Features of the shared web platform

1. digital@bis.gov.ukBIS.gov.uk Platform features
Neil Williams, Head of Digital Communications
Email: neil.williams@bis.gsi.gov.uk
Twitter: @neillyneil Blog: http://neilojwilliams.net

2. digital@bis.gov.ukQuick history
• exBERR web service due for renewal &
needed a platform for convergence
• Procured by competitive tender through OGC
Catalist framework, for BERR and partners.
BIS formed mid-project in June 2009.
• Contract awarded to Eduserv for full service:
development, hosting & support
• BIS shared platform launched March 2010.
Runs to 31 March 2014 (if extended in 2013)

3. digital@bis.gov.ukWhat is it?
BIS.gov.uk is a shared website
platform which provides participating
organisations with a flexible, features-
rich enterprise Content Management
System (CMS) and robust, resilient
hosting and support at a fraction
of the costs of going it alone

4. digital@bis.gov.ukParticipating organisations?
So far:
• Export Credits Guarantee Dept, GO Science,
Foresight, Council for Science and Technology, British
Hallmarking Council, Shareholder Exec
Next up:
• UK Space Agency, National Measurement Office,
Competition Commission, Insolvency Service
Eligible:
• All BIS partners plus FCO, DECC, Defra, DFE

5. digital@bis.gov.ukTwo types of customer
1. Convergence Partner
A partner whose website will move to the platform as
part of government-wide website reviews (web
rationalisation and convergence), or who is due to close
in the Arms Length Bodies review
- URL format www.bis.gov.uk/partner
1. Shared Service Partner
A BIS partner or eligible other government department
who chooses to move to the platform to take advantage
of its benefits and cost savings.
- URL format www.partner.gov.uk

6. digital@bis.gov.ukPartner scenarios
Your own section in the BIS core site1

7. digital@bis.gov.ukPartner scenarios
Your own site using readymade templates2

8. digital@bis.gov.ukConvergence Partner - Flexible Branding
Minimal BIS
branding helps
users orientate
when moving
between partner
sites. Mandatory
for convergence
partners.
Your logo top
left and in the
page footer
Your colours
in the page
background,
buttons and
highlights such
as underlines

9. digital@bis.gov.uk
Available templates
• Homepage
• General page
• Minister/spokesperson page
• Policies landing page
• Policy article
• News landing page
• Generic news landing page
• Generic news
• Speeches landing page
• Speech page
• Publications landing page
• Publication featured item
• Consultations landing page
• Consultation page
• Contact form page
Convergence Partner - Flexible Branding
Available side panels
• Free Text / HTML
• Related links
• RSS feed
• Twitter feed
• YouTube videos
• Flickr photos
(+ more when new partners join)

10. digital@bis.gov.ukPartner scenarios
Your own site using custom templates
(sample only)
3

11. digital@bis.gov.ukPlatform: technology
The BIS service runs on Sitecore 6, a world leading
Microsoft .NET based enterprise content management system.
It’ll look familiar - if you can use Windows, you can use Sitecore
Our platform was built and is hosted by Bath based Eduserv, a
not for profit organisation with 20 years experience of public
sector IT projects. It uses their virtualised
Government Ready Platform data centre.
Google Mini provides search tools for BIS.gov.uk and
partners. Google Analytics provides COI compliant stats
for every site

12. digital@bis.gov.ukPlatform: key features
• Language support. Sitecore is able to manage content in any language.
• Flexible roles and workflow. Sitecore's powerful workflow engine includes
versioning, controlled approvals, incremental publishing, notifications and
reminders. Share the BIS workflow configuration or design your own.
• Validation tools. The site includes built-in validation to prevent the use of
invalid and inaccessible XHTML.
• Immediate and scheduled publishing. Ability to publish pages within seconds
of pressing the button or at a scheduled future time.
• Syndication tools. Ability to provide RSS feeds for any new or changed
content. Ability to show sharing and printing options on every page.
CMS features

13. digital@bis.gov.ukPlatform: key features
• Flexible templates. Over 15 ready-made page templates with variable
column layouts allowing for use of own logo and colours. Side panels that can be
added and removed on individual pages or whole sections at a time.
• Flexible information architecture. Ability to structure content based on
hierarchy and metadata
• Friendly URLs and redirects. All page URLs are easy to follow and in plain
English. Ability to create unlimited short marketing URLs in form
bis.gov.uk/campaignname redirecting to deeper pages.
• Email alerts and newsletters. Ability for visitors to sign up for alerts when
pages or groups of pages change. Ability to create and send email newsletters
and manage subscriber mailing lists.
Added value

14. digital@bis.gov.uk
• COI standards compliant. The platform has been developed to meet all of
the standards and guidelines published by the Central Office of Information
(COI) including AA level WCAG 2.0 accessibility, cross-browser compatibility
and more.
• TNA automated archival. All site content is copied to The National
Archives web archive three times a year, and requests for pages which no longer
exist are automatically redirected to the most recent archived copy.
• COI performance reporting. The BIS digital team will work with you to
report usage figures, satisfaction survey results and web management costs to
meet COI requirements. Usage figures are verified twice yearly by independent
auditors ABCe.
• User tested by independent usability and accessibility experts
Standards compliance
Platform: key features

15. digital@bis.gov.ukPlatform: key features
Three bits of bespoke BIS-Eduserv magic
1. Cascading panels

16. digital@bis.gov.ukPlatform: key features
2. Embed anything anywhere

17. digital@bis.gov.ukPlatform: key features

18. digital@bis.gov.ukPlatform: key features
3. Custom CSS stylesheets

19. digital@bis.gov.ukPlatform: key features

20. digital@bis.gov.ukPlatform: service levels
• Fully managed service. Full management of the supplier service
levels by BIS on your behalf. Access (via BIS) to support with 10
second answering for 95% of calls and email service, 8am - 6.30pm,
Mon - Fri.
• Resilient hosting. Robust, infinitely scaleable virtualised
infrastructure including full disaster recovery, automatic
synchronisation and fail-over, 99.5% availability 24x7.
•Secure data storage. ISO-2001 data security. Secure connection to
the system (using SSL and VPN). Penetration tests annually.
Hosting and support

21. digital@bis.gov.ukPlatform: other benefits
• High visitor figures. BIS.gov.uk attracted c. 530,000 unique visitors
and 720,000 visits last month (9 Oct to 8 Nov 2010). This audience will
grow as more sites join the service with mutual benefits for cross-
promotion, reach, and value for money.
• High search ranking. BIS.gov.uk has a Google PageRank of 8/10 and
has natural search engine optimisation best practice built in (mandatory
metadata, friendly URLs, an XML sitemap exposing pages to search
engines).
• 46K subscribers. Email alerts and newsletters for the main BIS.gov.uk
site reach a combined audience of just over 46,000 subscribers. We also
have 12K followers on Twitter.
Audience and reach

22. digital@bis.gov.ukCosts
5 price bands (micro/small/med/large/enterprise)
Eduserv costs
Setup: £2,590 to £6,152 (+ optional extras)
Ongoing: £700 to £17,000 annual management contribution
£0 hosting and support for majority of partners
+ Share of ongoing development. Functionality
will develop continually based on the needs and
ideas of all users. Buy into what you intend to use.
+ Contribution to BIS change process management
(£TBC, cost recovery of BIS UX & Tech manager)

23. digital@bis.gov.ukWhat else can we share?
• Content management
• Huddle
• BIS image bank
• Surveymonkey
• Disqus, Dipity and other plugins
• Intranet?

24. digital@bis.gov.uk
(ask me later)
Questions