Sigma-Aldrich Launches ChemBlogs: An Industry-First Web Tool for Open Scientific Discussion

Sigma-Aldrich (Nasdaq: SIAL), a leading $1.7 billion Life Science and High Technology company, announced today the release of an innovative blog Web site, www.chemblogs.com. This groundbreaking platform aims to fuel customer success by providing technology launch e-mail alerts, an open discussion forum, and focused product spotlights.

ChemBlogs creates value through customer idea generation and should strengthen the Company's technology pipeline. In addition, this state-of-art Web site will interconnect Sigma-Aldrich's over one million scientific professionals representing the academic, industrial, and government sectors. ChemBlogs offers unrivalled performance for customers to be intimately involved with the rapidly advancing state of high-science and complements the corporate site. Sigma-Aldrich will initially highlight topics directly related to catalysis, and future blog sites will include interdisciplinary areas such as high-performance materials applications and drug discovery tools for chemical biology.

"ChemBlog's next-generation Web architecture for blogging empowers our internal employees and the global scientific community with the ability to communicate directly on informative hotspots in chemistry such as green catalysis in an effective, user-friendly way," said Aaron Maestri, Product Manager for Catalysis at Sigma-Aldrich. "This platform represents an important first step toward creating an interactive medium for our clients worldwide to secure 'cutting-edge' technical knowledge, respond with intuitive suggestions and product ideas, and share their success stories in research through a dialogue panel."

Innovative website Capabilities

• Blogging - ChemBlogs represents an open discussion forum that allows clients to interact and share ideas in real time - at the rapidly evolving speed of research. The platform can be fully customized, with duplication of templates generating independently functioning blogs.
• E-mail Alerts - This feature allows visitors and members to sign up for e-mail alerts that will be based on a specific science category. This feature is now available to registered members.
• Podcasts - Podcasts offer a direct method for clients to download streaming files such as technical presentations on demand where and how they want. This powerful tool is automatically downloaded via RSS feeds. This feature will be available to members in late 2006.

Telligent Systems developed this novel Web platform, and the design team at Integrated New Media, Inc. (www.goinm.com) customized the software for Sigma-Aldrich. "As a Web development company, it is our job to help our clients reach their audience in fresh new ways," said David Dimmer, Technology Director for Integrated New Media. "We're pleased that our technologies were able to help Sigma-Aldrich accomplish their goals."

For additional information covering how ChemBlog's Web site goals can facilitate research efforts and for technical support inquiries, please contact Sigma-Aldrich directly by clicking 'request more info'.