Newsletter June 2007

Dear clients and friends,

We are quickly approaching the mid-point of 2007 and summer has definitely arrived here in Spain. Take a few minutes and look at what’s new with us here at Andalucia Web Solutions.

Together Once Again

The Computer Science Department of Loughborough University was established in 1974 and has continued to turn out top-quality graduates since that time. Amongst its accolades, the department was voted by its students as the top computer science department in the UK in the National Student Satisfaction Survey in 2005. Over the last four years Andalucia.com has collaborated with Loughborough in the field of industrial placements for undergraduates. It has been a relationship that has been very beneficial to both parties, providing the company with eager, very competent technical staff while exposing the students to fast-paced, real-life work experiences in Spain.

One of the company's most outstanding placement students, William Eaton, will be returning to Andalucia.com this year as a graduate. He will be a senior member of the technical department, alongside Carlo Piran and Stacy Prenderville. Matthew Wittering, an undergraduate placement, will be dedicated to research and special projects.

Andalucia.com and Loughborough University are at this moment discussing future collaboration projects for innovative technology relating to online media. Loughborough has implemented commercial projects for companies such as Rolls Royce, and Virgin Atlantic. These projects have included aviation security, digital imaging, e-commerce programmes in Africa and access to the net for the visually-impaired.

When asked about the partnership, Dr. Colin H.C. Machin, the Director of Postgraduate Programmes and Placement Tutor in the Department of Computer Science stated, “We at Loughborough have really valued our relationship with Andalucia.com and Andalucian Web Solutions and we hope that we can continue to be of mutual benefit to one another, the students have gained invaluable experience during their industrial placement, both in online practical applications and technological innovation.”

Ibex Launches AWS Designed Site

Andalucia Web Solutions continues to create specially-designed solutions which are unique to the different needs of many clients. For example, AWS has just completed a new site for Ibex Insurance . Ibex Insurance is one of the top insurance providers for expatriates in Spain and Portugal and offers insurance for motors, travel, homes, marines, and pets.

The re-design of their site needed to focus on simplicity and ease of use so that clients can book your insurance online with the least of trouble. The new design can be found at www.ibexinsure.com. Also, AWS will be continuously working with our colleagues at Ibex as we provide Search Engine Optimisation (aided by banner links provided by Andalucia.com) with the aim of pushing Ibex Insurance into the upper echelons of Google rankings.

Affordable Alternatives in Web Design

Are you looking for an affordable website where you can make additions and changes without the need of hiring a web designer each and every time? Andalucia Web Solutions is pleased to announce the launch of www.cortijovalverde.com featuring a specially-made design and template creation where the client is in control of the content by using Adobe Contribute.

Our client Caroline Zartash-Lloyd, the owner of Cortijo Valverde Country Hotel is extremely happy with the new system that has been put into place. “Andalucia Web Solutions created a brand new website, with a fresh look, up-to-date feel, together with the necessary templates for us to do all the changes and amendments we need ourselves.”

The real beauty of the site design, she continues, lies in its flexibility. “We are able to respond to market demands in an instant, change our offers, pricing, promotions, etc., all on the fly... We found AWS team helpful, responsive, and creative. They are an excellent partner and we have no hesitation in recommending them.”

Contact our sales team at sales@andaluciaws.com for more info about our low cost alternatives to putting your business on the web.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our clients for their valued support. Should you have any queries or suggestions for our newsletter, please don’t hesitate to contact us at marketing@andaluciaws.com

This Month’s Special Offer

For June, Andalucia Web Solutions is offering a 20% discount on our exclusive banners. Place your advertisement on a specific page and your banner will have exclusivity in the position chosen for the entire time booked.

Exclusive banners can be reserved from one month to one year. This allows you to specifically target both your campaign and audience. Just watch your business increase.

We also offer banner design suited to your individual business needs. Contact our sales team for more info at sales@andaluciaws.com .

Social Computing

The age of social computing has arrived and is growing rapidly. The popularity of websites where individuals can upload content and voice their opinion has exponentially increased over the last couple of years. Here are a few examples:

YouTube.com - Founded in February 2005 it is the premier destination to watch and share video clips. It was bought recently by Google for a sum that surprised all the analysts and is currently ranked by Alexa.com as the fourth most popular website in the world.

MySpace.com - Here you can share photos, and stories and ideas with people of similar interests. It is a place where you can find out about your friends and their friends.

Flickr.com - Owned by Yahoo, it is one of the best online photo management and sharing applications. It has a goal “…to help people make their photos available to the people who matter to them.”

Social Computing was certainly the message on the opening day of the prestigious Internet World’s keynote speeches at London’s Earls Court last May. Rebecca Jennings, Senior Analyst with Forrester Research, summed it up when she advised the corporate marketing managers about their websites. “Content is no longer king, contact with the customer is king. The medium is not the message, the customer response is the message and it is not what you say that is important, it is what the customers say to you because they will talk to friends, colleagues and, through the internet, the world.”

E-mail first gave family and friends a way to communicate freely and inexpensively, now the tool is social networking. The phenomena is not just the global websites mentioned above but also in the numerous specialised places such as the Andalucia.com’s forum where thousands of tourists and foreign residents have been helping each other with advice for years.

Andalucia.com’s Latest Additions

Andalucia.com S.L. continues to expand in order to provide constantly improving services to our clients and our viewers alike. This month, we are proud to introduce you to two of our newest members:

Scheherezade Salcedo Harder

Web Designer

Scheherezade joined Andalucia.com
S. L. in March 2007 as a Web Designer. Schere graduated from Escuela Joso de Barcelona with a Diploma in Graphic Design.

Schere then worked in Barcelona as a Web Designer at Babel Communications before returning home to Andalucia . During the last two years, she has been a freelance designer for many different companies in Southern Spain. She has also worked for four years in marketing and is fully bilingual. Scheherazade brings with her many fresh and innovative ideas and we all wish her the very best. We welcome her to our team.

Daniel Drake

Account Manager

Daniel joined the team at Andalucia.com in May, 2007. He was born in London and studied business and finance at the London College for two years before going directly into sales in the import/export side of the food industry. Daniel then moved into the area of his real passion, the foreign currency market, where he worked for two years, studying the markets and learning the trade. Daniel also ran his own catering company for three years before deciding to move to a country he had always loved, Spain.

In Spain, Daniel has worked in sales for Marriott before finally joining us here at Andalucia.com. Daniel brings a special energy and drive to Andalucia.com and we would all like to welcome him on board.

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