Content Management Platform For Global Publisher
Starting in 1804 as a small bookstore and publishing firm, Bonnier Group is now a multichannel media company with experience and knowledge from a full range of media in 175 companies across 16 countries.
Challenge
In 2010, Bonnier undertook a strategic initiative to consolidate its 60+ online publications on a single Content Management System (CMS) in order to ensure uniform functionality, minimize maintenance costs, and to streamline online ad delivery, and maximize ad revenues. The key component of this program was the development of a unified content management platform based on EPiServer to enable the migration of Bonnier websites.
The platform was to be comprised of a set of components that extend the out-of-the-box functionality of EPiServer, optimize for large volumes of data, as well as a set of flexible tools that enable editors to create engaging online content.
First Line was engaged by Bonnier as the lead technical partner of the program.
First Line’s solution
First Line set up a dedicated team of software engineers to deliver the project.
The platform developed by First Line consists of two main components:
- Core: Web development framework (to be used mainly by developers) for creating websites’ architecture and data structures and for optimizing the interaction between the CMS and the database
- Web editorial: An environment (workplace) for website editors that extends the standard CMS functionality and creates a highly intuitive user interface
First Line worked in a highly distributed environment, interacting with multiple outside teams and remote customers. Our specialists were responsible for the development, testing, configuration, support, and user documentation for the entire platform.
We also developed a proprietary methodology for the rapid migration of very large volumes of existing content to EPiServer CMS. This methodology leaves the original look and feels and the URL structure intact, providing editors with the full range of EPiServer’s online engagement capabilities while preserving familiarity and ease-of-use and maximizing SEO benefits at the same time.
Results
The first release of the platform has been successfully integrated with EPiServer and launched into production. The new platform significantly reduces the costs and time required for migrating a website to the new CMS. As a result of implementing the program, Bonnier was able to reduce the maintenance costs for its online assets by a factor of 5.
Project statistics
- Team size: 16
- Total effort: 300 person-months
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