Employee engagement is important to AEP in good times and in bad. Our employees are our most important resource and our best, most passionate ambassadors. We are using technology more strategically and effectively to communicate and stay connected with them. We host six internal blogs that allow employees to read and respond to thoughts and opinions about significant issues by company leaders, including those of AEP Chairman Michael Morris and other AEP company presidents. In early 2009, we began a sustainability blog, too. We also produced 33 live webcasts with senior leaders to update employees about earnings, major public policy issues and other topics.
In 2008, our intranet site, "AEP Now," launched new collaborative and interactive features, including enhanced news stories to which employees can immediately submit reactions. This interactivity not only has enriched the content of stories, but also has reinforced a shift in our culture to be more inclusive of diverse views and perspectives. Employees visited our intranet site 9.5 million times in 2008, about 12 percent more visits than in 2007.
