Another Milestone in the CMS Manufacturer”s Internationalization Strategy

Dortmund, May 02, 2012 – e-Spirit, manufacturer of the FirstSpirit Content Management System (CMS), has founded a new subsidiary in Switzerland. In establishing the e-Spirit Schweiz AG, the CMS specialist is responding to the growing demand for a high performance content integration platform. The company”s most recent new clients include well-known Switzerland-based companies such as Geberit and the SFS Group as well as the Canton of Aargau. In particular, the CMS expert has succeeded in enlarging its Swiss customer base with its portal integration solutions, customer-oriented functional enhancements, and best-of-breed strategy.

“With the FirstSpirit Content Integration Platform, we offer companies the flexibility to efficiently implement the best solution for their current and future requirements,” says Johannes Häusele, CEO of e-Spirit Schweiz AG and member of the e-Spirit AG Executive Board. “We want to considerably expand our local presence and thus intensify our focus on our customers and partners in Switzerland,” Häusele explains. The company”s stated goal is to leverage the success that e-Spirit AG achieved in the past business year and repeat it in Switzerland. With an 80% increase in license revenues and 33 new customers from a wide range of sectors, 2011 marked the CMS manufacturer”s most successful financial year in the company”s history.

René Reinli has joined the team at the Swiss subsidiary on May 1, 2012, as Sales Director Switzerland. He will be responsible for the coordination and expansion of the license business and professional services. Reinli has more than ten years of experience in the Swiss and Austrian IT sector. His professional career has included positions at C-Channel, Crealogix E-Payment, and QuoVadis Trustlink, and most recently at Checkpoint.

Successful Internationalization

The establishment of e-Spirit Schweiz AG, headquartered in Zurich, represents another milestone in the internationalization strategy pursued by the Germany-based CMS specialist. In October 2011, the company founded its USA subsidiary, e-Spirit Inc., opening its first branch for the North American market in the city of Boston. e-Spirit already laid the foundation for its presence on the international market back in 2007, when it founded e-Spirit UK Limited in London.

As the manufacturer of the content management system FirstSpirit?, e-Spirit is a technological leader in the field of web content management (WCM). Well-known customers from all business sectors rely on FirstSpirit? for implementing successful web strategies worldwide and for the creation, management and publication of content in highly diverse channels (Internet, intranet, extranet, mobile channels, PDF, email newsletters, portals, DTP, technical documentation). The content management system impresses with its outstanding integratability and its consistent best-of-breed strategy: It integrates seamlessly into complex system landscapes and portals (SAP NetWeaver, IBM WebSphere, Microsoft SharePoint, Liferay), and with FirstSpirit? AppCenter, e-Spirit offers the unique opportunity in the market for interface integration of any web applications directly into the CMS. As a content integration platform, FirstSpirit? meets the highest demands for usability, performance and investment security.

e-Spirit was founded in 1999. It is a part of the adesso Group and is represented with 11 locations in Germany, the United States, Great Britain, Austria and Switzerland.

Kontakt:
e-Spirit AG
Sandra Högemann
Barcelonaweg 14
44269 Dortmund
+49 (0)231 47777 199

http://www.e-Spirit.com
presse@e-Spirit.com

Pressekontakt:
Schwartz Public Relations
Jörg Stelzer
Sendlingerstraße 42A
80331 München
js@schwartzpr.de
+49 (0) 89-211 871-34
http://www.schwartzpr.de

The Vice-President of the EU with responsibility of the Digital Agenda for Europe found out about the efficient use of cloud services in the business environment

Vice-President of the EU, Neelie Kroes with Marc Kleine, Head of Pre-Sales, and Joern Bodemann, CEO e-Spirit (f.l.t.r.)

Dortmund/Hannover, March 06, 2012 – On Tuesday, the Vice-President of the European Commission with responsibility for the Digital Agenda for Europe, Neelie Kroes, visited the stand of e-Spirit AG, producer of the content management system (CMS) FirstSpirit. At the stand Ms Kroes watched a live demo of the high-end CMS, whose outstanding properties are easy integration of best-of-breed technologies and enterprise portals. The EU Vice-President was particularly interested in the FirstSpirit AppCenter, with which virtually any web and desktop application can be quickly and easily integrated into the CMS, regardless of whether online image databases, geolocation, video technology, e-mail and web analysis services or office documents such as Google Docs for joint editing. “This integratability, unique in the market, enables companies to use cloud services intelligently and efficiently on a central interface”, said Jörn Bodemann, CEO of e-Spirit AG. “We are pleased that the reputation of FirstSpirit as an outstanding content Integration Platform has reached Brussels.” Apart from e-Spirit, only a few selected firms were scheduled to be visited by the EU Vice-President.

