Dec, 2001 : Q9 Networks Hosts United Way On-line Initiative

📅 December 12, 2001 - Q9 Networks (q9.com -> equinix.com), a leading Canadian provider of managed Internet infrastructure, announced on December 11, that it would be providing Web hosting services for the United Way, in support of the charity's ?United Way@Work? on-line workplace donation project.

The project, which gives the employees of participating companies the means with which to make on-line donations to the United Way, eliminating paper pledge forms, is managed from Q9's Toronto data center by Artez Interactive Inc. (artez.com), a leading application service provider for the non-profit sector.
Philip King, vice president of e-business for the United Way of Greater Toronto says the project will make workplace campaigns simpler to organize and carry out. ?Campaign coordinators are provided with an on-line, real-time dashboard that allows them to send a personalized email from the company CEO or campaign leader to every individual in that organization, with information customized to the workplace and personalized to the donor,? says King.
That email provides a link to a secure Web site where potential donors can find information and make donations. According to Artez, the email and Web site are designed to promote the participating company's own charitable traditions and events, while generating friendly competition and updating workplace goals.
Originally developed in 2000 by the United Way of Greater Toronto, the United Way@Work program has been adopted by the agency in seven cities across Canada and the US. According to the organization, more than 150,000 employees will have access to the program in 2001.
Peter Foley, president of Artez Interactive, says there were two main reasons why the company chose Q9 as hosting provider. ?Having experienced the fallout from the financial difficulties of a former provider,? he says, ?q9's stability and track record gave us the peace of mind that they will be around for the long term. Secondly, Q9's infrastructure expertise and network reliability allowed us to focus on our core skill of managing the application on behalf of the United Way.?