Latest news

Totaljobs Group makes the switch to Sitecore CMS with help from Codehouse

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:30:00 GMT

The UK’s largest online recruitment business has chosen Codehouse to help with the installation and training of its new CMS platform Sitecore. Totaljobs Group is implementing a number of significant changes to its platform and product development processes, and the introduction of a new CMS is seen as an essential element to help build market leading differentiated brands, in what is a crowded sector.

Totaljobs Group manages seven of the UK’s most popular jobs websites, which between them carry around 130,000 jobs, attract over 4 million jobseekers each month, who generate over 2.6 million applications through the websites.

In order to ensure Sitecore CMS would best support the business and add the most value, Totaljobs Group approached Codehouse for advice on best practices and training for their development teams.

Who would you contact when you want the most of your Sitecore CMS? You can find our contact details below (but you can also reach us by using the contact form as well).

About Totaljobs Group

Totaljobs Group Ltd is the UK’s largest and fastest growing online recruitment company. Its seven job boards carry a combined average of 130,000 jobs a month. These job boards are CareerStructure.com, Caterer.com, CatererGlobal.com, CWJobs.co.uk, RetailChoice.com, Salestarget.co.uk, and Totaljobs.com. Totaljobs Group Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Reed Elsevier Group plc, a FTSE 100 company and one of the world’s largest online information companies.

Codehouse brings PR Connect onto a new Sitecore CMS driven website

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:56:00 GMT

PR Connect has upgraded their web identity with a modern web solution making life easier for their business partners and strengthening the agency’s identity. Codehouse has delivered all the technical features from implementing the Sitecore CMS to adding security layers and the establishment of an online image bank. The design is made by Annabir.

PR Connect is a Copenhagen-based PR agency with expertise in fashion and lifestyle. Their business model relies on two cornerstones: on the one hand PR work and on the other hand a showroom of their customer’s products. PR Connect has a 400m2 showroom in the heart of Copenhagen where photographers, the press and advertising agencies can borrow products for photo sessions.

With the changes in the media landscape the need for easy access to high quality images has increased amongst journalists and advertising personnel the last couple of years. To support those needs PR Connect wanted to upgrade their online presence with a large image bank bringing high quality images to their partner’s desktops.

Codehouse helped with the technical implementation in order to make the new website run smoothly within the Sitecore CMS. One of the key features in the new website is the now rapidly growing image bank with high quality stock images of their client’s products. The magazines and daily press can now download images directly from the website – as opposed to earlier when images had to be sent physically or by email. The process is now much more efficient for both PR Connect and their network of business partners.

In order not to infringe on copyrights the entire image bank is established as a separate section of the website behind a secure layer and users need to use a login to access the image bank.

An up-front and personal relationship with business partners is an important part of the PR Connect business philosophy which makes it natural to have a section on the new website where you can find every employee. Additionally you can find images and stories from the latest events at the agency.

The new website is built on Sitecore SaaS (Software as a Service) which means that the site is hosted in the cloud (cloud computing). It is a scaled-down version of Sitecore CMS, called Sitecore Express, with some restrictions as to scalability but it is still a professional tool to content manage an online presence.

Do you need a new website? Get in touch with Codehouse.

Crimestat has gone live!

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:23:00 GMT

Crimestat has gone live and has already met with a warm welcome from the Danish police force as well as the Danish news agencies. Crimestat is a database of reported retail robberies. It has come out of a partnership between Codehouse, The Danish Chamber of Commerce and various trade associations.

Codehouse has been responsible for the technical development of Crimestat, the new database for gathering information about robberies in the Danish retail sector. Each individual store is capable of reporting details about a robbery as soon as it has happened. Shortly after, every other user of Crimestat will be able to find that report. This means that both the Danish retail sector, as well as the police, will receive significant data which can be used to create preventative initiatives and also lead to more robberies being solved. It is hoped that Crimestat will help break the robbery trend which has been steadily increasing since 2007.