Neelie Kroes is responsible for the promotion, continued development and distribution of information and communication technologies at European level and used her CeBIT visit to find out about innovative developments in the ICT sector. e-Spirit AG, founded in 1999, is the technology leader in web content management (WCM) and now has eleven locations in Germany, Great Britain, Austria, Switzerland and the USA. At the CeBIT, which runs until March 10, the producer will be presenting itself in on Stand G 26 in Hall 6.

About e-Spirit
As the manufacturer of the content management system FirstSpirit?, e-Spirit is a technological leader in the field of web content management (WCM). Well-known customers from all business sectors rely on FirstSpirit? for implementing successful web strategies worldwide and for the creation, management and publication of content in highly diverse channels (Internet, intranet, extranet, mobile channels, PDF, email newsletters, portals, DTP, technical documentation). The content management system impresses with its outstanding integratability and its consistent best-of-breed strategy: It integrates seamlessly into complex system landscapes and portals (SAP NetWeaver, IBM WebSphere, Microsoft SharePoint, Liferay), and with FirstSpirit? AppCenter, e-Spirit offers the unique opportunity in the market for interface integration of any web applications directly into the CMS. As a content integration platform, FirstSpirit? meets the highest demands for usability, performance and investment security.

e-Spirit was founded in 1999. It is a part of the adesso Group and is represented with 11 locations in Germany, the United States, Great Britain, Austria and Switzerland. www.e-Spirit.com

Kontakt:
e-Spirit AG
Sandra Högemann
Barcelonaweg 14
44269 Dortmund
+49 (0)231 47777 199

http://www.e-Spirit.com
presse@e-Spirit.com

Pressekontakt:
Schwartz Public Relations
Jörg Stelzer
Sendlingerstraße 42A
80331 München
js@schwartzpr.de
+49 (0) 89-211 871-34
http://www.schwartzpr.de

WebControlling module integrates analytics software from etracker into FirstSpirit CMS

DORTMUND, Germany and BOSTON, MA, November 23, 2011 – Analysis of visitor behavior on company websites and real-time response: e-Spirit (www.e-Spirit.com) now offers a new module that extends the FirstSpirit content management system (CMS) with the addition of a convenient tracking solution. The “WebControlling” module integrates the web analytics software from etracker (www.etracker.com) into FirstSpirit. It allows online editors to utilize all of the solution’s functionalities, identify potential improvements from visitor behavior and quickly optimize websites accordingly (e.g. to increase conversion rates) directly in the CMS. Using graphical statistics and the visualization features Link Clickmap and Click Heatmap, users can see where action is required by checking right in the FirstSpirit preview of a given page, and then make updates on the spot. With the e-Spirit integration solution, companies do not need a separate tracking infrastructure, but instead can just use data from etracker as a SaaS (Software as a Service) application – and quite easily right inside the FirstSpirit client. The installation of the module is quick and easy, and no restructuring of the web pages is required.

Enhanced success on the web

Companies can enhance their success on the web by continuously optimizing content, navigation, and the positioning of content elements on websites. For this, online editors require updated and reliable data on access figures, click paths, entry pages, bounce rates, top pages, visitor origin, search terms used, session length, and return rate. When integrated into FirstSpirit, etracker makes this information available through real-time analyses and a vivid graphical display of user behavior and access statistics. The module supports Single sign-on: Just by logging in to the CMS you can access the analysis data in FirstSpirit and quickly make the required editing changes.

Web controlling for compliant data protection

In addition, the tool is also suitable for campaign controlling and A/B testing, i.e. for evaluating and comparing performance figures from different campaigns and marketing resources over any selected time period, or for analyzing shopping carts. Companies use this to identify and then quickly put it use cross-sell and upsell potential both for individual products and specific product groups. Here etracker ensures compliance with data protection directives. A high level of precision and informational value is provided by the pixel technology used here: The solution uses a counter pixel for the analysis instead of traditional log files.

