Cochlear Americas Homepage

Challenge

Cochlear, Ltd. (www.cochlear.com), the global manufacturing leader of cochlear implants for the profoundly hearing impaired, was seeking a strategic technology partner to provide consulting, creative design, software engineering, hosting, and 24/7 support services for their global Web presence and manage their enterprise-level content management system.

Solution

Beginning in 2001, DLC Solutions migrated Cochlear's commercial content management system to our industry-rated data center. We then worked closely with Cochlear’s US and International locations to develop a permissions-based workflow that streamlined content review and publication processes. Authors, editors, and publishers all over the world successfully continue to use this DLC-supported system today.Cochlear futher engaged DLC Solutions to embark on a Website re-design effort that would more effectively reflect the Cochlear brand, deliver targeted marketing messages, and provide intuitive navigation for defined user segments (recipients, cochlear candidates, and professionals). We partnered with Cochlear’s key stakeholders including the marketing, sales and IT teams, as well as cochlear recipients and conducted a series of structured, creative workshops designed to more deeply inform the Website redesign effort. Ultimately, the new Website was considered a tremendous success and has been recognized with numerous awards.DLC Solutions and Cochlear continue to enjoy a successful, long-term partnership. Over the past eight years, we have collaborated on multiple initiatives that have enabled Cochlear to retain its market leadership position including:

• Targeted microsites for hearing education, bilateral implantation, and other marketing campaigns.
• Smaller, iterative design improvements to all Cochlear Websites serving approximately 1.5 million page views per year.
• Websites to help hearing professionals ⎯ both inside and outside Cochlear ⎯ better understand its products and services.
• Significantly improved return merchandise authorization system for clinics.
• Business solutions to problems such as data migrations and transfers.
• Online customer identification system for technical support.
• Graphic animations and interactive applications to help candidates move closer to making an information request.
• Global data collection and reporting systems that handle thousands of unique requests for information from individual consumers and cochlear recipients.
• Strategic technical consulting across multiple projects.

Today, the site remains one of the top-ranked Websites about hearing loss and cochlear devices. Together, we have designed and deployed 24 Websites in 14 languages across four regions.In addition, we have launched multiple e-learning initiatives, including the “Cochlear Awareness Network "(CAN) Website. The CAN Website is part of a program to train and encourage cochlear recipients to spread awareness about the benefits of cochlear implants to candidates and create a network of grassroots advocates. The Web-based initiative provides multiple courses on hearing loss and cochlear implantation. Volunteers are required to complete a seriers of multimedia courses and pass knowledge assessments to join the program. The results of the assessments and advocacy activities are all stored in an online database for Cochlear representatives to evaluate and further communicate with CAN volunteers.DLC Solutions is currently engaged by Cochlear to deploy the industry-leading Drupal content management system across key aspects of their enterprise.

DLC Solutions has provided the following services:

• Strategic technology planning
• Management of enterprise content management system
• Migration to Drupal Content Management System
• Graphic design
• Adobe Flash Design
• e-Learning course development
• Software engineering
• Technical project management
• Testing and quality assurance