Sarah Holland
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 10/01) - Internet users now have a wider array of choices when it comes to creating their homepage.

SSI Micro has added a new Web portal to their online services.

"We wanted to give our clients something useful as a homepage," said Ryan Walker, SSI Micro's sales manager, from his office in Yellowknife.

"One problem with many homepages is they are static, there's nothing all that useful on them," he said.

Internet users can customize their homepage with this portal, and there are over 40 categories to choose from. The choices range from weather and horoscopes to hockey news, top headlines and even a swimsuit image. There is no limit to the number of categories you choose. The more you choose, the lengthier your homepage.

Another feature of this free portal is its constantly changing nature. The page is updated automatically via an automated content retrieval system.

Although the page offers international news and information, SSI Micro plans to keep a lot of the content Northern, said Walker.

And there are definite plans to expand.

"We're working with a couple of organizations to build their services into our portal," said Walker. "We want Northern businesses to be accessible through it (the portal). "We want to take concepts, and then add links, products, prices, and take it forward from there," he said.

One way the company is involving customers in the page is through the contributed image situated at the top of the page. Anyone is welcome to submit their photographs, said Walker.

"We could maybe add a new category, a camera club category for example. The site is very modular and it's easy to add new content," he said.

The portal is accessible on the Web at www.ssimicro.com.

SSI Micro is a privately held communications company founded in 1990. They offer services in the Yukon, NWT, Nunavut and Nunavik.