Release 1.0 of the FirstSpirit WebControlling module has been released for immediate use. For additional information on the web, visit www.e-Spirit.com/webcontrolling and www.etracker.com.

About etracker

With more than 110,000 clients, etracker, based in Hamburg, Germany, is one of Europe’s leading providers of products and services for website and online-marketing optimisation. etracker provides five highly integrated product lines. etracker Web Analytics allows real-time quantitative analysis of visitor behavior. etracker Visitor Voice ascertains user needs and satisfaction levels through user surveys. etracker Page Feedback allows optimisation based on user feedback. The mouse-tracking solution, etracker Visitor Motion, records all user interaction on websites in detail and etracker Campaign Control is a campaign management system for optimal budget allocations.
The etracker philosophy includes very high standards on handling of customer data correctly and in confidence. etracker has been certified which guarantees that its processing of data is compliant with European data-privacy laws. etracker”s reference customers include: Air Berlin, Brother, B.Braun, Burger King, Jack Wolfskin, Lufthansa WorldShop, Motel One, T-Online, UNICEF and United Domains.

About e-Spirit

As the manufacturer of the content management system FirstSpirit?, e-Spirit is a technological leader in the field of web content management (WCM). Well-known customers from all business sectors rely on FirstSpirit? for implementing successful web strategies worldwide and for the creation, management and publication of content in highly diverse channels (Internet, intranet, extranet, mobile channels, PDF, email newsletters, portals, DTP, technical documentation). The content management system impresses with its outstanding integratability and its consistent best-of-breed strategy: It integrates seamlessly into complex system landscapes and portals (SAP NetWeaver, IBM WebSphere, Microsoft SharePoint, Liferay), and with FirstSpirit? AppCenter, e-Spirit offers the unique opportunity in the market for interface integration of any web applications directly into the CMS. As a content integration platform, FirstSpirit? meets the highest demands for usability, performance and investment security.

e-Spirit was founded in 1999. It is a part of the adesso Group and is represented with 12 locations in Germany, the United States, Great Britain, Austria and Switzerland. www.e-Spirit.com

Kontakt:
e-Spirit Inc.
Oliver Jaeger
470 Atlantic Avenue
MA 02210 Boston
+1 877 71 E-SPIRIT

www.e-Spirit.com
PR@e-Spirit.com

Pressekontakt:
Schwartz Public Relations
Jörg Stelzer
Sendlingerstraße 42A
80331 München
js@schwartzpr.de
+49 (0) 89-211 871-34
http://www.schwartzpr.de

FirstSpirit as the content platform for 30 websites in 19 countries / Setup of an extranet with SAP portal integration

Dortmund, November 21, 2011 – The Swiss SFS Group, worldwide operating manufacturer of molded parts and fastening systems for industrial production, places its international websites on a stable base with the content management system (CMS) FirstSpirit. With the CMS of e-Spirit (www.e-Spirit.com) SFS will manage around 30 international sites. In addition, a new customer extranet will be set up with the CMS and this will also be integrated in the SAP system environment. FirstSpirit will ensure improved web performance at SFS with lower IT and hardware expenditure and cost savings through more efficient editorial processes worldwide. By the end of the year, the new corporate website of the SFS Group will be set up with the content of the services company, SFS services AG and then the Swiss trading group companies, SFS unimarket AG and SFS Locher AG will go live with the new look & feel. In 2012, the website of the industrial company SFS intec AG will then follow with its 19 country sites and the setup of the extranet. The implementation will be carried out by Namics AG Schweiz (www.namics.com), which also has supported SFS as an independent service provider in the selection of the new CMS solution.

Content, stability and integration strength

Together with Namics, SFS evaluated a shortlist of three products on the basis of 80 criteria and set maximum requirements with regard to performance and stability in international use. Other central decision-making features were implementation and integration options for new web developments and user-friendliness for users and editors. The system used until now, an in-house development based on Lotus Notes, was no longer able to fulfill these requirements. FirstSpirit convinced with its extensive out-of-the-box functions, module add-on options, a clear product roadmap and its system architecture. For example, the separation of the editorial system from the web server and the delivery of pre-generated pages by the CMS ensure high performance with low resource requirements. As the international companies will also contribute content for the website and the extranet in future, the ability to define deployment processes (workflows) as well as versioning and historization functions were also relevant in the decision-making.

