Airport Set To Launch Redesigned Web Site

TECHNOLOGY

Airport Set To Launch Redesigned Web Site
By DeAllous Smith

Point. Click. Results -- that’s the idea behind the new Internet redesign project at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

In third quarter 2008, aviation officials are scheduled to launch a new customer-centered Web site that features updated images, scrolling flight information and current customer service and ground transportation information on the home page. Popular links such as security checkpoint wait times, current news and bios will be retained on the site.

Perhaps the most exciting new features include the option to view the site in English as well as Spanish, an interactive tour that guides users from the parking lot to a departure gate and an “Online Collaboration” discussion page.
“This [Internet redesign] project allows the Airport to move into a new era of interacting with our customers,” said Chief Information Officer Lance Lyttle. “The collaboration page, in essence, transforms the Web site into a true community site where global visitors meet to discuss questions posed by the Department of Aviation.”

Lyttle believes the collaboration page will be a major boost for the site, which was last updated in 2003 and receives on average 5,900 unique visits a day. “When searching for a solution, we now have access to global Internet users in places such as the U.S., Brazil, China, France, India and Zimbabwe. There are absolutely no geographic boundaries when we seek input to a particular issue.”

Lance Lyttle, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport's Chief Information Officer (CIO)

The Airport’s quest to perform beyond the needs of today’s customers is recognized by industry peers outside of the aviation community as well.

In October, Lyttle was awarded the “2007 Georgia CIO of The Year” honor for the nonprofit and public sector category by the Georgia CIO Leadership Association. He was also awarded the “2007 CIO Magazine CIO-100 Transformer Award for Innovations and Execution”. This award is presented each year by CIO Business Technology Leadership magazine to the top 100 chief information officers who combine innovation and execution to transform their organization. The specific project focused on the development of an airport-wide Wi-Fi and cellular system, supported by multiple wireless Internet and telecommunications carriers that serve more than 120,000 customers a day.

Others on the redesign team include Pauline Howell, Kikiy Weathers, Michelle Longmore, Marquita Hazzard, Chao Li, Dawn Daniels, Sharon Jones and Madhavi Rao.