A portal is a site that represents the interests of group rather than a particular business. Portal sites tend to be based either on a theme or locality. For example the Balmain portal would contain information re the events, happenings and business in and around Balmain. A theme-based portal, such as Natural Health, might receive contributions from a number of practitioners and serve as a meeting place for people interested in that particular subject.

Portals function in much the same way as does a local newspaper or specialty magazine. The publication provides news and information and serves as a point of attraction. WebMailPro Portal sites aim to drive traffic on toward individual business sites as well as serving the needs of the community.

Participating in a portal is much the same as setting up shop in a well-trafficked region. Just as positioning within a business district benefits a retailer, participating in a portal ensures that your e-business does not exist in isolation.

An alliance is a relationship between you and another business. Just as doctor may refer onto a pharmacist, WebMailPro allows you to refer to other business sites and newsletters within your chosen portal.

WebMailPro allows you to choose who you partner with. For example the local solicitor may choose to ally themselves with the local accountant, the restaurant with the wine cellar or the video store with the bookshop.

An alliance is a two-way system. If your system links through to another site, then they will also link back to you. For example if you subscribe to the bookstore, you may also be invited to subscribe to the video library. The decision to accept this invitation, however, remains with the individual.

An alliance allows different business and groups to work together in building a subscriber base for their respective newsletters as well as an audience for their website.

Alliances serve to build a business community through a cross referral system. In addition, via the portal site, this network also serves the people of your community.

No - WebMailPro does not allow access to the full details of a subscriber unless those details were originally entered by the system operator. This means that a user may subscribe to an allied site and receive their newsletter, but the allied site has not the access to the user's details apart from their first and last name.

Irrespective of this restriction of the WebMailPro system, the Privacy Act decrees that no business may pass on the contact details of an individual without the permission of that individual. WebMailPro is simply designed to enforce this legislation.

Site owners may fully access and edit only those customers details which they originally entered into the system. Alternatively the users themselves may log onto the site and update their account.

So that the user is not overwhelmed with a long list of options, the portal limits the network of an alliance group to 10. These businesses are selected to participate in a group such that they complement each other. In the end you have final say over who you ally yourself with.