Online publishing to realise its promised potential in 2001

Added: (Fri Jan 05 2001)

Pressbox (Press Release) - Business Europe announces:
· online Managed Publishing Platform and Content Service Provision model
· first managed publishing deal

1 January 2001, London: Business Europe Ltd today announced details of its Managed Publishing Platform and Content Service Provision model, and its first major publishing deal with Small Business Service franchise Business Link Kent. The online publisher is using its original content and XML publishing technology to supply news to and create complete websites for public and private sector organisations.

Business Europe’s Managed Publishing Platform services includes the creation and maintenance of content-rich websites for organisations looking to give their customers or members access to their expert knowledge and daily news, online forums, pre-populated business directory and pan-European marketplace. Currently Business Europe provides these services via their own small and medium sized enterprise (SME) service www.businesseurope.com but the company expects to use its platform to create services for non-SME audiences within the next two years. The Business Europe Content Service Provision Service provides original high-quality SME news, features and reports to organisations wishing to include it within their existing websites.



Damian Gilbert, CEO Business Europe said:
“Business Europe is now offering to create and manage a branded website with 1,000 plus pieces of content within as little as six weeks. This first deal for Business Link Kent has proven that organisations without the time, expertise and money to build and maintain an effective website can now outsource the build and, crucially, the ongoing management of a professional online presence. We believe our service delivers what online publishing has been promising for years.

“We think over the coming year we will see many more Internet companies moving towards this Managed Publishing Platform and Content Service Provision model as it creates immediate revenue. This extension of our offer puts us in a strong position for profitability in the short term. Our press and publishing background and the 10,000 man-hours invested in developing our online publishing technology give us a distinct advantage over companies who may follow our lead.”

Business Europe has built Kent Business Link’s online business news, information and advice website, incorporating a business directory and marketplace, using the content and technology developed in-house for its own SME service. Business Link Kent’s service includes Business Europe’s UK and European business news as well as local content and services relevant to the 50,000 plus businesses in the Kent region. The “white label” site www.businesslinkkent.com is branded Business Link Kent powered by Business Europe and will be live in mid January 2001.

Tony Buddin, Marketing & Business Development Manager, Business Link Kent said:
“As an advisor to businesses we have to lead by example in the area of doing business online. We were impressed with Business Europe’s pan-European SME service and were delighted that they could speedily supply and manage a regionalised service to help Kent businesses succeed.”

Established in 1999, Business Europe launched its SME service in early October 2000. The company already has heavyweight experience in publishing with Andrew Neil, publisher of Press Holdings, as Chairman and Ian Jindal, former head of Online Operations for the BBC which achieved the world’s first ISO9000 accreditation for digital publishing, as COO.

Ian Jindal, COO Business Europe said:
“The impact of this development in online publishing on the established publishing industry and other Internet companies should not be underestimated. We feel we have distinct advantages as pioneers of this model. Our content is objective, current and, above all, useful and this is reflected in the fact that on average Business Europe users view 12 pages of our website during a single session, this is well above the industry average of about 5 pages. Our XML technology allows us to make changes across thousands of web pages in minutes – in HTML this could take weeks.”

Business Europe is currently in talks with organisations in the public sector that service SMEs and with commercial organisations who want to add value to their large SME customer base.

-Ends-

For more information, please contact:

Helen LeylandCommunications Manager
M: 07776 172600
e: hleyland@businesseurope.com

Notes to editor
Business Europe was founded in November 1999 by Damian Gilbert, previously a Managing Partner with Advanta Partners, $25-million Internet start-up fund, in New York, and Andrew Neil, Chairman of Press Holdings Ltd. and formerly Editor of The Sunday Times and Executive Chairman of Sky Television. The Company provides a comprehensive service of original news analysis, expert advice, online forums and marketplace. Business Europe is funded by Ellerman Investments.