Content Management System Package

The core of the CMS package offered by Ideation Networks is based on the Drupal open-source framework for content management systems and web-application development. This is a powerful solution for content management and includes excellent community facilities for user-generated content, and social networking.

Features include:

On-line Content Management: All content on your website is created and managed via an intuitive on-line management system. Powerful content tools allow for the creation of different content types. Threaded commenting is available and allows comments and discussions to be added by users of the website.

Flexible Templating Options: Content is fully separated from presentation using an advanced and flexible templating system allowing full customisation of the look and feel of the website.
Community Features: With support for user profiles, user-generated content, collaborative content creation, and social networking, this is an excellent platform for building community based websites.

Search Engine Friendly (SEO): Flexible path structure enables customisable and user friendly URLs. The system can be set to auto-generate Search Engine friendly URLs.

User Management: Role based permission system means site administrators can easily control what users can and can't do on the website. This simplifies the user management process, and can be automated and combined with an optional paid subscription module.

Modular Framework and Rapid Application Development: Core functionality is easily extended by adding optional modules. Bespoke functionality can be accommodated via the development of custom modules that 'hook' into the main Drupal core.

Performance and Scalability: The core system provides a caching mechanism to reduce the server load and number of database queries. The caching system can be tuned in real-time to quickly respond to changes in site usage.

Bespoke Development Process

A website distinguishes itself based on its unique functionality, or through novel application of functionality within a niche domain. For this reason it is usual that a website development requires some degree of customisation and bespoke development work. Using Rapid Application Development we can quickly produce Prototypes or launch beta-versions and manage the development of your website.

Ideation Networks use practices from Agile software development and Extreme Programming to define and manage this development process. The requirements part of this process revolves around 'The Planning Game' where 'user stories' and 'acceptance tests' are defined.

Design Integration

Although Ideation Networks focus on providing the technology, we can source skilled graphic designers when needed. Quite often a client comes with their own branding or design to be incorporated into the website, or has their own designer they wish to use. We can accommodate this, and there are two options:

1. When working with a designer who has HTML/CSS in their core skill-set: We would provide guidelines for the creation of HTML and CSS code for the designer. On delivery of the designs we make the necessary conversions required for this code to work with our templating system.
2. Working with a graphic designer/artist: We would agree on a wire-frame outline of the layout/structure of the site. The designer would then provide layered Photoshop files, which would then need to be sliced, and HTML/CSS code created that is compatible with the templating system.

Managed Drupal Hosting

We rent servers in the premier UK based data centre, with a direct (Tier 1) connection to the backbone of the Internet. We can deploy sites onto clients' own servers, but our managed hosting package represents great value for money.

We include support and maintenance in the package. This includes software updates, security updates, and regular site backups.

Server packages come with high-speed connection and unlimited bandwidth. They sit within our own network that has been optimised for running Drupal, and can optionally be upgraded to a separate dedicated server with it's own service level guarantee.

Standard Rate Card

Project Pricing

We prefer to quote a fixed per-project price, and decide a payment schedule based on reaching project milestones. We believe this offers better value and helps mitigate any risk involved. As a guide, a site with an average amount of custom development work usually comes in at about £5k, but this of course completely depends on how much custom development work is required. We would decide this as part of the initial planning and requirements phase.

Get In Touch...

For an introductory chat, or exploratory meeting, please contact us now and briefly introduce your project.