Enterprise Web Content Management Path to developing a Competency Center

1. Enterprise Web Content ManagementPath to developing a Competency Center Presented By: Presented To: Gilbane Conference Brian VanDeventer IT Manager, Web & Application Development The Hartford Hartford Technology Services Company Date: June 18, 2008

2. Agenda • Background • Current State • Our Timeline • Key Elements of a Competency Center • Collaboration • Benefits of a Competency Center • Future State Gilbane Conference San Francisco ﴀ2

3. Background • Using Fatwire’s Content Server 6.3 • Started using WCM in 1998 (Futuretense) • Rational: technical resources were being used to maintain sites instead of developing, expanding new functionality. • Current Environments in US & Japan • Rendering 80+ sites (internet, intranet, extranet) • Multi-language sites: English & Japanese • Supporting 100+ content providers in US, Ireland, UK, and Japan • Integrated with Sun One Portal, Autonomy (Verity), and “home grown” applications • Leveraging Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) for integration Gilbane Conference San Francisco ﴀ3

4. Current State • Core Team • Lead Architect • Three Developers (looking for 4th) • Offset team with external consultants • Core Skills: JSP/Java, SQL, XHTML/CSS, XML • One Training & Support Staff • Answers questions & provides guidance to Content Providers • Teach Content Providers to fix their own issues • Has become the face to our customers • One Temp Staff to populate sites (as needed) • Seeing an increased demand for us to populate & support sites • Optimized, Scalable Environment • 1998: started with 2 app servers • 2008: 11 app servers • Proven Methodology/Process for developing • In 2007 we made the first change to our process since 2002 • Do not have mandate that we must be used for managing web content • Work directly with key Business Stakeholders (primarily Marketing/Communication teams) • Stakeholders influence IT organizations to integrate applications • Business areas do not want to go through IT process for simple content updates • Work is prioritized by a project’s strategic importance & business commitment ($) • Team’s reputation keeps us working at 100% capacity Gilbane Conference San Francisco ﴀ4

5. Our Timeline • 1999 - 2000: • Proof of Concept: intranet site that was statically maintained • 2 servers • 1 Architect & 1 developer • 6 month project (no pressure) • 2000-2001 • Invested in a more robust environment (tiered architecture) • Develop call center application (8 month project) • Laid foundation for all future development • Same core asset types built are still being used today • Built assets & templates to be flexible • Developed first pass at a methodology & process • 2002 • Hired 2nd Developer • Built integration to feed content to Enterprise Portal Environment • Built first set of “standard” code for rendering sites • Our first pass at implementing design patterns & reusable templates Gilbane Conference San Francisco ﴀ5

6. Timeline continued • 2003 • Hired 3rd Developer • Built Highly Available Environment • 2004 • Upgraded Environment • Product had a new architecture • Rebuilt first call center application (newer version of software) • 2005 • Built Environment in Japan • 2006 • Doubled the size of our Environment • 2007 • Standardized HTML/CSS • Saving between 5k – 15k per project • Ability to develop sites in days Gilbane Conference San Francisco ﴀ6

7. Key Elements of a Competency Center • Funding • Initial investment required for hardware & software • Staff • Dedicated Staff • We are the SI’s • Proof of Concept • Developers learning on the job • Start small (first site should not be high profile) • Collaboration w/ Other Groups • Rely heavily on Design Team • Reputation • Win over the business departments • Deliver cost effective solutions • Provide excellent customer service Gilbane Conference San Francisco ﴀ7

8. Key Elements (continued) • Design Patterns • For web delivery, leverage css • Work within the tool • Minimize Core System Customizations • Allows upgrades with little rework • Thoroughly document all changes to core system • Strong emphasis on Reusability • Robust Asset Types & Templates (look to future) • Don’t push a square peg in a round hole • If the project doesn’t fit the tool, look for other ways to implement Gilbane Conference San Francisco ﴀ8

9. Collaboration (Extended Team) • User Center Design • Responsible for information mapping, wire-frame, usability, & design elements • Portal Team • Responsible for enterprise corporate portal • Infrastructure • Responsible for “care & feeding” of hardware (not software) • Other IT organizations Gilbane Conference San Francisco ﴀ9

10. Benefits of a Competency Center • Best Practices • Develop Best Practices around coding, documentation, etc.. • Consistent and Disciplined methodology • Experience • Each person can specialize in different areas • Lessons learned • Decrease Development Time = Decrease Costs • Behind the scenes, most sites are 80-90% of the same code base • Example – we recently purchase a company. We migrated 13 sites into our WCM env. in less than 2 weeks. • Value added • Advanced knowledge of WCM broadens the range of solutions that are beyond the apparent capabilities of the product Gilbane Conference San Francisco ﴀ10

11. Future • Developing more services to allow additional extranet applications & software packages to leverage WCM • Web 2.0 • Mobile Delivery • Document Management • Deployment to the Web Gilbane Conference San Francisco ﴀ11