WELCOME to the new business section of Kent Online.

Today, this is the top item of its leading local business headlines, which are what you first see when you click on www.kentonline.co.uk/business.

The site was launched at 9am by Jill Cochrane, the television presenter and chairman of Kent Institute of Directors, who clicked an on-screen message to unveil the service.

On the left are the links to the various parts of the site: the latest business news and features from Kent and Medway, top business stories from the rest of Britain, the FTSE 100, listed share prices for 25 leading Kent and Medway companies. All will be updated throughout the day.

The Kent Messenger Group's award-winning business editor Trevor Sturgess will provide most of the stories backed by the county-wide resources of the group's editorial department.

Press releases and pictures from local firms and organisations of all sizes will be featured on the site as a free service.

The electronic version of the Kent and Medway Business Yearbook will have the easily accessed details of firms and personalities. Business links provide a preferred path to the best the web has to offer in services and sources.

The new website complements existing business coverage throughout Kent Messenger Group titles, and the specialist monthly Kent Business.

Editorial associate director Simon Irwin said: "This underlines our commitment to providing the premier online news service for Kent people and Kent companies. Gavin de Carle, new media associate director, said: "Each day this will bring the latest in local and national business to every office in the county."

Kent Business was established nine years ago and is regarded as the county's leading business publication. It is sent to 10,000 decision-makers countywide.

Kent Online won last year's Newspaper Society's weekly newspaper website award.