It Looks Good For ANN's Phase Three Launch!

Update: The chance of a weekend switchover is NOT looking good. ANN's Phase Three upgrade is working GREAT... but recent upgrades in Microsoft's SQL Server, especially the most recent service pack, are driving us NUTS. We think we have it fixed... but we need to make sure these work-arounds runs stably for several days before we'd risk any switchover. There has never been a significant service outage in the history of ANN, and this kind of caution is one reason why. It won't be a long delay but we're not going to launch this puppy if there is any chance of it not working right. We'll keep you informed.

We've been holding our breath for a week now, hoping against hope that the newest update of the most widely read DAILY aviation news service might be ready for prime-time. Well; it finally appears that this baby is ready for take-off. We've been checking it and testing it rigorously, looking for trouble... and if anyone can find trouble, it's us. So far, so good.

So... absent any last minute hiccups, we're going to switch over to the latest version of Aero-News some time this weekend (apparently not--see the update). Mind you; what you may see this weekend is NOT all we have in store for you... but the next step in a massive commitment to serving you in ways we think will greatly impact your involvement in the world of aviation. We're being very careful about this... and as each new facet of Phase Three shows its ability to work correctly, it'll be followed by the next.

However; do be advised that as we switch over to the new site, there may be some service interruptions while the changes propagate through the net. Give it a little time and we'll do our best to make the process as speedy and painless as we can.

To say that this has been a tough program is an understatement, in that we have built an updated and far more capable content management system that does amazing things in places you'll never see, and a highly capable front end that will be able to grow with us for quite a while.

ANN's Phase Three site is a much slicker, adaptable, highly customizable, FASTER loading, easier to use news-site. It has some INCREDIBLE new bells and whistles. 

We're really excited about the ease with which newsletter subscribe and unsubscribe functions can be executed, the much smoother registration process, the incredible customization aspects we've incorporated, and the way we're going to be handling imagery from here on out. For those of you with high-speed connections, we'll have plenty of great imagery for you to enjoy... but the default presentation will show them ALL in thumbnail form (which you can change to suit your preferences and have it show up that way every time thereafter), requiring only a quick click to enlarge them in their own sub-window so that you can enjoy all the detail that you desire... but only for those images that interest you.  

It's a REALLY extensive upgrade. We hope you'll enjoy what we've built, and keep helping us build the most widely read DAILY aviation news site in the biz. Mind you; we have REALLY aggressive new capabilities coming up... which we will unveil gradually, so as to make sure that each one works properly before adding anything else to the system. You're going to get a BIG kick of our new Aero-NewsAlert system, much-enhanced special event coverage, upgraded E-Vent calendar, real-time news presentation, photo galleries, FREE multi-picture classifieds and much more. I think you're really going to like what we have in mind.

That ain't all. 

Over the next few weeks/months, ANN will be shifting to a full 24/7 real-time news format so that we'll be getting the right stuff to you even faster than ever.

For the moment, the weekend coverage we added several months ago has been VERY well received, and we will be offering unique and separate versions of our Propwash newsletter for each day of the week, as well, instead of combining the 2 days of the weekend editions. There are a number of other newsletter upgrades in the works, as well. Keep your eyes out, it's going to be an interesting ride...

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