Twelve years is a long time in this business!
May 1995 was when newspaper editor / publisher James Houston teamed up with a number of colleagues - mostly from a media and design background - to explore the possibilities of distributing news and marketing material electronically instead of via printing presses and vans.
Training quickly became a core part of the business, responding to the enormous demand from forward-thinking businesses for a slice of our newly-acquired digital expertise.
This often led to embryonic web and CD-Rom production contracts - with YMN's strategic role growing stronger - marketing and managing projects, while outsourcing top level production to a growing network of associate providers.
Over time we developed in-house production resources to complement network expertise and ensure quality standards, as the client base grew to include major plcs nationwide as well as hundreds of regional SMEs.
The next phase was the development of our internet training suite into a public access internet cafe - The Gateway Internet Cafe-Bar - in May 1997.
By March 1999, firmly established as the major regional provider of new media consultancy and production services, YMN moved its operations to new, prestigious premises in the centre of York. A new electronic commerce division was launched to build on the business' ability to deliver bespoke transactional sites to clients of all sizes.
January the following year, 2000, saw the internet cafe side of the business expand with a second operation situated in York's prestigious new arthouse cinema City Screen.
The end of 2000 was marked by the launch of a new division dedicated to the provision of web services to publishers of magazines, newspapers, and periodicals. The division was built on the integration of existing and bespoke code into easy to use content management systems, enabling clients to manage complex content-rich websites without any need for technical skill. This marks a new future focus for YMN on a national level, with immediate signs of success in this new marketplace. |
