Context
In 2006 cScape achieved the world’s first live site on Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 with Ministry of Sound , the global youth culture brand. Ministry launched a new website for its dance label, Hed Kandi, which is best known for eclectic dance music compilation albums ranging from chill out to deep house, US garage to hip hop and jazz grooves to club classics. In 2007, the beta version was released to market.
Challenge
Hed Kandi was determined to build its new website on MOSS, which enables Web 2.0 features such as blogs and community boards. Ministry of Sound selected cScape to build a beta version in 2006. This became the world’s first live site on MOSS, and in 2007, a further challenge for cScape was to move it to RTM, whilst adding a range of additional features and functionalities.
Solution
Because of their early developed expertise of MOSS, cScape developers were able to deploy the system quickly and efficiently. Working with Hed Kandi’s own developers and designers, we focused on user generated content and online community development. When rebuilding the site in the release version of MOSS, cScape extended the functionality, adding features such as in-depth record listings and archiving with a powerful search engine; a calendar for the over 100 global events per month; DJ blogs which readers can comment on and which link back to other sections of the site, making it easy to navigate. Other community-based elements include allowing users to create profiles, upload pictures and participate in discussions around events and releases.
Outcome
cScape’s Lead Technical Consultant, MVP Ben Robb, worked with in-house developers and designers leading workshops on functionality and technical architecture while moving the site from Beta to RTM. Hed Kandi’s new site facilitates rapid development and, with MOSS, many new solutions which facilitate customer engagement strategies can be delivered out-of-the-box.
This was the first live implementation of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 in the world. Rob Gray, Product Marketing Manager for Microsoft UK, affirms cScape’s status as skilled technical partner, “cScape continues to deliver cutting-edge solutions that make the most effective use of our software platform in meeting our customers' needs and make a difference to the way that people work."