I want to send a quick note to everyone who interacts with the Web Communications department about some important and exciting changes that are happening in the next few months. It is great to work with all of you and I want to make sure we continue to offer the best service possible.

Changes coming to the Web Communications department:

1. Cost of maintenance agreements will increase by $50 for 2010
2. Events Calendar will be relaunched, everyone will be able to create RSVP's, upload images and video
3. Payment RSVP's will come at a $100 cost + hourly cost for changes after it launches
4. Invoices will now be sent when a project starts so we know we have funding for our resources
5. Bookmarklet for easier and faster site updates

Maintenance agreements

As we continue to strive to provide the best web site support on campus, we are making a tremendous effort to ensure we have the resources available to meet your needs. With over 350 sites in the CMS and 100+ maintenance agreements, we will be increasing the cost of our maintenance agreements to offset the demand for a 24-hour turn around time for update requests. Starting in January 2010, the cost for maintenance agreements will increase by $50 per year. The breakdown is:

• $350 per year for 5 content or image updates per month
• $550 for 10 updates per month
• $750 for 15 updates per month

New events calendar

Over the past 5 years the university events calendar has grown exponentially (http://wayne.edu/09dd27) and we have been adding features as needed. We will soon be relaunching the calendar with a new interface and expanded feature set. One of the main additions will be that any user who can create an event will now be able to create an RSVP. We will be adding official support for photos and video. The site will also become more social to allow for a greater awareness of events and activities. Look for a post in the next few days on our Web Communications Blog (http://wayne.edu/07e2ab).

RSVP's that include payment will now come at a cost

Currently, if your RSVP has payment options you need to send us your request a few months before it needs to be live. From there, many hours of work by us and the Cashiers Office go into the setup, testing and launch of the RSVP. This process requires a developer in order to get the RSVP up and running. As a result, in January 2010 we will begin charging a $100 fee to setup payment RSVP's.

Billing changes

Web projects can span 2 months - 1.5 years and require resources from both our and your department throughout the entire process. Starting October 1, 2009, we will begin sending invoices at the beginning of a project instead of upon completion. This will ensure we will have staff available to work on your project through completion, since our department is not fully funded and relies on revenue.

Bookmarklet

We have created a bookmarklet (http://wayne.edu/021c45) that you can use to request Web site updates and new projects. The bookmarklet can go in the bookmark bar on your browser and can send email from your desktop mail application or the Wayne Connect Web site. We have outlined a standard format email that allows us to better determine your needs.

Thank you

Last but not least, I wanted to extend a "thank you" on behalf of everyone in Web Communications and Marketing for your drive and enthusiasm on the web. Without your skill, motivation and initiative, Wayne State's Web presence would not be where it is now.