International Rugby Board (IRB)

Customer’s Challenge

Recognising the need to have a strong IT partner to enable them to deliver to their current and future IT needs the IRB turned to Fujitsu to provide them with services in the following areas:

To deliver a powerful on-line presence that would provide them with the necessary tools, technologies and skills to deliver updated and enhanced web technology and services.
To deliver new and enhanced internal IT applications that would enable them to meet the functional requirements from the expanding member union community.

The IRB required a comprehensive web content management solution for their re-vamped Internet sites as well as their interest group-based secure extranet needs.

These web based solutions had to be flexible, scalable, costeffective and easy-to-use. It was also important to build on IRB’s existing technology base and to provide a powerful platform for future web-based initiatives.

From an internal IT perspective there was a need for the IRB to expand the range of services that they provided to member unions brought about by the ever growing popularity of the sport. This would require the modernisation of many of the existing applications as well as the delivery of new modules and systems to meet member union needs.

Fujitsu’s Solution

Fujitsu have carried out a number of projects for the IRB that have designed and developed all templates and scripts required to deliver functionality for all their websites within Microsoft Content Management Server (MCMS) 2002. We have also developed a workflow model to enable the authoring, editing and approval of web content for both the Internet and Extranet.

Features of the solutions include:

Implemented structure, look-and-feel via MCMS 2002
Developed entirely new secure Extranet solution
Integrated some 3rd party .NET modules for advanced functions, e.g. advanced search, forums etc…
Integrated new templates to CMS solution
Streamlined design phase allowed build to begin as early as possible in order to meet delivery dates.

From an internal IT viewpoint Fujitsu carried out detailed analysis with all IT user communities and created a ‘Technology Roadmap’ for the IRB that laid the foundation for the IT projects to be carried out in order to ensure that IT department delivered those services most needed by users. This Roadmap was accepted by the IRB and a number of projects have already been delivered to enhance the IT services on offer.

The Benifits

By using a common architecture for all their On-line Properties the IRB now have a standard “look and feel” to their websites as well as having access to powerful and flexible technology to allow them to deliver the information and services to the world-wide rugby community.

By following the ‘Technology Roadmap’ for their internal IT projects the IRB are assured that the projects being delivered match the needs of their users and that the technical solutions being put in place are using up to date technology as well as being scalable, flexible and easily maintainable into the future.

IRB’s partnership with Fujitsu has ensured that scalable and robust solutions have been put in place and that these solutions will be fully supported and enhanced into the future.

Our Expertise

Based on the success of the initial www.irb.com MCMS project the IRB selected Fujitsu to be their strategic partner into the future, with responsibility to deliver and support all online properties and other business applications. Based on the strategic reviews of their IT estate and delivery of the ‘Technology Roadmap’ Fujitsu have developed and delivered a number of new solutions and enhancements to enable the IRB to continue to deliver the required services to their member unions.

To date a number of main sites plus event sites have now been developed and deployed using the MCMS architecture including:

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