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BUSINESS GAZETTE, July, 2000 Launching a one-stop Cumbrian Web shop For the millions of people who use the internet, portals have become the starting points whenever they log onto the Web. A portal - or gateway - is simply a Web site offering content that loads quickly, and that surfers will find both helpful and easy to use. Some are of a general nature (e.g. Yahoo!) while others are much more specialised. This month sees the launch of a specialised portal, arguably Cumbria's biggest and most ambitious Web site to date. www.cumbria.uk.com is a comprehensive site detailing everything there is to know about the county. Cumbrian businesses are already queuing up to get on board. So, if you're looking for a car mechanic in Carlisle, a barrister in Barrow or a window cleaner in Windermere, it's all there under one very large roof. The site is free for any business in the county to join. (See http://www.cumbria.uk.com/cumbria/join.htm for details.) They get their revenue through online banner advertising. The site has more than 2,000 pages (with at least a further 2,000 expected before the end of the year), including information on local towns, villages, mountains, and more. There are also pages for schools, local clubs and societies, events and weather. Complete with its own search engine, www.cumbria.uk.com has a clean design and is easy to navigate. The site has a strong tourism focus, taking it to an international audience as well local businesses. Special features include some spectacular panoramic photographs of the Lake District (see www.pan360.co.uk). These pictures cover full 360 degree vistas which any visitor to the site can take control of. There are also Web cams providing live updates from throughout the county; one such camera is situated at the restaurant at Miller Howe (www.millerhowe.com) and overlooks Windermere towards the Langdale Pikes. www.cumbria.uk.com plays host to the world's first ever online gurning competition! This attracted more than 1,000 visitors even before the site was officially launched. Surfers see a light-hearted side of the county and can either vote for someone challenging for the title of the World Wide Web's best gurn or, if they feel particularly brave, can submit a picture of their own. Dr. Paul Johnson, of The Dedicated Partnership, the site's manager, says: "Sites such as www.cumbria.uk.com require an enormous investment of both time and money prior to being launched. Some fall by the wayside but this is one that will definitely go the distance."
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