Major changes to the way in which companies communicate with their shareholders have been introduced. With the default to opt-in for electronic communication, companies are beginning to seize the opportunities presented by the Internet to increase the numbers of investors choosing the online medium for a better user experience.

With the Annual Report being the biggest and most important type of documentation about a company distributed to stakeholders and potential investors, a number of solutions for the online environments have been created.

Below, we have presented three of the most popular types of interactive reports adopted by UK companies. 

the full HTML

TUI HTML Annual Report 09

The full HTML version of the report is in essence a full website/microsite and it offers companies the potential to fully explore the advantages of the online environment by creating a useful tool that engages the users and provides a positive online experience. It offers:

•  Unlimited functionality depending on the requirements, i.e.: Browse function, Print Basket, etc.

• Unlimited customisation depending on the requirements, i.e.: Key Downloads, 'Tool Tips', etc.

• Accessibility: different levels of accessibility (as per W3C guidelines) can be achieved on the whole report

To find out more about interactive reporting and solutions, please contact us.

the combined report

The Combined report merges images & html with vastly enhanced navigation & improved usability. Other features include:

• Downloads of financials in Excel and/or pdf

• Homepage customisation: hot links to specific sections within the report, link to the corporate website, to the email alert subscription page, to the full pdf document, etc. enhancing overall usability

• Accessibility: different levels of accessibility (as per W3C guidelines) can be achieved on all html pages

the iReport

eaga plc Annual Report 2009

The iReport is an image-based version of a pdf featuring:

• Enhanced and improved navigation which speeds up usability

• Mini report builder that allows to create your own customised report and excel downloads of financials

• Accessibility: whilst image based reports are limited in their overall level of accessibilty, their interactivity and therefore engagement with stakeholders is much better than a standard pdf, with navigation through the document much easier and much quicker

• Value for money: this format is adopted by a high number of companies with a limited budget