Personalized Portal A Key Element in a Web Vision Personalized Portal: a Critical Element of a Web Strategy What is a Personalized Institutional Portal? Core Portal Infrastructure Killer Portal Applications What is a Successful Portal? What Yale and Others are Doing to Realize the Vision –Susan Bramhall, ITS Technology and Planning Philip Long Yale University ITS, October, 2001

A Personalized Portal is Key to An Institutional Web Strategy The Yale Web is strategic to the University The Yale Web will be as complex as the University Each Web visitor or client will have unique interests and needs The Yale Web must respond with “mass customization” –A web response crafted on individual backgrounds and preferences For Visitors whom we do not know: –An attractive front door opening to the public University –Perhaps with an option to register – become known For students, faculty, staff, alumni and others whom we know: –A personalized web portal A learning, teaching, research and administrative University on the web Which provides a customized and personalized view of the University web Appropriate to each client’s particular role and preference A personalized, integrated Web portal is a key for a web strategy

Today: A static Portal Across All Roles –Yale’s Front Door –YaleInfo –Yale School of Medicine: YSMInfo –How did those sites get onto the static menu??!! High use across the population But not consistently high use for any individual! –Result: the Least Common Denominator »Some critical pages present, some missing Not optimal for anyone –Or, The Business Office Yellow Pages Comprehensive, but crowded Hard to find frequently used items among so many –The Producer’s view of what’s important, not the consumer’s view

The Multi-year Goal for Tomorrow A Personalized Institutional Portal An anchor web site customized to the client’s role Which clients can personalize to their own preferences To present a single, integrated view and access to: –Information –Applications and –Directed messages, including workflow Yale specific links and information but also beyond Yale

Core Personalized Portal Infrastructure Sign-in based on NetID and password –Access to other secure services will not require additional sign-in Customization based on your role –Students see undergrad regulations, staff HR policies Personalization based on your preferences –Add headlines from home town newspaper Messaging (more below) Portal Applications (more below) Standards for publishing information and service access

Messaging An authenticated web login can display directed messages Official communications from Yale directed to role –E.g., Yale College teaching prizes to undergraduates Subscription communications from Yale groups –E.g., Yale Rep announcements Workflow announcements –Oracle permission requests waiting for your approval in START The link goes directly to the approval page No separate sign-in is required

“Killer Portal Application” Event Calendaring Self-subscription by individuals to calendars of interest –E.g., course calendars, extracurricular groups, clubs, etc. All presented on a personalized, merged event calendar Same application allows improved event scheduling –Easier to identify calendar conflicts Requires critical mass: –Build the event calendar application or applications Multiple local applications OK if use standard for event publishing –Persuade groups to publish using the calendar standard –Allow self-subscription Ultimately integrate the personal calendar –(Meeting Maker or its successor)

Characteristics of a Successful Portal Faculty, staff and student login to the Portal every day, all day User centric, develops a critical mass of users & sense of community Single login to most services –(High security applications have additional security) To get daily access –Offer all “captive” University applications –Offer event calendaring, announcements, other value add –And addition of favorite non-Yale channels, links, news feeds, etc. –All the pieces contribute to the whole: a classic network effect economy All infrastructure must be standards based within an institutional architecture –to play now and into the evolving future

What Other Schools Are Doing And What Yale is Doing Susan will tell you about these efforts

Achieving The Vision Build toward the vision –With small steps here and there –As we do what we would have done anyway We are now beginning to take the first step or two –Looking at a pilot student portal this academic year