Wintec turns website into central communication hub

We needed a solution that could centralise our siloed channels while enabling us to respond to the needs and expectations of our student population Bradley Vines, Wintec

As geographical barriers to education have come down through flexible online learning options, higher education has become extremely competitive.

With campuses in New Zealand and China and 20,000 students from 60 countries, The Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec), needed an engaging and immersive user experience to capture student interest – from enrolment through graduation.

This is the key driver for the deployment by Wintec of a web content management system by Progress Sitefinity.

“Today, the quality and speed of interaction between students, parents and educational organisations can significantly influence the choice of one educational institution over another,” says Bradley Vines, IT director, Wintec.

“We needed a solution that could centralise our siloed channels while enabling us to respond to the needs and expectations of our student population,” says Vines, in a statement.

“Progress Sitefinity gave us flexibility that we never imagined,” he adds.

“For the first time, our marketing team feels empowered to optimise the customer journey, without any IT help. This immediately turned into a great competitive advantage for us and was felt by our potential and current students.”

Wintec worked with Enlighten Designs, which selected Progress Sitefinity as the platform for the new website.

“Progress was selected because of its usability and out-of-the-box functionality. For the first time, marketers wouldn’t have to depend on IT to make simple updates and they could focus on content, not managing a complex CMS,” says Damon Kelly, CEO, Enlighten Designs.

Integrated with Microsoft Dynamics in the back-office, Sitefinity enabled Wintec to transform its website into a central communication hub for a global audience.

Wintec has been able to easily introduce additional multilingual versions of the website and converge all communication channels into one smooth digital experience.

Wintec is now able to engage with potential students and their parents at an early stage and provide them with all the information they need to make informed decisions.

Sitefinity allows Wintec staff to quickly respond to inquiries, make significant content and layout changes, launch marketing campaigns and implement SEO practices without IT assistance.

Wintec can monitor students’ status throughout their engagement and constantly evolve digital campaigns to resonate with its audiences.

No caption

Get the latest on digital transformation: Sign up forCIO newsletters for regular updates on CIO news, career tips, views and events.Follow CIO New Zealand on Twitter:@cio_nz