To develop the extranet the group also required a CMS, which could be easily and seamlessly integrated in the existing SAP infrastructure – an essential advantage of the FirstSpirit CMS. The new extranet will make all kinds of personalized applications and services available to customers and suppliers on a central platform. For example, they will be able to view goods management data, print out product labels or track orders and packages. The editors conveniently supply the necessary supplementary editorial content via the content management system into the SAP portal.

“Our new websites will offer existing and potential customers even more service and promote our business success. Good content, provided tailored to individual customers, and a fast time-to-market are the decisive factors for this”, explained Roland Tüscher, head of e-Business at SFS services AG. SFS now has a solution, which optimally helps not only the IT department but also the content editors, to offer customers and interested parties attractive web content. With FirstSpirit, resources can be consolidated and web projects can be implemented far more efficiently. The CMS can easily grow with the requirements, without increasing the complexity for the editors. “With FirstSpirit we are opting for a professional platform, which is able to cover all our requirements – long-term and internationally. The modular extendibility keeps open all options to us. This could be, for example, the issue of a newsletter via the CMS or the integration of an event calendar for our customers, as well as the linking of central databases and other third party systems or the output of content via mobile channels.”

Further information about e-Spirit and FirstSpirit is available on the Internet under www.e-Spirit.com.

About SFS Group

The SFS Group is clearly structured by spheres of activity through its constituent companies – SFS intec, SFS unimarket, SFS Locher and SFS services. SFS intec supplies focused industrial sectors worldwide with precision components in the field of fastening and forming technology from its own manufacturing facilities. The main focus is on the automotive, electrical, construction and aircraft industries. SFS unimarket supplies the industrial, craft and trade sectors in Switzerland with products in the fields of fastening systems, tools and architectural hardware. SFS Locher is a full-service provider of building supplies. SFS services provides the operating units with services in the fields of finance and accounting, information technology and personnel management. The SFS Group generated sales of EUR 1.0 billion with 4200 employees in 2010.

About e-Spirit

As the manufacturer of the content management system FirstSpirit, e-Spirit is a technological leader in the field of web content management (WCM). Well-known customers from all business sectors rely on FirstSpirit for implementing successful web strategies worldwide and for the creation, management and publication of content in highly diverse channels (Internet, intranet, extranet, mobile channels, PDF, email newsletters, portals, DTP, technical documentation). The content management system impresses with its outstanding integratability and its consistent best-of-breed strategy: It integrates seamlessly into complex system landscapes and portals (SAP NetWeaver, IBM WebSphere, Microsoft SharePoint, Liferay), and with FirstSpirit AppCenter, e-Spirit offers the unique opportunity in the market for interface integration of any web applications directly into the CMS. As a content integration platform, FirstSpirit meets the highest demands for usability, performance and investment security.

e-Spirit was founded in 1999. It is a part of the adesso Group and is represented with 12 locations in Germany, the United States, Great Britain, Austria and Switzerland. www.e-Spirit.com

Kontakt:
e-Spirit Inc.
Oliver Jaeger
470 Atlantic Avenue
MA 02210 Boston
+1 877 71 E-SPIRIT

www.e-Spirit.com
PR@e-Spirit.com

Pressekontakt:
Schwartz Public Relations
Jörg Stelzer
Sendlingerstraße 42A
80331 München
js@schwartzpr.de
+49 (0) 89-211 871-34
http://www.schwartzpr.de

FirstSpirit CMS offers convincing usability, interoperability and integration of enterprise portals

DORTMUND, Germany and BOSTON, MA, November 15, 2011 – Thanks to continuous positive development in recent years, e-Spirit (www.e-Spirit.com) is now listed in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Web Content Management.

International ambitions confirmed

With its most recent developments such as the FirstSpirit AppCenter for easy integration of virtually any web application in the CMS and its integration solutions for enterprise portals such as SAP NetWeaver, IBM WebSphere, Microsoft SharePoint and Liferay, e-Spirit offers companies unique options for efficiently implementing their web strategies and a fast return-on-investment.

