Editor's Note

June 25, 2007
Meeting Your Information Needs

The internet has transformed the way we live, work and play. Paying bills, researching businesses, making vacation plans and staying in touch with family and friends on a daily basis online — in many ways has made our lives easier.

After more than ten years of metamorphosis from an experimental browser called Mosaic, followed by the improved Netscape browser we watched this chrysalis form into an amazing butterfly known as the Web. However, websites have arrived at yet another pinnacle; web redesigns. With new and improved web browsers, companies continue to develop state-of-the-art websites in both design and technology, and web users have become far more sophisticated in searching for customized content online.

As web redesigns evolve, processes evolve and the Ground Support Worldwide team understands that there is more involved than simply designing a snazzier interface. With reader surveys and customer usability tests, the team was able to identify goals, determine specific redesign issues and execute accordingly. During the past four months, they have worked to develop a logical workflow to provide you with pertinent content through an easy navigational system.

Visitors to www.groundsupportworldwide.com may be overwhelmed at first by the many new options available. Of course some of the ole’ standbys are still on the homepage, including access to the Military e-issue as well as our current month’s issue, digital versions of both, the Buyer’s Guide and issue archives. But now on the home page we offer a “top of the news” section that includes airline, airport, legal, international and general aviation news. Another exciting feature is the Transportation Video Network providing short highlights from the Aviation Industry Expo and information about GSE.
However, we don’t want to try to do everything at once; if we did, we have found we would drive ourselves absolutely nuts. And from other companies who have experienced several failed attempts, we have learned it is not only important, but imperative to redesign and launch in phases.

In addition to allowing for realistic delivery goals, a reassessment approach to launching offers the chance for evaluation of the redesigned site so changes can continue to be incorporated. For example, in the master plan we plan to include forums where GSE distributors, manufacturers, ground handling companies and associations with a vested interest in the industry can share information and opinions with each other. We will also include blogs to sound off on industry topics and job and resume postings.

I invite you to visit our new website as well as look forward to participating in the additional features coming in the near future. – As always, thank you for reading,