A web portal for a sea port
A port is a place on a waterway that provides facilities for commercial activities and gives ships protection from storms. A web portal has a similar function in the Internet's information ocean. Both ports and web portals provide a wide spectrum of services to a large number of parties with different needs. The Port of Rotterdam, is one of the biggest European ports that consists of a complex business entity of more than 10.000 companies reliant on its operations. Thus it is considered important to enhance the port's services and to facilitate the exchange of commercial information between providers of services and products, and their seekers. A European consortium supported by the local authorities and the Commission for the European Communities eContent Programme developed a web portal driven by modern, sophisticated web design and information management techniques. With the use of this portal, information concerning Shipping, Shippers, Support Companies, Logistics, services and products in the port could be easily accessed. Companies that operate in the world of shipping can track down necessary and timely information concerning opportunities to book their container or to ship their cargo to its final destination. The fact that a port such as the one of Rotterdam consists a complex commercial and industrial entity where various parties are involved made the portal development a difficult task. The final result and the experience gained so far guarantees that any further development as well as similar implementations will also be successful.