Crimestat is a bespoke web application built by Codehouse using.NET and with comprehensive insight into a major problem for the retail sector. Watch the news article and see a guest appearance from our website.

LO Plus gets new Sitecore powered website

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:46:00 GMT

Codehouse and Roger have upgraded the online presence of LO Plus A/S who are now running on Sitecore CMS. It’s a “no nonsense” solution with the key features up front: easy access and an overview of all the advantages of being an LO Plus member. This is all accomplished with perfect functionality and a tempting design.

One of the central elements on the new website is a search engine that provides a quick overview of all the interesting offers in your local area. Most search methods are met as it is possible to search for postal codes, parts of the country, keywords and categories. The functionality is brought together with the design by giving the search engine a very dominant location on the site. Actually, it’s got the most prominent location.

The new website is administered by Sitecore CMS giving web editors both flexibility and control to edit and administer all content – from copy to images, to Flash and video. Sitecore CMS is customised with numerous functions creating a solid foundation for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and good Google rankings.

In order to boost user-friendliness online, but also when it comes to the later physical shopping offline, Google Maps has been integrated enabling visitors instantly to find the shop or office on a map (and in real life). A significant amount of magical .NET coding has been used in the creation of the search engine as well as the implementation of Google Maps.

The new website for LO Plus is the result of a perfect synergy between the technical experts from Codehouse and the communications agency Roger who all share the same address in Copenhagen. Codehouse has been responsible for the technical implementation as well as project management while Roger has contributed with a modern web design.

About LO Plus
LO Plus is a free discount scheme started in 2004 as a collaboration project between numerous members of the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions. LO Plus has approximately 950,000 members sharing all the advantages associated with their membership card.

Codehouse MD appointed Sitecore MVP

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:28:00 GMT

Codehouse steps into the Sitecore Premier League with the award of an MVP title to Sebastian Winslow. The Sitecore MVP (Most Valuable Professional) is awarded to individuals providing an extraordinary effort to share their real-world CMS expertise – this time it has gone to the Managing Director of the Danish branch of Codehouse. This is, of course, a great recognition for Codehouse but it also means that our customers are guaranteed to have a technical partner who is sitting in on Sitecore’s front row.

Why did Codehouse get it?
The reasons are plenty but the most important are the fact that Sebastian and Codehouse have been involved in the training and certification of a large number of Sitecore editors and developers. He has helped convince some not insignificantly sized customers to move to Sitecore CMS and he has helped develop numerous value-adding web solutions based on the Sitecore platform.

For a number of years Codehouse was responsible for the training and certification of Sitecore editors, administrators and developers in both Denmark and the UK during which time Sebastian was just as involved as the rest of the Codehouse team. Subsequently, Codehouse has been a contributing factor to large companies like LEGO, Alka Insurance, Widex, FOSS and Bruel & Kjær being Sitecore users today.

On numerous occasions Codehouse has functioned as consultants or advisors in crucial IT strategic decision processes. This was the case for IAK (The Danish Unemployment Insurance Fund for Engineers) who needed qualified advice on online business and how different CMS solutions would meet their demands.

What does it really mean?
With the award Sebastian and Codehouse steps into an exclusive society made up of only 24 people worldwide. The MVP title is valid for two years and grants Codehouse access to valuable resources at Sitecore. These include access to alpha versions of new Sitecore software as well as first release modules and full access to the Sitecore Developer Network and download section and invitations to major events.

Sebastian is the Managing Director of the Danish branch of Codehouse and an instructor in IT Change Management at the Copenhagen Business School.

Experienced .NET developer needed for the Codehouse SCRUM

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:35:00 GMT

Times are busy and we need an experienced .NET developer for our team in London. Now!

Do you know how to build web-based business solutions, feel that ASP.NET is the natural extension of your vocabulary, and write beautiful and flawless code? Do you know Sitecore CMS and Umbraco CMS as well? Are you capable of acting as a solution architect as well as a SCRUM Master and also a hardcore .NET coder? And would you feel comfortable in a flat organisation where thinking strategically doesn’t mean executives driving large company cars?

