Kainos Weaves Better Web for UK GTC

Kainos Overhauls General Teaching Council for England Web Site With Improved Alterian CMS

Belfast and Dublin-based  IT consultancy Kainos has overhauled the General Teaching Council for England (GTC)'s  web presence by adding a robust and high performance Content Management System which has improved performance, uptime and user satisfaction.

The new site seamlessly integrates all  GTC's information sources and online applications in one website. It  has resolved poor performance issues and provides capacity for future growth. It is fully compliant with accessibility guidelines and has a modern, contemporary appearance to better attract its audience.

The  (GTC) is the professional body for teaching in England. Its overall purpose is to work in the public interest to help improve standards of teaching and learning. Its website provides teachers, parents, employers and government agencies with access to a information on teaching, policies, research, training, advice, and access to collaborative networks where members can share  knowledge and research.

After  visitor numbers reached a plateau,  and keeping information updated became increasingly resource intensive, the GTC  embarked on a project to re-design the site, led by GTC web manager, Ysanne Stiell-McNeill.

After a comprehensive competitive tendering exercise, GTC selected Kainos. As an existing partner of its corporate Content Management System (CMS) provider, Alterian, Kainos was a natural fit and its record of delivering CMS-based website projects was exemplary, according to Stiell-McNeill .

"Kainos came highly recommended and had a track record of delivering high quality web projects. They demonstrated their ability to work in partnership with other suppliers and we settled down quickly to a fundamental evaluation of the infrastructure needed to support the new site," said Stiell-McNeil.

This early phase of the project proved key to its success. Kainos conducted an investigation into the website infrastructure with a view to recommending various improvement options, including a complete overhaul. "This turned out to be very good advice and set the project off on a very sound footing, one that has contributed to its ongoing success," adds Stiell-McNeill.

To improve efficiency and ensure that information was easily updated by information owners rather than relying on the web team, the project focused on simplifying the interface with  the GTC's CMS. The team followed a pragmatic approach, working from the ground up on website design; testing and configuring and managing issues along the way.

The  GTC's new website has exceeded expectations, improving performance, uptime and user satisfaction and has been warmly received by members.

Kainos's  diligent approach to the project paid dividends. :"Sure, we encountered some difficulties along the way - what project wouldn't? You are mixing people and technology after all!," Stiell-McNeill added "But it is the way that the issues are handled and how maturely each party deals with them that dictate success. Kainos was very good in this regard. The individuals make the difference in a project like this."

"The project has certainly delivered on our goals. Site performance is much improved, service availability is higher, complaints are now few to none, we have a consistent and reliable full search capability and the self service sign-up is being rapidly adopted, with more than 20,000 teachers signed up already," Stiell-McNeill continued.

"We are fast building an unrivalled reputation for delivering high quality web projects that really deliver on their goals and GTC is another great example of this," added Nigel Lynas, ECM Sales Manager at Kainos  (pictured).

"Web projects involve a deep understanding of platform infrastructure, coupled with content systems and design and interface techniques. To see one element in isolation would spell disaster and that is where collaboration and team work pay dividends. This approach underpinned the GTC project and contributed enormously to its success and continues to do so as we work towards supporting it through future phases."

Kainos designs and implements IT solutions that make businesses perform better. As a specialist supplier of EDRM solutions to central and local government for more than 20 years, Kainos has an excellent track record. It was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Belfast, with offices in Dublin, London and Gdansk. Kainos employs over 260 consultants and its customers include  Northern Ireland Health, the UK Audit Commission, UK Information Commissioners Office, RICS and Cushman & Wakefield, as well as a number of UK local authorities.

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