The Loop provided the Tasmanian IT industry with information about local jobs, events, news and opportunities.

The Department of Economic Development, in conjunction with the IT Industry Council, developed The Loop in June 2000. Human Solutions built the site, with graphic design services provided by Crank Media.

Members of the IT industry contributed all the content on the site - and businesses registered their capabilities so potential clients could contact them. All content was moderated before release to the site, with provision for trusted contributors to post directly if required.

Metadata was used to drive the searches, allowing information to be presented by predefined topics, the relevant industry sector or the type of person using the site.

New content was emailed to registered users, in accordance with the profile established as part of their registration. More than 200 users received email notifications each week.

The Loop demonstrated our ability to create customer-driven sites and deliver multiple ways of viewing and filtering content. It also demonstrated our commitment to the local IT industry - we have provided free hosting and helpdesk support for the three year life of the site.