"Customs.gov has been redesigned with our users in mind. Functionality and features have been added as a direct result of user feedback. Communications to the general public and the trade community is faster, more intuitive, and more streamlined than ever," said Jeffrey Smith, Customs Webmaster.

What's new?
The new site is backed by a content management system that reduces turnaround time and improves Website maintenance. Instead of spending production time on the development of HTML pages, the Customs Web Team is able to focus more energy on Web site enhancements and process improvement. This approach allows Customs Web Content Administrators (WCAs, see sidebar) to more accurately monitor and respond to content change requests. For example, when Customs transfers to the Department of Homeland Security, the Web Team will be able to make global changes to our Web site in a matter of minutes compared with days under the previous site design.

The Web Team has established a contemporary new look for the site, which includes everything from colors and graphics to the navigation structure. The Web site is designed to provide the user with quick access to needed information.

In addition, the Web Team added "metadata" to each page to help manage the large and growing Web site. Metadata describes the "who, what, where, when, why, and how" of every aspect of the information that exists on a Web page. Visitors to the site cannot see it. For example, each page of the Customs site displays the name of the content owner and an anniversary date (or the date the content needs to be reviewed). The site automatically contacts the content owner to inform him or her that the content is six months or one year old. The content owner would review the information and make changes if necessary. Then a new anniversary date would be attributed to the page.

Also new to the site is a help section, quick links, and printer-friendly pages. Old favorites are also found on the homepage, including articles from newspapers across the country, high-resolution photographs for redistribution by the press, and direct links to Customs Careers, official forms, and the Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS).

Find out what all the buzz is about. Explore www.customs.gov.

Web Content Administrators (WCAs) are responsible for ensuring that all content from their respective offices is accurate, updated as needed, and submitted to the Web Technology Team in OIT who will post it in the proper format on www.customs.gov. If you have content that you would like posted to www.customs.gov, contact your WCA. Office Web Content Administrators Office of the Commissioner (OC) Melissa Cassimere-Dillard - Office of Anti-Terrorism Kevin McAleenan - Office of the Deputy Commissioner Ian Saunders - Equal Employment Opportunity Office Alfred Furrs, Ronald Niemann (alternate) - Office of Planning Terra Richardson - Office of Trade Relations Wanda Tate Office of Chief Counsel (OCC) Tommy Novoa Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA) TBD Office of Field Operations (OFO)   - Border Security (OBS) Jim Hawkins - Mission Support Services Mark Ott, Diane Hundertmark (alternate) - Trade Compliance Lindy Perkes Office of Finance (OF) Beth Pope Office of Human Resources Management (HRM) Barbara Zakrison, Bill Heitz (alternate) Office of Information and Technology (OIT) Pat Sobol, Beth McHale, Stacey Speaker Office of Internal Affairs (IA) Michael Shafer, Cheri Renick (alternate) Office of International Affairs (INA) James McKinney Office of Investigations (OI)   - Enforcement Cheryl Beyer Office of Public Affairs (OPA) Denise Mahalek, Janice Mosher, Joseph Adamoli Office of Rulings and Regulations (OR&R) Zenaide Anderson, Robert Knapp (alternate) Office of Strategic Trade (OST) Jack Palmer, Marguerite Nealon (alternate) Office of Training and Development (OTD) David Mudrick, Frank Huyck