Πέμπτη, Μαΐου 31, 2007

New pelion-paths.gr website release

After a struggle of 11 months we have finally completed a new website about outdoors activities in Pelion-Greece: pelion-paths.gr.

The idea for the website was initially from the Mouresi Municipality
and was a part of a greater vision: to create an automated on-line system that will provide the tourists with a tool that would help them plan and conduct hiking trips, boat trips, car rides and mountain-bike rides towards the physical exploration of the area on mount Pelion in Greece.

The website consists of 5 main sections:
  1. Pelion Sights
  2. Pelion hiking routes
  3. Pelion interactive map
  4. Pelion species, and
  5. Pelion news and events
The first approach of the project was made during February-May 2006 where the project's goals were analyzed and the draft plan was explained in detail to the officials.

The project was outsourced to our team right after a public competition held out by the local authorities during June 2006, and we begun to build it right after our contract agreement was signed, on July 2006. Our estimation was to complete in 8 weeks, but that was a dream that never came true.

Due to the complexity of the project (we had to build our own interactive map with navigation, on-demand point display etc) and the diversity of data sources (photographers, text-writers, hiking experts etc) we finally posted the primary beta version on October 24, 2007 and several follow ups since then.

New danae.gr website release

After 5 months of intensive work our developing team at the office has finally published the new version of www.danae.gr.
The website is about a Travel agency: Danae Travel Bureau, which provides travel services through the web such as online ferry ticket booking for ships conducting routes to/from and within Greece.
The website's first release date was on March 2005 and this new version was released on Tuesday May 29 2007.

The main key-features in this new 2007 release are:
  1. ajax technology in ferry search form
  2. xhtml compliant code
  3. google maps api embedded
  4. user interface (login, sign in)
  5. full web-based data administration
  6. shopping cart
  7. international ferries custom services (compare prices, special discounts etc)
  8. news database
Coming-up features will include:
  1. Off-line booking request for routes that the system does not provide online booking,
  2. Transfer services online booking
  3. Pro section, for travel professionals only
The website uses the central reservation system (CRS) provided by Forthnet to actually book the tickets in real-time.