“The inclusion of e-Spirit in the Magic Quadrant not only confirms our product strategy, but also encourages us in our international expansion course,” says Robert Bredlau, COO North America of e-Spirit Inc. “With the formation of our U.S, subsidiary, we are now much closer to our clients in North America. We are actively looking for suitable partners, who want to implement FirstSpirit in their clients’ systems and market it together with us in order to cover existing demand for FirstSpirit.”

Oliver Jaeger, Vice President Global Marketing & Communications at e-Spirit, adds: “In recent years we have consistently focused on FirstSpirit’s user friendliness and interoperability, which has resulted in rapid growth of demand for our software. We are pleased that Gartner has now acknowledged this development by including e-Spirit in the Magic Quadrant.”

The 2011 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Web Content Management is available on www.gartner.com.

Additional information on e-Spirit and the FirstSpirit CMS is available on www.e-Spirit.com.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About e-Spirit

As the manufacturer of the content management system FirstSpirit, e-Spirit is a technological leader in the field of web content management (WCM). Well-known customers from all business sectors rely on FirstSpirit for implementing successful web strategies worldwide and for the creation, management and publication of content in highly diverse channels (Internet, intranet, extranet, mobile channels, PDF, email newsletters, portals, DTP, technical documentation). The content management system impresses with its outstanding integratability and its consistent best-of-breed strategy: It integrates seamlessly into complex system landscapes and portals (SAP NetWeaver, IBM WebSphere, Microsoft SharePoint, Liferay), and with FirstSpirit AppCenter, e-Spirit offers the unique opportunity in the market for interface integration of any web applications directly into the CMS. As a content integration platform, FirstSpirit meets the highest demands for usability, performance and investment security.

e-Spirit was founded in 1999. It is a part of the adesso Group and is represented with 12 locations in Germany, the United States, Great Britain, Austria and Switzerland. www.e-Spirit.com

Kontakt:
e-Spirit Inc.
Oliver Jaeger
470 Atlantic Avenue
MA 02210 Boston
+1 877 71 E-SPIRIT

www.e-Spirit.com
PR@e-Spirit.com

Pressekontakt:
Schwartz Public Relations
Jörg Stelzer
Sendlingerstraße 42A
80331 München
js@schwartzpr.de
+49 (0) 89-211 871-34
http://www.schwartzpr.de

Consolidation of distributed systems on a strategic content management hub FirstSpirit at Würzburger Versorgungs- und Verkehrs-GmbH / From information to interaction: new web services for customers

Dortmund, November 08, 2011 – In developing its new website, www.wvv.de, Würzburger Versorgungs- und Verkehrs-GmbH (WVV) opted for the flexible content management system (CMS) FirstSpirit from e-Spirit (www.e-Spirit.com). The CMS forms the strategic content hub for the websites of the company’s power, mobility, and environmental service divisions. The new sites were developed by e-Spirit’s partner communicode and have been launched late August. In the next phase the intranet will also be launched using the new CMS. For WVV the use of FirstSpirit means lower operating and maintenance costs through the consolidation of previously distributed legacy systems on a single platform and the more efficient work processes for managing content. The outstanding usability of FirstSpirit means that employees can now update content much more easily and thus actively participate in designing the WVV sites themselves, without IT support.

From information to interaction

As a provider of power, mobility, and environmental services, WVV keeps the region around the German city Würzburg, moving. And now, with WVV’s long-range web strategy based on information and interaction, the website is on the go, too: now customers and passengers have access to a broad range of services in addition to the classical editorial content. Users of the site will also be able to use the integration of Google Maps to quickly find customized parking options in the city. Whether it’s for power, mobility, or parking services – customers benefit from high quality information and from additional services for their specific mobility planning and power supply needs. Users also have access to “self-services” in the personalized, password-protected customer area, which they can use to update their data or provide their meter reading. In the medium-term content will also be published to mobile devices, such as smart phones or tablets, through FirstSpirit. Here the CMS offers a “MobilePublisher” mobilization module which can be used to optimally display content for more than 15,000 different types of mobile devices.

