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Go Wild Online!

Houston Zoo Teases Tourism with New Real-Time Web Site

With an eye towards luring tourists to visit, the Houston Zoo’s overhauled web site goes live on the worldwide web today, giving zoo education and worldwide conservation efforts an unprecedented reach into living rooms nationwide.  Powered by Aquifer™ Content Management System from Houston-headquartered Liquid Development, www.houstonzoo.org is arguably the most interactive and real-time zoo web site in the world.

The Houston Zoo has invested 10 months and thousands of staff hours to enable site visitors throughout the country to begin their Zoo visit from the comfort of their home or classroom.  Visitors to www.houstonzoo.org can now quickly zero in on details about any one of the many species now living in the zoo via the World of Animals searchable databse created fully by the Houston Zoo’s staff of zoology experts.  Zoo staff members will be available for Live Chats via the web site during regular Zoo hours.  Visitors can buy tickets to Zoo events on line, find out the latest news about Zoo animals and conservation efforts that the Houston Zoo helps sponsor, sign up to be a Zoo Insider to find out about upcoming special events of interest to tourists, and much more constantly updated, near real-time information on Zoo happenings.

Katherine Craig, Director of Interactive Marketing for the Houston Zoo reports, “By building the site using Aquifer software, we are able to keep nationwide zoo enthusiasts up-to-date.  The possibilities are virtually unlimited.  Now the Zoo will be able to post birth announcements hourly, zookeepers can share daily stories about how the animals under their care are doing, and patrons who adopt animals can keep a close watch on their adoptees.  The Houston Zoo is a living place where things happen every day, and now our web site is similarly alive with changes.”

Duane Franklet, one of the developers of Aquifer and father of two children who are Houston Zoo regulars adds, “Houstonians have long been enriched by a world class zoo experience, and now people throughout the world will be able to get a good look and feel for the Houston Zoo. We hope that the new web site will make families eager to visit the zoo and keep them as connected to the zoo as if it were just down the block.”

Aquifer (www.aquifercms.com) is a full-featured web content management system that can be installed and accepting web site content in a matter of hours.  Aquifer lowers the cost of owning and maintaining websites by allowing business users to control content, files and pages.  Aquifer was recently selected by the Association of Professional Design Firms to power their public site, and is used by a number of companies around the U.S. who benefit from having a real-time web presence.

The Houston Zoo is located at 1513 North MacGregor, Houston, Texas. From May 1 until September 30, the Zoo is open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. seven days a week. Regular admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for children ages 3-12 and FREE for children 2 and under.  Zoo memberships start at only $45.  For information on all the great benefits of becoming a Zoo member call (713) 533-6713 or visit our Web site at www.houstonzoo.org.

Edited by Dave Shultz

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