Client: IBS Software (P) Ltd

Background
IBS is a world leader in delivering world-class software product solutions and bespoke services, for the Travel, Transportation and Logistics industry. IBS client list reads like a whos who in the world of airports, airlines, oil and logistics, cruise liners and cargo carriers.

IBS has just relaunched its web site using Joomla. And the web site features a gorgeous visual design by Pigtail Pundits.

Challenge
The IBS brief was very clear:

• create a world-class web site in sync with IBS world-class philosophy, products and services
• make it maintainable by the IBS in-house staff

Solution
The creative idea for the web site emanated from VK Matthew, the Chairman and Managing Director's presentation to the agencies handling the account. One thing that remained etched in our minds after the CMD's presentation was that IBS does business with the best cruise lines, the best airlines, the best airports, the best cargo carriers and the best oil and gas companies of the world.

This is how Pigtail Pundits working closely with the IBS Corporate Communications team, exploded the idea:

• At the global level, we had to weave the IBS story with IBS clients. It meant showing what IBS has done for its clients, up front
• At a specific product, or service level the hook had to change to specific product / service benefits
• The copy for the site had to deal with customer problems/ pains up front and then the product/ service solution
• The site was information intensive given the nature of IBS products and services but had to look uncluttered and uncomplicated

We had to architect the information in a manner that was intuitive and appealing. It was important from a usability viewpoint that the depth of the site was not visible at first sight, given the depth of Products and Services that IBS was purveying. We avoided drop-down menus, altogether.

Links were categorized into Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. Primary links for Services and Products were again broadly classified by industry and then sub-categorized by product offering.

Once the customer drills down to a product or service level, all information needed for persuasion, such as Benefits, Features, Case Studies, Downloads, Contact Information are available on-page.

Joomla CMS and components, modules used
Pigtail Pundits used Joomla CMS for this project.

Aesthetic demands of the site required a number of 3rd party components and modules.

• The front page and inside pages use custom designed templates and css with custom flash animations
• Community Builder was used for the custom registration form
• DocMan was used for registered user downloads and metrics
• Front Page Slide Show was used for the JavaScript effects on the Home Page
• Chronoforms was used for side panel forms [this was essentially because we found that Facile Forms conflicted with on-page tab structures we had used]
• Facile Forms was used for forms which needed back-end collection with email, such as Contact and Upload Resume pages.
• Jquery sliders were used for the Modules on the right panel in Product and Service pages and to keep the pages from looking cluttered.
• YANC - essential for newsletter creation, list collection and management, newsletter sending and tracking
• Joomap essential for the Sitemap
• Extended Menu - needed to keep the menu systems linked in different places on the page
• 404 SEF was used for rewriting URLs

Under the Joomla hood, there are:

• Joomla Stats
• Joomla Explorer
• Ape Backup
• FCK editor

The beauty of working with Joomla is that all the components and modules are readily available. You just need to know which ones to use. This helped us focus on the design architecture of the site, and of course, to turn around the project much faster than we would have if we were to hand code even parts of it.

Visit the IBS website.