ictQATAR Web Redesign Demonstrates Technology Leadership in the Gulf

At a time when open source technology is exploding in the government sector, it is with great pleasure that we announce the official launch of the ictQATAR web redesign! The site debuted in early April after a global effort between ictQATAR communications staff and the Forum One team. Several months of strategic planning, audience research, usability and accessibility testing, and, of course, web development culminated to bring to bare the flagship website for the information technology sector in Qatar.

ictQATAR is not only the governmental, regulatory body of telecommunications and information technology in Qatar, but is also the entity responsible for advancing the information, communication, and technology (ICT) sector in the country. These factors played a large role in the redesign, which boasts a redesigned information architecture that makes it easier for diverse audiences to find highly relevant content tailored to their needs or interests, while also leveraging Drupal, a premier CMS on the forefront of the open source movement. The ictQATAR website is among the first governmental sites in the region to be developed on an open-source CMS.

Other prominent features of the redesign include:

• Arabic and English mirrored sites.
• A highly visual display content and its related content.
• A professional, but progressive, visual design, leveraging ictQATAR's vast image and video collection.
• Extensive accessibility and usability testing to ensure that users could not only find, but also access and consume, content. ictQATAR’s website fully complies with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Level AA accessibility standards.
• A basic mobile version of the site, accessible on the Blackberry, Droid, and iPhone platforms.

We've really enjoyed our work with ictQATAR. Their enthusiasm for new technology and innovation is contagious and we appreciated their eagerness to leverage usability testing, accessibility best practices, and the latest trends in technology and web design.

We are sure they will continue to push the envelope in ICT, and hope that other countries in the region, and across the globe, look to them as a source of inspiration as they are considering ways to make their information and services more accessible. ictQatar's website certainly serves as a magnificant example of how agencies can leverage open source technology to bridge the information and communication gap between citizens and government.