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August 1, 2001
Internet-based services come to Oregon
State Park system
By Jo McIntyre of The Business Journal
It's only midsummer and more than 3,700 Internet users have
set up personalized accounts on the Oregon Parks Department's
Web site since the site went live in March.
Designed by a Portland Web site development firm, Amazing Online
Marketing, the Web site is the first myParks-enabled site in
the U.S. to be used for a state park system. The site also offers
online reservations, information on all state parks, and more
than 800 panoramic video clips.
Founded in 1995, Amazing has seven full time employees, said
chief executive Stephen Peters. Other clients include Fios,
Transitions for Health, the Assessment Training Institute and
Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Chris Havel, OPRD's Webmaster and market research analyst, had
high praise for Amazing's work. The company bested about 14
bidders for the $54,000 one-year contract, after the OPRD issued
a request for proposals to design a Web site in 1998.
The department was so happy with its first professional foray
onto the Web that another RFP went out in 1999 for a two-year,
$70,000 contract, also won by Amazing.
There is no question the OPRD reservation system needed help.
In 1996, the department offered an 800 number, which continues
to this day, so users could reserve campground spaces. The system
began in a flurry of controversy when it was quickly overwhelmed
by calls.
"There is always some congestion on the phone system,"
Havel said. Even though 48 operators answer phones, that's just
not enough before a holiday. "By 1998, when things were
particularly bad, we ended up putting together a Website."
The site included a reservation request email form, which required
a personal callback from phone operators. Even so, the department
found its employees wading through thousands of emails.
"After that experience, we did two things. One has led
us to the development of our Web site, which is serving extremely
well," Havel said. The other was a new Web-based reservation
system contracted out to ReserveAmerica, a 17-year old software
development company specializing in the municipal recreation
industry.
In 1992, the company developed a product for state and federal
park systems. Already this year, the company has completed more
than one million reservations. In February 2001, Los Angeles-based
Ticketmaster (NASDAQ: TMCS) acquired ReserveAmerica in an all-cash
deal for an undisclosed amount.
In addition to http://www.oregonstateparks.org, Amazing developed
three other OPRD sites:
http://www.prd.state.or.us:
information on job and volunteer opportunities and OPRD master
plans.
http://www.shpo.state.or.us:
State Historic Preservation Office site
http://atv.prd.state.or.us: ATV
riding locations and permits
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