eBusiness Web Site and Strategic Plan Competition Announced

PROVO, Utah — Oct 13, 2005 — The Marriott School Web Analytics Competition, hosted by the Rollins Center for eBusiness, is looking for an innovative student team. Past eBusiness competitions have challenged student teams to design Web sites or come up with creative solutions to improve existing sites. This semester the eBusiness Center has teamed with Omniture to present a new competition allowing anyone with critical thinking skills to compete.

The competition challenges teams to analyze a company’s Web site using SiteCatalyst, a Web analytics tool made by Omniture. Teams will present their analysis and recommendations to a panel of judges November 4. The first-place team will win $2,500. Prizes for second and third place are $1,000 and $500 respectively.

“We are looking for analytical people. That is why the competition is open to all majors,” says Derrick Davis, a student organizer.

Information concerning the event can be found on the Rollins Center Web site, ebusiness.byu.edu, including a schedule of the semester’s events and a basic introduction to Omniture’s SiteCatalyst product.

The signup deadline is Friday, October 14, 2005; students can register online at the center’s Web site. Students are encouraged to form teams but can sign up individually and be assigned to a team.

SiteCatalyst is a tool that empowers marketing executives to monitor visitor and customer activity in detail, identify specific points of change and drive business decisions that increase success.

The experience gained in this competition has potential to open further career opportunities. “Students will gain amazing experience and possibly a job during the competition. Finalists are offered an interview with Omniture for possible employment,” Davis says.

SiteCatalyst has tracked tens of billions of page views for some of the Internet’s largest and most active Web sites. Among the Company’s most notable customers are Microsoft, AOL Time Warner, Handspring, Franklin Covey, Media General, Media News Group, Gannett, Maytag and many more household names.

The Rollins Center for eBusiness is directed by Marriott School Professor Steve Liddle and Managing Director John E. Richards. The center fosters the study and teaching of how electronic technology is changing business and management processes. It serves as an intermediary between the high-tech business sector and BYU faculty and students — forming new partnerships and undertaking joint research projects. The center also works to attract and maintain the highest quality faculty and staff; develop new course materials; expand the number of e-commerce classes; and provide students with new employment opportunities, internships and field study projects.