Metropolis Transactive Holdings Pty Ltd (Metropolis) Africa`s leading business-to- business e-commerce provider announced today that it has completed the first stage in the comprehensive upgrade of its User Interface (UI) across all of its vertical communities.
Metropolis` US partner VerticalNet conducted six months of comprehensive interviews with users of their business-to-business online communities. This research included focus groups and intensive in-depth user testing in order to fully address the needs of business-to-business users.
The comprehensive upgrade is part of an ongoing strategy by Metropolis to gear up all vertical communities for full e-commerce enablement which is due to be completed by early 2001, moving users closer to making purchases via the community. The upgraded user interface will also ensure ease of use for its customers and audiences who visit and utilise the community.
Strategic Development Manager for Metropolis, Angus Robinson commented: "The new user interface on our communities makes full use of the users screen, reduces clutter, and has improved the navigability on the site considerably, making searches for products and services on our sites much easier. In highlighting the Content, Community and Commerce elements of our sites the new UI provides the foundation for our aggressive e-commerce rollout towards 2001."
Additional enhancements are planned for the duration of 2000. Updates are expected to include consolidated searching capabilities, the inclusion of e-Commerce Centres or electronic catalogues of products and services, auctions for excess or refurbished equipment and potentially personalisation to enable customisable pages.
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Metropolis currently owns and operates eight industry-specific Web sites designed as online business-to-business communities, known as vertical communities. These vertical trade communities provide users with comprehensive sources of information, interaction and e-commerce ability in order to increase their productivity and decision-making in the workplace.
Metropolis will be launching two brand new vertical communities covering the mining equipment (www.miningafrica.com) and Safety, Health and Environment (www.SHEafrica.com) sectors later this month (March 2000). Current Metropolis Business to Business Communities Include: