WiSys, a non-profit, wholly-owned subsidiary of WARF, serves the 25 other campuses of the UW System in the same way that WARF serves UW-Madison: by patenting inventions made by UW System researchers, licensing the technologies to companies for commercialization, and returning the licensing proceeds to support research and educational programs at UW System campuses. The goals for the site redesign were to improve the navigation structure, add important functionality (such as a secure invention disclosure system) and allow WARF staff to easily update their site via a content management application.

The WARF Wisconsin site was created as part of WARF's new campaign to make itself and its technologies more accessible to Wisconsin businesses. The site is designed so that much of the content pulls from the same database as the WARF site, making it easier to maintain. Visitors can also access WARF's on-line "catalog" of technologies and learn about their activities and processes.

Both Web sites take advantage of a custom Content Management System (CMS) developed by IMS specifically for WARF's needs. The Java based CMS application has been adapted several times for multiple WARF sites, reducing development costs and keeping training time to a minimum. Other sites powered by the same CMS solution include WARF, WiCell (www.wicell.org) and a private extranet for WARF.

Visitors to the various WARF sites will notice a consistent page layout, information architecture, and similar site wide functionality, however each site maintains a distinct brand identity and message.

"Our solution for the original WARF site prioritized information access," said IMS Creative Director, Jim Witkins. "As WARF expanded the number of umbrella sites it maintained, with WiSys and WARF Wisconsin, we wanted to capitalize on the ease of use and familiarity their visitors had already experienced at the parent site, so we made the decision to keep a similar navigation structure and content layout. In that way site visitors can always find information quickly, regardless of which WARF property they are on."