Amplexor launches a collaboration platform for the IBBT with Alfresco Share software
Leuven, 5 August 2010 – Amplexor, a specialist in enterprise content management (ECM), has fully implemented a collaboration platform for the Interdisciplinary Institute for Broadband Technology (IBBT). This platform (MyBBT) enables collaboration between project staff from different backgrounds, working in different locations. The platform also provides a simple communication channel between the parties involved.
The IBBT offers active support to companies and organisations in the research and development field. To that end, it brings together different companies, authorities and non-profit organisations around research projects. The IBBT focuses on research linked to current social and economic themes such as e-health, new media, mobility, and e-government. The research done by the institute is interdisciplinary and is driven by requests from a range of different partners. Researchers collaborating on a specific project (20-30 people on average) are therefore often active in different disciplines, based in local or more distant geographical regions, and regularly work with different software and IT equipment.
To develop its collaboration platform, the IBBT first consulted end-users. Matthias Priem, ICT manager at the IBBT, said: “In 2008 and 2009, we carried out a comprehensive study of all our research groups, under the CoCoNut project. This allowed us to identify the tools used, end-users’ requirements and the factors that determine the success of a new intranet. We developed our specifications in line with the results of this research project.”
Following an in-depth market study, the IBBT selected the open-source ECM software Alfresco Share from more than 15 other leading candidates. Amplexor was chosen to configure and customise the MyBBT platform on the strength of its extensive expertise with Alfresco software. Matthias Priem added: “We chose Alfresco Share for a variety of reasons. As it is standard open software, this solution is compatible with various operating systems, including Windows, Mac and Unix. This was very important for us, as the project participants use all kinds of systems. Apart from a broad range of out-of-the-box features, Alfresco offers a comprehensive application programming interface (API), enabling the relatively simple and fast implementation of customisation and integration.”
MyBBT has two main components. Firstly the extranet, which serves as a communication channel for all researchers (both in-house at the IBBT and externally at Flemish universities and the IMEC research centre) and all partners (companies, public authorities, etc.). This extranet enables dissemination of news and the sharing of manuals, templates, logos and reports. Secondly, this platform also can be used to facilitate collaboration and communication within particular projects. Through this tool, (authorised) project personnel can exchange documents (with version management), manage wikis, create blogs, maintain schedules and start up discussion forums.
Luc Peeters, Amplexor’s project leader, noted: “We developed this project on the basis of agile software development. The requirements were worked out during three workshops. Then, in just two weeks, the software was produced and tested by a group of developers from the IBBT. This allowed us to continually adjust the platform, in line with their reactions and advice.”
To meet the specific requirements of the IBBT, Amplexor created several custom-made components. The existing CRM contact list was integrated. A sublevel was also provided within the project sites, the ‘Work Packages’, which include specific content and have a unique team of researchers. Additional fields were also created for the user profiles, so that MyBBT can be used as a social network and for identifying experts.