Realizing synergies

Previously WVV had two different systems which were used for the Internet and the intranet. As a result, costs were incurred twice for operation and maintaining. Inefficiency also resulted from the distributed nature of data management. “By relaunching our web projects in FirstSpirit we can improve usability for our editors and at the same time significantly reduce costs for the delivery and maintenance of our sites. It was also important in selecting our new CMS to find a provider that would provide stability – both through a future-secure technology and also in terms of an intelligent product strategy. We want to be able to rely on this just as we rely on high-quality support”, says Manuel Deissenberger, Online Project Manager at Würzburger Versorgungs- und Verkehrs-GmbH. With FirstSpirit CMS as a central content hub, WVV can now realize synergies in a wide range of business areas, from operating costs to helping employees with more efficient work sequences and processes. In this way FirstSpirit supports editors with a WYSIWYG view, editing in the page preview of the WebClient, centrally provided templates, as well as drag & drop functionalities and an integrated image editing function. With the integrated search feature the needed content and media can be found more quickly. “Through targeted self-service features and an expanded range of primary processes, such as providing information on the web for example, we are providing our staff with the resources they need to offer more intensive customer support. In that way we will increase our productivity and continue improving our quality of service while also reducing costs”, explains Deissenberger.

A transfer of know-how to WVV

Due to the simple usability of the new CMS, the IT department at WVV can now proceed with its own planned implementation of the intranet to FirstSpirit. There are currently some 30 editors working with the new CMS. Here, too, the intuitive usability, including the resulting lower training costs, as well as the ability to keep the existing role- and rights management framework, enable lower costs and more efficient processes. “By including our staff members and their extensive expertise, we will continue to improve the quality of content and thus of the acceptance of our web services among customers and colleagues. And thanks to the system’s scalability and integration capabilities, we will continue to have a full range of options for other projects”, says Deissenberger in looking ahead.

For more information on e-Spirit and FirstSpirit, visit www.e-Spirit.com and for Würzburger Versorgungs- und Verkehrs-GmbH visit www.wvv.de.

About communicode GmbH

communicode connects people and technologies on every level. As an experienced E-Business service provider, communicode assists companies in meeting the complex challenges associated with the digitalization of all sorts of business- and communication processes through innovative and future-secure solutions. communicode offers a wide range of expertise in the design and implementation of extensive E-Business projects with a focus on Enterprise Content Management-, E-Commerce- and Product Information Management systems.

About e-Spirit

As the manufacturer of the content management system FirstSpirit, e-Spirit is a technological leader in the field of web content management (WCM). Well-known customers from all business sectors rely on FirstSpirit for implementing successful web strategies worldwide and for the creation, management and publication of content in highly diverse channels (Internet, intranet, extranet, mobile channels, PDF, email newsletters, portals, DTP, technical documentation). The content management system impresses with its outstanding integratability and its consistent best-of-breed strategy: It integrates seamlessly into complex system landscapes and portals (SAP NetWeaver, IBM WebSphere, Microsoft SharePoint, Liferay), and with FirstSpirit AppCenter, e-Spirit offers the unique opportunity in the market for interface integration of any web applications directly into the CMS. As a content integration platform, FirstSpirit meets the highest demands for usability, performance and investment security.

e-Spirit was founded in 1999. It is a part of the adesso Group and is represented with 12 locations in Germany, the United States, Great Britain, Austria and Switzerland. www.e-Spirit.com

Kontakt:
e-Spirit Inc.
Oliver Jaeger
470 Atlantic Avenue
MA 02210 Boston
+1 877 71 E-SPIRIT

www.e-Spirit.com
PR@e-Spirit.com

Pressekontakt:
Schwartz Public Relations
Jörg Stelzer
Sendlingerstraße 42A
80331 München
js@schwartzpr.de
+49 (0) 89-211 871-34
http://www.schwartzpr.de

More rapid time-to-market for new products and rates / Simple integration of interactive portal functionalities with FirstSpirit CMS

Dortmund, October 27, 2011 – Just a year after its new websites www.wgv.de and www.wgv-himmelblau.de went live, WGV Insurance points to positive results: using the FirstSpirit content management system (CMS) from e-Spirit (www.e-Spirit.com) the company has been able to reduce the overall time and efforts of maintaining sites by 40 percent. WGV uses the CMS as a central content platform for the creation, administration, and updating of all content on its websites. The IT team and editors in particular benefit from using the system to perform their daily work, with the result that costs for technical maintenance have been slashed and response times for editing content updates on the sites have been cut nearly in half. These benefits are due to FirstSpirit’s extensive out of the box functionalities and excellent ease of use, among other features. In the next step the creation of a separate homepage for the HR department is planned.

