Kottayam: Manorama Online, which hosted news moments on to digital pages for Keralites worldwide, has attained 20 years of splendor.
It was on October 17, 1997, that Prince Philip of Britain launched the online editions of Malayala Manorama newspaper and The Week magazine in Kochi.
Manorama Online opened up to Malayalis infinite possibilities of digital journalism right from its inception.
The World Association of Newspapers and News publishers (WAN-IFRA) chose it for the world's best news website award in 2016, ahead of websites from the world's leading languages.
Along with international awards, national and state recognitions also started pouring in.
Awards for the best coverage of state youth festival and international film festival are just a few among them.
Manorama Online takes a complete portal approach involving every segment of society, including children, students, women and adults on comprehensive subjects that affect them.
Apart from running several campaigns on social issues, Manorama Online also offers recognition for excellence through different contests.
For those who seek news updates every minute, Manorama Online offers a window of opportunities on desktops as well as cellphones, tablets, iPads and even Apple watches. As reading shifted from desktop to cellphones, Manorama Online promptly came up with such an option.
Stamp of excellence
Manorama Online has utilized the digital possibilities of news at its best. And it is Manorama Online which introduced most of it to Malayalis.
• Year 2006: The launch of e-paper for Manorama newspaper.
• 2007: The first news app in Malayalam. The facility to read Malayala Manorama newspaper was launched with the support of Nokia. It offered to Malayalis anywhere in the world a facility to read news in their mother tongue at any time. That also brought Manorama the credit of the first mobile daily newspaper in Malayalam.
• 2008: The English site of Manorama Online, Onmanorama, is launched. Matrimonial website 'M 4 Marry' also hits digital space.
• 2009: 'Hello Address' started for the real estate sector.
• 2010: Manorama Online's iPhone app is launched.
• 2011: Manorama Online's iPad app and Android app. The iPad app was designed by the world-renowned designer Mario Garcia. And the 'QuickKerala' website was also launched, bringing entire business/ service details from Kerala.
• 2013: 'Ente Deal' website that offers excellent deals for readers.
• 2015: Manorama app on Apple watch: This is the first app from Malayalam to be available in Apple watches. The 'tapey tapey' website that helps quick purchases and sale of anything was also set up this year.
• 2016: The first skill set from Asia for Amazon Echo. The launch of 360 degree on Manorama Online, offering magical variety of visuals. And 'Quick Doc' which brings a doctor's service in a single click.
2017: Manorama Horizon, an education portal was launched in May
Always with the Malayali
Manorama Online also organized during this period different programs in business, cinema and music world, including the first digital gathering 'Techspectations.'
The 'Hackathon' award for excellence in coding, the 'Harithanagaram' choice for Kerala's best municipality, the 'Chuttuvattom' award for best residents association, the 'Zero waste= 100 marks' gift for cleanest schools, the 'Jeevanam' for Ayurveda students, essay competitions, the 'Campus short-film fest' award for best short-film, the 'Miss Millennial' contest, the 'Big Business Idea' award for best idea, are among the novel contests that Manorama Online offered for its readers.
Comprehension techniques like Online OP were also provided to readers.
Under Manorama Online's umbrella are also the www.globalmalayali.in for expats, and www.chuttuvattom.in for regional news.
All publications from the house of Malayala Manorama are now available as e-edition immediately after printing. Digital classified varieties offered online are : www.m4marry.com, www.helloaddress.com, www.quickerala.com, www.qkdoc.com, www.entedeal.com, www.tapeytapey.com etc.
Roll of honor
• WAN-IFRA award for best regional news website: 2010.
• WAN-IFRA Young Reader award: 2010.
• Asian Digital Media award for best newspaper website: 2011.
• US Communicator award for excellence in child subjects: 2011.
• WAN-IFRA Asian Digital Media award for best mobile publication: 2012, 2013, 2015.
• The 'Ugma' award from Union German Malayali Association: 2010.
• South Asian Digital Media Award for best news website, gold medal. Manorama Online's English edition OnManorma got bronze medal in the same category: 2016.
• WAN-IFRA award for the world's best news website: 2016.
• The Telly award for excellence in video for Manorama 360 in 2017.
• Four-time winner of state government awards for best coverage of Kerala International Film Festival: 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016.
• South Asia Manthan award for best e-news content: 2007.
• The Internet and Mobile Association of India's (IAMAI) award for Chuttuvattom, the regional news segment of Manorama Online.
• State government award for best coverage of Grand Kerala Shopping Festival :2012.
• The first state government award for coverage of state School Youth Festival: 2017.
• WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Award for Best Mobile news service 2017
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