Aventis expands Web site
Seven new "Global Disease Portals" designed to address the consumers' growing need for health related information have been created. According to Aventis, market research indicates that more people are taking an active interest in managing their own health, and, as a result, are more frequently searching for disease-specific information over the Internet.
The first portal, which is already online, is focused on cancer and the company also plans to add portals focused on rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, respiratory conditions/allergies, infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis. Content on the portals will be available in English, French and German.
In addition, the site will offer an e-recruiting function to market Aventis to potential employees; an industrial operations application designed to focus on the development of a supplier community and corporate information, including facts on Aventis strategic products, key country and company sites and financials. The company expects that future additions to the site will include Internet-enabled clinical trials, an archive of scientific publications, video streaming of scientific programs and interactive applications to promote exchange between physicians and scientists.
"Roughly 50 percent of people in North America and 25 percent of people in Western Europe are online and by 2005, those figures are expected to grow to 75 percent and 50 percent respectively," said Ragnar Nilsson, CIO at Aventis. "With the expansion of Aventis.com we are making significant progress towards using the full potential of the Internet as a business and marketing channel. We believe that the changes will broaden Aventis' customer focus, improve the quality and consistency of our Web content and raise the profile of Aventis."