A portal is a centralized access point for applications, information, and other resources using the Internet.

This Portal provides a desktop view of applications and information mainly from Windsor and Essex County. Learn more about the main differences between a true portal and a web site by clicking here.

Users must be on a vendor-supported operating system and browser. (Note: Beta versions are not supported.)

To access the Portal from your computer, use one of the following:

• Microsoft supported Internet Explorer.
• Depending on the Portal content, it should be possible to use Mozilla-based browsers (Netscape 7, Mozilla, Firefox).

For more information on the process of becoming a Registered User of the Portal, please visit the Registration Tutorials – Citizen I.D. page.

Once you have a Citizen I.D., you can request a certificate-based I.D., if required. To become a Certificate I.D. user, please visit the Registration Tutorials – Certificate I.D. page after you have received your Citizen I.D.

If you are interested in accessing the Portal as a certificate-based Registered User from multiple computers, please visit the Additional Certificates page. Mozilla based users and MAC OS X users can import certificates generated using Microsoft Windows.

If you have observed that some part of the Portal is not functioning correctly or is unavailable, please follow the Service Availability page, or contact a Portal Manager.

Content in the Portal is organized into major Theme Areas. Each Theme Area contains a number of pages which link you to information, content and online applications from across the community. The Theme Areas can be navigated using the left hand menu.

• To access a Theme Area, click on the appropriate Theme Area menu on the left side of the page.
  
  
  
  
  
• If you are unable to view the movie in the centre of the homepage, please install the Adobe Flash plug-in for your browser.
  
  
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The Portal has a number of online applications to give you direct access to information and community resources. These applications are accessed through the links located in the shaded area below the topic links. These applications include:

Weather Information

Weather information is provided through a link to an approved content provider.

• By clicking on the Weather icon, detailed forecasts will be displayed in a new browser window.
• To return to the Connecting Windsor-Essex™ Portal Home page, click on the Home link in the left hand menu.

Quicklinks

Relevant, timely local information is provided in the Quicklinks section. The links in this area may change from time-to-time, depending on the priorities of the community.

• To return to the Connecting Windsor-Essex™ Portal Home page, close the browser window containing the Quicklink information.

Search

• To find resources within the local area, enter your topic of interest in the text box and click "SEARCH".

Additional Search Resources

• Clicking on "Search" will take you to the search page that will connect you with a number of search resources.

Announcements

• The complete announcement listing can be accessed from the Home page of the Portal (via the "MORE >>" link in the News & Headlines section).
• These listings will include news stories relating to activities in the region that may not be showcased by conventional media outlets.
• You can submit your announcement, provided it is not a personal or commercial sales announcement in accordance with the Acceptable Delivery Policy.
• To submit an announcement for listing, go to the complete announcement listing and click on the "Anonymous Submission" link (or "Registered Submission" link if you are an approver for an organization and have a Citizen I.D.) and say yes to any pop-ups that come up. You will then be provided with an online form, similar to an e-mail. Fill in the required information and click on the "Post to Announcements" button at the bottom of the form.

The Events Calendar

The Events Calendar is an online application that allows you to view and submit upcoming events.

• The complete calendar can be accessed from the Home page of the Portal (via the "MORE >>" link in the Events Calendar section), as well as in the Play and Live Theme Areas.
• The purpose of the Events Calendar is to provide a free listing service for events of community interest. This event calendar is open for submissions from any organization within the City of Windsor and the County of Essex.
• You can submit your event, provided it is not a personal or commercial sales event in accordance with the Acceptable Delivery Policy.
• To submit an event for listing, go to the complete calendar and click on the "Anonymous Submission" link (or "Registered Submission" link if you are an approver for an organization and have a Citizen I.D.) and say yes to any pop-ups that come up. You will then be provided with an online form, similar to an e-mail. Fill in the required information and click on the "Post to Calendar" button at the bottom of the form.

One of the unique aspects of the Connecting Windsor-Essex™ Portal is the Community Connector™.

• If you click on the "Community Connector" link before logging in, you will be brought to the "Community Connector™ Demonstration Place" which is a sample Community Connector™ collaboration place. Each workplace has the ability to have discussion forums, an online library of documents, a group calendar, a task management area, an index and other resource areas.
• For detailed information and information on how to have a Community Connector™ room set up for your group, or to obtain information about upcoming portal training opportunities, contact a Portal Manager.

Please note that several features of the Community Connector™ require the use of Sun's Java Virtual Machine . If you do not have the Sun JVM installed, you may download and install it from here. After the install, you may need to restart your computer.

The Community Connector™ allows groups and community members the ability to collaborate and share information and manage projects online. You must be logged in as a Registered User to get access to this information.

Logging into Portal

1. To Log In, click on the "LOGIN" link in the upper right hand corner of the Home page.
   
   
   
   
   

1. If you are logging in with your Citizen I.D., simply enter your Citizen I.D. user name and shared secret and click “Login”. Your Citizen I.D. should take the form of lastnamefirstname4digitcode (e.g. doejohn4rt2).
   
   
2. If you are logging in with your Certificate I.D., click on the “Certificate Based Login” button.
   1. When prompted, select your digital certificate.
   2. Select the identity you wish to use from the drop-down.
   3. Enter your shared secret and click "Login".

Once logged in, your workplaces will be displayed under "My Workplaces".

Click on the workplace of interest, and then choose "Open Workplace".

The Portal allows users to do many advanced applications. If you are interested in learning more about the use of the Portal, contact a Portal Manager for training or a group presentation.