Comic Relief has refreshed its IT infrastructure to
handle donations more effectively and offer website visitors
Web 2.0-based features in
time for Red Nose Day.
The charity's e-commerce team have redesigned its website to
automate and speed transaction processing, as well as offer a
richer user experience for the charity event, which takes place on
16 March.
Martin Gill, Comic Relief's head of e-commerce, told Computer
Weekly that the work to update the site and support infrastructure
was necessary to speed processing for the anticipated one
million-plus donations that the charity will receive online and
through its call centres during the day of fundraising fun.
"This is the eleventh Red Nose Day, but it is the first time we
have used social networking features on the site. This is also the
first time we are driving all donations made online or through the
call centres through a common web platform, with a common
easy-to-use interface," said Gill.
The charity works with partner companies which donate IT
components. Pipex provides a managed datacentre service, hosting
the website and technology platform.
The system, which was designed in-house by Gill and his team,
uses the latest Oracle 10g products. It runs on Sun storage
appliances and T2000 servers.
www.rednoseday.com
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