A Healthy Partnership Model

One of our Models of Excellence winners, Healthline Networks, has scored a major distribution deal with U.S. News & World Report. Healthline’s health information is now part of the USNews.com site. When users search the USNews.com site for health information, Healthline's Healthfind service will search its database of more than one million medical terms. Search results will include those found within Healthline as well as U.S. News' own library of health-related information.

The initiative includes a number of features to simplify the search process for site visitors. For example, a HealthMaps feature makes it easier for users to conduct their searches--all they need to do is click on topics related to a disease of interest instead of typing keywords into a search box. Navigation links are designed to help expand or streamline searches.

By signing on with U.S. News & World Report, Healthline will undoubtedly get its information into the hands of consumers who have never utilized their services; and by aligning itself with such a powerful and well-known brand as U.S. News, Healthline will be able to further build out its own brand due to this increased exposure.

Both U.S. News and Healthline wanted to create a service that would provide consumers a reliable source of health information. When seeking partnerships for your organization, your due diligence must include confirmation that your soon-to-be partner has the same goals and objectives for an alliance that you do. It's just as important to find a partner that is as established in its market as you are in yours. Only then does your partnership have the potential to become a match made in heaven.

How Does Your Web Site Rate?

Does your Web site make the grade? There's a new service that just might be able to tell you how you're doing online. The Ratings Guy this week announced the launch of the company's Web site ratings and review services. Web sites that make the grade (they have to be tops in providing users high quality, trusted and experienced resources) are presented with The Ratings Guy's Great Site seal, which can be placed on their sites. You can take a look at which sites have earned The Ratings Guy's approval at www.TheRatingsGuy.com. With so much to choose from on the Web, users are increasingly turning to objective rating services like The Ratings Guy for guidance and recommendations.

The Ratings Guy uses a proprietary review methodology to grade Web sites. The sites are tested by independent reviewers on such aspects as transparency, accuracy, timeliness, functionality, trust and usefulness. The company focuses on sites in consumer lifestyle information categories such as health and wellness; travel and leisure; house and home; animals and pets; diet and cuisine; kids; and shopping.

If your business doesn't fall into any of these categories, it's still worth your time to visit The Ratings Guy site to learn about best practices on the Web and get some ideas on how to make your site more engaging to customers. If your site does need work, it's definitely not alone. According to company co-founder John Morrow, less than three percent of Web sites meet The Ratings Guy approval.

AC-U-KWIK Goes Mobile

Penton Media's AC-U-KWIK announced last week that users can now access AC-U-KWIK information directly from their handheld mobile devices with Web access. By using equipment such as PDAs and cell phones, customers can easily view airport data such as airport listings, fixed base operator (FBO), airport phone numbers, fuel prices and Web sites, weather information and a distance calculator on the go.

According to a company statement, this new functionality was launched as a result of customer request. If you’re ever in doubt on what product or service to launch next, certainly take into account the input you receive from senior management. But don't discount the valuable insight your customers can offer. Oftentimes, they use your products and services in ways you never dreamed--but they're using your offerings 'in the trenches', so their feedback is invaluable.

Today's customers want their information wherever, whenever they need it and in real time. Technology enables such functionality and customers know it’s available. By offering AC-U-KWIK on mobile devices, customers can virtually take the information with them--and if you're an AC-U-KWIK customer, you’re definitely not tied to a desktop computer. Now, wherever these customers are, AC-U-KWIK will be top of mind. And isn't that, at the end of the day, what publishers want?

VSS Acquires Advanstar

Equity investor Veronis Suhler Stevenson last week acquired Advanstar Communications for $1.142 billion. (Co-sponsors of the investment are Citigroup Private Equity and New York Life Capital Partners.) Among Advanstar's more prominent properties are the MAGIC Marketplace apparel market trade show and Dealer Expo, a powersports aftermarket trade show. Advanstar's slate of offerings includes 87 international and regional events, 58 publications and directories and 125 electronic publications and Web sites.

Advanstar also offers educational and direct marketing products and services with a customer base that comprises both business professionals and consumers.

The fact that Advanstar is a strong player in a variety of growing vertical markets likely appealed to VSS; and principals at the investment firm undoubtedly have a plan already in place to further increase the presence of Advanstar's slate of products. In announcing the deal, VSS officials suggested that growth will be sparked organically as well as through acquisitions. While the media industry, particular when it comes to magazine titles, has suffered some losses lately (the shutdown of Child magazine late last week is the most recent), expect some healthy gains from the Advanstar properties. VSS apparently sees plenty of potential and possesses the resources necessary to fuel that potential. It certainly won’t be a quiet year for Advanstar.

Thomson Healthcare Launches NeoFax

Thomson Healthcare, a unit of The Thomson Corp., last week launched the NeoFax neonatal drug dosing solution. NeoFax helps physicians, nurses and pharmacists more quickly access information about neonatal drug dosing and parenteral nutrition with the goal of ensuring that physicians are administering the correct medication and proper dosage to their youngest patients.

NeoFax's collection of tools consists of alerts, an interaction checker and a patient-specific dosing calculator. It includes more than 185 substances and a set of clinical decision support modules for patient specific dosing and parenteral nutrition order entry for neonates. NeoFax is available in a variety of formats, including print, PDA and a Web-based application designed for hospital neonatal intensive care units.

Thomson recently acquired NeoFax, which launched its first neonatal dosing and nutrition manual was released in 1987. With the strength of a powerful parent company behind it, NeoFax is positioned for growth during its 20th anniversary year and beyond, especially since malpractice remains a prominent issue within the medical community. Thomson is well-known for being at the forefront of electronic-based solutions and the professional publishing powerhouse will likely work its magic on NeoFax.