Intuitive user features and rapid time to market

The various sites are different in layout, structure, and content and are aimed at different target groups. To ensure that content is kept up to date and to maintain quick time-to-market for new insurance products and rates, it is particularly important for both sites that the relevant departments are able to create and edit content easily and efficiently. For that reason usability and intuitive user features for editors are a key requirement for the content management system at WGV. Already in the selection process for the CMS WGV consultants were impressed in this regard by the positive experiences of their colleagues at BGV/Badische Versicherungen, which has been using FirstSpirit successfully since 2008. “The upgrade of our websites required more frequent updates and thus in some cases the addition of new staff to our editing team. So it’s important that even occasional users be able to get up to speed with the CMS very quickly”, explains Matthias Baldauf, team leader in the eICIS/Frontoffice at WGV-Informatik und Media GmbH. While in the past it was always necessary to go through the IT department to make updates, now the specific departments directly oversee all content-related site maintenance. “Due to the improved response time, we are now able to provide our customers with updated information twice as quickly as before. In this way FirstSpirit helps us to save significant time, and money too”.

Simple technical integration

The simple system implementation and the integration of third-party systems into the CMS also contribute to simplification of IT-related work. The IT division at WGV completed the implementation of wgv.de and wgv-himmelblau.de in-house in just four months and three months respectively. Video elements located externally in the cloud were easily integrated with FirstSpirit by the individual editor by referencing the relevant ID code. It was also very easy to link to interactive business processes in the standard software eICIS / ICIS® (Insurance Company Information System), the company’s centrally managed policy- and claims management system for all divisions, with an iFrame and API function call. Now customers have direct access to such online functionalities as a rate calculator, a personalized online portal for managing their own policies, and to contact requests to insurance agents. Here users move seamlessly from the current page to the service portal thanks to the site’s consistent look & feel. “Our customers can now access a full range of business processes in the offer- and policy management system and file damage reports themselves via wgv-himmelblau.de – and any time they want, even outside of normal business hours”, says Baldauf. “We’re also able, thanks to the optimal interaction of FirstSpirit with our existing applications, to quickly implement all of our Internet sales activities for our insurance products. The support team at e-Spirit was there to help us and provide steady assistance during integration and setup of the websites”.

Additional information on FirstSpirit is available online at www.e-Spirit.com.

About WGV insurance

The WGV insurance company is primarily active as a municipal insurance provider, a specialist provider, and a direct provider for private individuals. Communication with customers, especially private customers, is maintained via mail, telephone, and increasingly the Internet. There is also an extensive network of part-time and full-time agents in the Württemberg region.

About e-Spirit

As the manufacturer of the content management system FirstSpirit, e-Spirit is a technological leader in the field of web content management (WCM). Well-known customers from all business sectors rely on FirstSpirit for implementing successful web strategies worldwide and for the creation, management and publication of content in highly diverse channels (Internet, intranet, extranet, mobile channels, PDF, email newsletters, portals, DTP, technical documentation). The content management system impresses with its outstanding integratability and its consistent best-of-breed strategy: It integrates seamlessly into complex system landscapes and portals (SAP NetWeaver, IBM WebSphere, Microsoft SharePoint, Liferay), and with FirstSpirit AppCenter, e-Spirit offers the unique opportunity in the market for interface integration of any web applications directly into the CMS. As a content integration platform, FirstSpirit meets the highest demands for usability, performance and investment security.

e-Spirit was founded in 1999. It is a part of the adesso Group and is represented with 12 locations in Germany, the United States, Great Britain, Austria and Switzerland.
www.e-Spirit.com

Kontakt:
e-Spirit AG
Sandra Högemann
Barcelonaweg 14
44269 Dortmund
+49 (0)231 286 61 73

www.e-Spirit.com
presse@e-Spirit.com

Pressekontakt:
Schwartz Public Relations
Jörg Stelzer
Sendlingerstraße 42A
80331 München
js@schwartzpr.de
+49 (0) 89-211 871-34
http://www.schwartzpr.de