SIEMENS A&D exider: In 12 languages through 24 countries with contentXXL

"In the multimedia overall concept of the exider, the Internet presence has a very important function: it has to inform and make people curious so they’ll come for a visit – and this in the language of the respective country. We decided for a co-operation with portamundi because the two-way concept – emotional on the teaser sites, informative on exider.com – convinced us. Besides, we needed a partner that could also solve the technological requirements of this complex project in a fast and flexible way."
 
Peter Miodek, Siemens A&D

Clients and Their Business

The business sector Automation & Drives (A&D) of the Siemens AG is one of the biggest solution providers in the area of automation technology worldwide.

With the exider, which is on its way since March 2002 and will stop in over 100 cities in more than 20 countries, Siemens A&D has started a mobile fair per rail to present solutions and business expertise independent of fixed trade fair dates. In 14 wagons, the visitor learns about the range of services of Siemens A&D in a very vivid and emotional manner.

The Task

Central requirement for the Internet concept was to draw the attention of corporate clients and everyone interested to the exider and to motivate them to visit the train. To build up suspense, about four weeks before the exider arrives in a country, special teaser sites are put online in the respective language of the country. Here one gets a foretaste on the multimedia world of the train as well as information on its route. Newsletter subscribers obtain up-to-date information via e-mail.

Additionally, a central web site is created at http://www.exider.com which – just like a virtual trade fair newspaper – will accompany the train on its two-year long journey and provide information on and impressions from the many stops. The content will be managed de-centrally in the respective language of the country and in English, but released centrally. For this, a simple and licence-free alternative for online administration is needed which works without software installation, includes no expenses for additional training, and which has low requirements regarding bandwidth.

The Solution with contentXXL

There were several reasons in favour of the use of contentXXL as the central system for all 21 web sites and the entire handling of the newsletters: the multilingualism, which also enables an easy input in 14 languages (incl. special characters), the without training easy-to-use online editor, and last but not least the parallel control of many separate web sites, which also allows multiple publishing of content. There are no additional licences needed for the various web sites or editors.

At A Glance:

• contentXXL (Microsoft .NET, SQL Server 2000).
• Central handling of 21 Internet presences in 14 languages with only one system.
• Conception of a two-way Internet presentation.
• Animation of six theme wagons with flash.
• A data base-supported and flash-animated route planner.
• Automated handling and mailing of multi-levelled newsletter campaigns.

The Reference

http://www.exider.com