Web Application Development for Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Summary
SynergiDesign won the contract for the important India Pakistan Trade Unit (IPTU) web site and corporate identity design project through competitive tender. A highly interactive site, Web 2.0 services provided included a high-specification content management system and intensive search engine optimisation as well as other essential functionality.
As with all our website developments, IPTU benefited from a SQL database and foundation that was developed to a very high standard, ready for scalability. This enabled subsequent back-end developments to extend the content management system in a very cost-effective, modular way.
Full service agency consultancy delivered by SynergiDesign:
Search Engine Optimisation
The success of the website and its search engine optimisation is evident in the fact that the site now receives over a million hits per month. SynergiDesign's organic Search Engine Optimisation expertise was highly praised by the International Projects Manager for Birmingham Chamber of Commerce who said that their work “had massively improved the search engine rankings for their international trade team website, IPTU.”
About IPTU
Supported by UK Trade & Investment, and established by the International Trade Team of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, IPTU is the leading resource on two-way trade and investment between the UK and South Asia. More than just a portal, IPTU organises and advises on trade missions, trade visits, exhibitions, inward visits, workshops, seminars and business opportunities.
Web 2.0 Membership Protected Areas and Resources
Only registered members are permitted to access certain resources. The website allows end users to register and communicate with trade experts and other companies for social networking / business networking, aswell as online event booking and payment and communicate their international trade experience as it grows to other companies on an ongoing basis.
Find other Members
A members directory is available to each member of the IPTU site. The directory is database driven and as new members join the directory is automatically updated.
Ask questions from experts at IPTU
Members can ask experts questions based on the topic the member chooses. When a topic is chosen by the member, a list of experts for that topic area are selected and emailed with the questions from the members. The members do not get to see who the expert is, or what there email address is. This is kept hidden away from members to ensure anonymity is maintained by IPTU.
Discussion Forum Integration
There is no public access to the forums within the IPTU site. The forum is stored in the SQL server database. The forum allows for social networking for business purposes.
Scrolling news
On the home page of IPTU website there is a scrolling news section which is SQL database driven. Managerial members of IPTU can access the IPTU Management CMS system which gives access to the scrolling news. The news articles are added, and then displayed on the front page. When adding a news article the user has the ability to link locally (to a page within the IPTU site), or externally to another site. All the information is stored in the database and fully editable.
Key CMS and Software Web 2.0 Technical Features:
The technologies and web development project is one that is commonly referred to as Web 2.0 technology / project.
Website application User Security
Website User security for both members and Managerial users is controlled via the IPTU SQL Server database.
High security levels are set for each section of the IPTU software system, both within the managerial and membership areas.
When a user is added to the database (Microsoft SQL Database) they are also assigned a User Group which defines the security level access that particular user has.
Trying to access an area that the user is not authorised to access generates a friendly unauthorised page.
Integration into Protx ecommerce payment gateway
All payments (for events) are processed by Protx a third party payment processing centre. The E-commerce part of the site has been seamlessly integrated with the Protx system with appropriate information transferring to and from the ecommerce payment gateway.
Content Management System (CMS)
Events Management (E-commerce)
A full CMS is available to managerial users that enables them to add new events, edit events and the associated information – such as:
- Cost per person
- Dates available for a given event
- Description of the Event
- Number of maximum attendees
All the information is stored within the IPTU SQL Server database, and then accessible via the members area where they can book (purchase) a place on the event. When an event is purchased by a member, the number of maximum attendees is automatically modified so as not to over book for an event.
Membership Reporting
A number of sophisticated reports are available to Birmingham Chamber via their secure Management System.
Registration
When a new member registers with IPTU certain criteria have to be completed in order for the membership to be accepted. The information captured by the system is recorded in the IPTU SQL Server database for the each registered member. This enables IPTU to run sophisticated reports based on the information captured.
When a member joins, a password of eight characters or more is generated and all the information is then emailed to the new members by the system. The member is then shown a summary of their login information and is automatically logged in. The member is then able to use the system immediately.
Modify member profile
Members have the ability to maintain their profile. All their profile information is stored within the database, so when a member modifies their profile and saves the changes, the information is updated immediately and all other members will see the most current information.
Birmingham Chamber of Commerce staff can also modify member information through their Content Management System.
E-commerce (Events)
The e-commerce section of the site is only available to members of the IPTU site. The E-commerce section of the site allows members to book themselves on events that occur all over the world.
If a non registered user tries to access the events section of the site, they are presented with an "unauthorised" message explaining they have to be a member.
The Database Development
The SQL Server database was designed to conform to good Relational Database Management Techniques. Data stored within the database was normalised to the 3rd form.
Using the relationship techniques enables the database to be designed in such a manner that at a later date the database can be extended without having to change the existing database structure – allowing for scalability and cost-effective modular development.
Normalising the data held within the database will ensure that duplicate information is not stored within the database. Ensuring the database performance will be enhanced.
The database will have a secure username and password to protect the information stored within the database.
Synergi Design’s Web 2.0 (Web 2.0 Application Developers) Experience and Expertise
Web 2.0 projects form an essential part of the SynergiDesign website portfolio. We specialise in such complex interactive bespoke websites (Web 2.0 application development) and bespoke Content Management Systems (CMS) using the latest stable technologies such as .net2, Ajax, SQL Server 2005 etc.
Our Web 2.0 development (Web 2.0 application development) experience means that we are the Web 2.0 agency / company of choice.
Corporate ID and Graphic Design
We developed the Corporate Identity and print work for the IPTU brand.
This included
- Corporate Identity design
- Logo design
- Leaflet Design
- Corporate Stationery
- Event Banner Design