BirdLife International chooses VBN to launch its global extranet

BirdLife International has chosen Virtual Business Network Ltd (VBN) – a Sift company – to build the launch phase of its new global extranet project.

[ClickPress, Fri Jul 28 2006] BirdLife International has chosen Virtual Business Network Ltd (VBN) – a Sift company – to build the launch phase of its new global extranet project.

BirdLife International is a global partnership of national conservation organisations and local networks striving to secure and improve bird habitats and global biodiversity.

This first phase will deliver a pan-European extranet for BirdLife's 42 European partner organisations and will launch in autumn 2006. The website will be powered by VBN's web CMS (content management system) that offers a range of features designed specifically to support online communities and professional networks.

The solution will improve BirdLife's ability to publish information to key stakeholder groups and facilitate online collaboration amongst its members. BirdLife's European partners are working towards a common objective of ensuring sustainability in the use of natural resources, and the extranet will support their work through a new content structure designed to help them navigate through the site intuitively and access relevant information quickly and easily.

Ian Fisher, Project Manager at BirdLife International, says:

"BirdLife International is committed to securing a sustainable future for birds and their habitats. To succeed in this, we need the input and collaboration of conservation groups not only across Europe, but worldwide.

"Bringing the work of the BirdLife member organisations together through more effective communication, interaction and collaboration is a primary objective, and a challenge that can only be met through effective use of the web. VBN was able to prove that they have both the technology and the first-hand experience of implementing successful collaborative projects – making them the clear choice of supplier for the new website."

Helen Trim, Sales & Marketing Director at Sift, comments:

"BirdLife International faces the ever more familiar challenge of facilitating collaboration across a geographically dispersed member community. Taking advantage of the online channel, encompassing and integrating both web and email, is a highly effective solution to such a challenge and we are pleased to be working with BirdLife to help them achieve their objectives."

- ENDS -

For further information, please contact:

Darren Falkingham
Marketing Manager, Sift
darren.falkingham@sift.com
Sift, 100 Victoria Street, Bristol BS1 6HZ, United Kingdom
tel: +44 (0) 117 915 9609

Ian Fisher
Project Manager, BirdLife International
ian.fisher@birdlife.org
BirdLife International, Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, Cambridge CB3 0NA, United Kingdom
tel: +44 (0) 7738 035 073

EDITOR’S NOTES

About Sift
Sift was established in 1996 and today provides its Sift Unity CMS (content management system) and online community platform to over 400 clients including Bristol City Council, British Mensa, Centaur Media plc, European Commission, John Wiley & Sons, The Kennel Club, Royal Town Planning Institute, NHS, Northumberland County Council, Scottish Executive and York City Council.

Sift's key markets are business and niche consumer publishers, public sector bodies, and not-for profit organisations. Supported by the Sift Seminar Series, Sift keeps its clients at the forefront of the latest online engagement techniques. Sift has 90 staff and will generate revenues in excess of £6m in the current financial year.

Sift acquired Virtual Business Network Ltd (VBN) in June 2006 and the combined group is enjoying a strengthened presence in the vibrant online communities and professional networks market. VBN's website can be found at www.vbnonline.com

About BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a partnership of people working together for birds and the environment. It promotes sustainable living as a means of conserving birds and all other forms of biodiversity and is the leading authority on the status of birds and their habitats. Over 10 million people support the BirdLife Partnership of national non-governmental conservation organisations and local networks.

BirdLife aims to: prevent the extinction of any bird species; maintain and where possible improve the conservation status of all bird species; conserve and where appropriate improve and enlarge sites and habitats important for birds; help, through birds, to conserve biodiversity and to improve the quality of people's lives; and integrate bird conservation into sustaining people's livelihoods.

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