Mark Bold

Zenith CMS

The Zenith Content Management System was developed in-house at BDA to cater for as many of the web clients as possible to avoid reinventing the wheel for each project. The CMS was intended to run brochure sites, which would require simple content management and a few display templates, through to busy ecommerce businesses running multiple web properties from the same back end, and even onward to the often arcane ideas of internet entrepreneurs.

The core of the CMS is a set of PHP classes that handle all the functionality of the sites built with Zenith, and the admin area that maintains them. These classes can be added to or inherited from to enhance functionality, or to add new features required by ambitious clients. In effect, Zenith acts much as a framework for developers to build up from the simple content management required by most web clients to any extra functionality or applications required on top of this.

Example library classes include news feeds, event booking, XML sitemaps, affiliate schemes, very flexible ecommerce functions, such as product branding and cross-selling, through to social networking, recruitment and directory sites.

viaVerio Extranet

With the launch of viaVerio, a major reseller discount scheme, NTT/Verio Europe wished to integrate as many online services as possible for the benefit of partners and resellers. A primary strategy to achieve this goal would be to build a secure extranet that would allow partners to manage their own and their clients’ accounts. Ordering facilities would be streamlined and prioritized, and backend processes and Web content brought together to make access as easy as possible.

Development on this large project began with the design of the user interface to the extranet, and the construction of a secure login system that would enable access not just to online content and client details, but deeper into backend tools and accounting systems. Differing access levels, dependent on reseller discount level, controlled the content available to each user.

The extranet also required the construction of a control panel for the use of staff. Again, this needed varying access levels dependent on the degree of control members of staff required. Some users would be able to add and amend reseller user details, other would have higher access to control core content and manage backend services.

A key feature of the extranet was to be flexible, one-click ordering of all products in Verio’s range, and this necessitated the design and construction of ordering services that simplified available products and cost calculations, and yet allowed full configuration flexibility, via the managers’ control panel, as product ranges changed. This facility was coupled with automated backend services, over which resellers had control, that would allow them greater control over their client accounts, for instance, to move hosting accounts between datacentres.

As construction of the CMS and backend processes neared completion, regular meetings were held to ensure content and downloads required from various departments of the company would be available on time. At this point, online documentation was produced to explain extranet functionality to users, as well as training in the use of the control panel.

The integration and easy availability of online services was immediately popular with reseller users, and the flexible ordering system was adopted with alacrity. The online management of resellers and clients reduced the workload on customer service support and automated processes eliminated many routine administrative tasks.

Content and access were easily managed after launch via the control panel, making this a central resource for the viaVerio programme. As the programme developed, the extranet could be extended via plug-in services, for example, a referral scheme which linked Verio’s hosting clients’ needs for Web design with the services of its resellers and partners.

Verio intranet and domain toolkit

As web hosting company NTT/Verio grew in size, it became necessary to streamline the increasingly stressed domain registration and shared hosting ordering process and build tools to enable technical support officers to make prompt changes through domain registries. The opening of a new datacentre in London, and the proliferation of domain name registries after Network Solutions’ gTLD monopoly was removed, increased the need for a consolidated set of backend tools and automated processes for customer support use.

The first stage of development was to replace simplistic domain maintenance tools with an integrated and automated interface. Prior to rationalisation, the process of arranging domain name transfers to and from the company was very labour intensive.

Details of domain transfer procedures were gathered from the many registries that were coming into existence, and these instructions used to automate the process of domain transfer. With the addition of an interface developed to manage domain registrations at Melbourne IT, the staff whose time was dedicated to administrating domain names were able to move into fuller customer service roles.

The ongoing goal of internal development was to fully automate the server provisioning process, so a customer could order an account online and it would be set up on a server and invoiced without unnecessary intervention by staff.

There was a similar need to detect and close overdue or outdated accounts on servers. Previously, this had been done by manual reconciliation within the billing department, but as the company grew, this became impractical. A program was developed that ran each night and closed any outstanding accounts, reporting back to the billing department and informing the customer.

Whilst programs and processes were being put into place to automate account administration, there was a no less important need to ensure existing clients had access to online services and information, which would also lessen the strain on technical support operatives. Many measures were implemented, such as additions to existing control panels, allowing customers to change their details or the type of account they were using. Improved server account reporting allowed the marketing department to target product information email campaigns.