HOSTING Customer Portal™ Submission for UX Awards

Michael MacMillan, Director of Engineering

Alice Coyne, Product Developer

The HOSTING Customer Portal™ is a single-pane-of-glass, secured

site where our clients go to view, manage, update, troubleshoot and

check status on their HOSTING cloud service environment(s). It

provides full visibility and control for our clients.

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SUMMARY

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PORTAL WELCOME PAGE

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PORTAL SUPPORT TEAM PAGE

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Goal of HOSTING Customer Portal UX Redesign • Reconstruct the user interface of the HOSTING Customer Portal to better support the

needs of the HOSTING target customer.

Customer Problem • The target customer is an IT system administrator who works at a mid-sized

enterprise, and wants to be able to manage critical projects via servers and storage

products in the cloud using a simple and friendly portal that saves time, money and

resources for his organization.

Situation Analysis • An IT system administrator is responsible for the upkeep, configuration, and reliable

operation of computer systems at an organization. The system administrator has the

challenge of ensuring that computer systems are always up, secure and running

properly without exceeding budget.

HOSTING Solution • By catering to the IT system administrator, HOSTING is able to create a user

experience that is “One Portal Experience For The Customer.” The ordering of

multiple cloud products is less time consuming, the provisioning of servers is more

efficient requiring less manpower and the support experience online is even friendlier

through the portal thereby reducing the number of times a customer has to make

support calls.

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TARGET AUDIENCE

Tim – Network Administrator

I am a network administrator who wants a simple portal interface for

purchasing and provisioning cloud servers because:

• I manage multiple servers

• I am overwhelmed with day-to-day tasks

• I report to mid-level management

• I must qualify purchases with leadership and reports frequently

Behavior and Reasoning

• Must connect computers to domains and give them unique names quickly

• Gravitates toward simple and easy to use systems with well thought out user interfaces

• Likes dropdown menus versus tab or multiple page structures

Needs and Desires

• Needs an easy to use portal interface.

• Needs real time cost information as products are selected and purchased using IT budget

• Needs a “cookie cutter” template for fast, easy repeat provisioning of cloud servers

• Reduce Time and Effort to Manage HOSTING Solutions

• Consolidated View of HOSTING Solutions

• Manage, add and edit domains

• Application and recovery services monitoring simplified

• “Single pane of glass”: environments, solutions, support, trending & reporting

• Gain Visibility and Control Over Managed Cloud Solutions

• Improved page navigation, short cuts, access, user management

• Consolidated view of tailored solutions

• Add, edit and manage views, users and access

• Quicker Time to Resolution

• Intuitive access to dedicated support resources

• Simplified Management of Multiple Environments

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CUSTOMER BENEFITS

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CORE UX DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Delight the Customer • The UX design is continually updated to provide a new and fresh design that delights

the user.

Visual Objects • Objects can be given shape, color, and animation states that convey information

without the need for lists, tables, and numbers.

Customization • The UX design allows users to create their own solution shapes and names and

allows progressive customization via the technology controls.

Simplification • The UX design employs pictures over words and visuals over numbers, and also uses

common language instead of formalities and technical jargon.

Empower the Customer • The UX design subtly and progressively teaches users how it works as they go.

Similar tasks and cues work consistently throughout the design.

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UX FLOW Easily understood logic to order a cloud server

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PORTAL ORDERING PAGE Simple to use order page to spin up a cloud server

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UX FLOW Simple logic to check on the status and billing of a cloud server

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PORTAL BILLING PAGE Simple interface to review billing invoice(s)

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INNOVATIVE UX

Mobile and Tablet Friendly Portal

• Diagnostic and troubleshooting via mobile and tablets

• Notification texts when server status changes

Makes Complex Tasks Simpler

• User friendly interface and view of entire infrastructure in the cloud

• One-click credit card payment

Direct Access to Support Team

• Live chat via portal

• Personalized support tickets

Billing

• Budgeting feature