The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI) engaged us to swiftly deliver IranTracker.org, the first of several websites that provide users with developments and analyses on national security issues between Iran and the United States.
Given the sensitivity and immediacy of this type of political content, we needed to implement an agile platform that enabled publishers to update site content with real-time speed and efficiency.
To achieve this, we designed a built a streamlined, sophisticated site on the improved Drupal 6 platform, which provides AEI’s administrators a solid foundation for instant updates within tight, organizational processes. Plus, by being mindful of AEI’s intention to grow its CriticalThreats initiative, we created the platform to work in a multi-site mode that maximizes flexibility and integration points.
Public users benefit hugely from the site, which balances poignant imagery and intuitive information architecture to help users engage with and navigate the website in a comfortable way. Further, to meet AEI’s needs for extensions and multiple brands, we designed and integrated a set of universal website templates that can be used going forward to quickly deploy additional sites.
“The IranTracker project exemplifies platform building and extension,” said Dana Morris. “We knew that this important information was not relegated to one source, so a multi-site, multi-user content management system that quickly enables new spin-off sites was the best technology to ensure they’re successful in accomplishing their mission.”
And that mission is further exemplified by the site’s integration of relevant news feeds and expansive, multimedia aggregation capabilities. With these features, IranTracker offers 24/7, continuously updated location information for various areas of interest for military activities, nuclear programs, and foreign relations.
Finally, by integrating Calais Geo, we selected geo-visualization features that provide AEI tools to assist multiple stakeholders in making informed and balanced decisions on complex global issues. And we’re proud that our strategic technology services support that important outcome.
