In the same way that a local tourist information office offers an entry point to information and services pertinent to a particular region, an Internet portal performs a similar function.
It is designed to offer users a wide range of resources and services, including e-mail, forums, search engines and online shopping areas.
The first Web portals emerged out of Internet service providers, such as America On-Line, that provided people with physical access to the Web. Then the traditional Internet search engines, including Yahoo and, more recently, Alta Vista, opted to reinvent themselves as Web portals.
Microsoft and Netscape hold an advantage over other portal competitors because their sites are the default home pages for their respective Internet browsers. As a result they are targeting a captive audience, because many people do not bother to change the default setting.
The primary motivating factor behind the creation of an Internet portal is to attract and retain as large an audience as possible. If a critical mass of people can associate one entry point with all their Internet search requirements, then there are obvious implications for online advertisers hoping to target the largest possible audience.
The Irish Times on the Web believes it is well positioned to act as a portal site for all things Irish for two primary reasons. First, it is the most frequently accessed site in Ireland and, second, it owns the coveted and highly intuitive Internet domain name, or address, www.ireland.com
It is widely accepted that the key to a successful Internet portal site centres on quality content and The Irish Times on the Web has provided this since it established an Internet presence in 1994.