Then you might just be the person we’re looking for? Take a look at the description. We look forward to hearing from you.

New Sitecore website for Magistrenes A-kasse

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:05:00 GMT

Magistrenes Arbejdsløshedskasse (The Danish Masters Unemployment Insurance Fund) rounded off 2009 with the perfect Christmas present for themselves and their members, namely a new user-friendly, Sitecore-driven online platform. The new website went live just before Christmas and gives MA a relevant and future-proof transition to 2010.

The new website is built on the Sitecore CMS and Codehouse is responsible for all development and implementation. The result is a website living up to the expectations of today’s web surfers; accessibility, user-friendliness, and not to mention all the right features (with some nice technical details included).

Thanks to the user-friendly Content Management System, Sitecore CMS, the web editors now have an intuitive tool to manage and control all web-content – from images and video files to the copy and the site structure. Codehouse developed a couple of bespoke web applications in order to get the Sitecore CMS to comply with the MA’s requirements: The visitors are now met with a clear and user-friendly website offering a specially designed search function called “the Rules Guide” enabling easy access to relevant information. Additionally, visitors can now register for events through a special registration form, updated in real-time such that the contact form is removed from the website when the event has been fully booked.

The Sitecore CMS and page structure has been tuned in order to allow for better Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) through the optimal use of e.g. URL’s, XML sitemap, and metatags (h1, h2, etc.). In addition, a Google Analytics account has been set up to enable MA to analyse their web traffic and subsequently refine their website.

Read more about the MA’s new website in our Cases section.

Codehouse helps The Danish Chamber of Commerce develop the Crimestat database

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:27:00 GMT

For the beginning of 2010 The Danish Chamber of Commerce will introduce a new weapon in the fight against robberies called Crimestat. Crimestat is the product of a unique collaboration between various trade associations and the ingredients include knowledge sharing, statistics, preventive intentions and a solid amount of Codehouse .NET development.

With Crimestat in place, it will be possible to gather detailed statistics regarding robberies in the Danish retail sector, leading to preventative actions and an increase in solved crimes. As Crimestat operates in real-time, reports will be accessible (although with anonymous data) to all other users as soon as they have been reported. Crimestat is intended to become an effective weapon in the fight against robberies and the initiative is therefore supported by The National Commission for the Danish Police with the expectation that Crimestat will help the police investigate robberies.

“We hope and believe that Crimestat – along with the other initiatives – will be shown to be a useful tool for the retail business with the result being prevention and a reduced number of robberies,” says Lars Alexander Borke, Process Manager at The Danish Chamber of Commerce.

Codehouse has assisted The Danish Chamber of Commerce with expert advice and is responsible for the development and implementation of Crimestat. Technically, Crimestat is a bespoke .NET database capable of gathering information about robberies from the stores that have enrolled in the program. The built-in search functionality and notification system enables the users to sort and systemise the data as needed.

Crimestat is a ground-breaking project in the sense that it has met massive support across different trade associations in the Danish retail sector. Never before has such sensitive data been shared neither within a sector nor across different trade associations.

A new Umbraco website with a classic feel

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:21:00 GMT

How do you present a company with roots dating 242 years back? Codehouse took on the challenge and have brought London based Textile Wholesalers Schwarzschild Ochs Ltd. into the 21st Century. Schwarzschild Ochs now have an updated web-presence, designed and built by Codehouse, that stays true to the company’s history.

Schwarzschild Ochs Ltd. wanted a new more contemporary website that would better comply with online demands anno 2009 but they also wanted the look and feel to reflect the company’s long history dating back to 1767. They wanted a trustworthy website that made it easy for visitors to find what they were after.

The solution was a new, user-friendly, SEO-optimised, classic yet stylish, and fully content managed website offering all the functionality and features sought by the company’s website visitors. The new website, designed and built by Codehouse using the open source Umbraco CMS, has just gone live. The redesigned site structure in combination with the Umbraco CMS enables the web authors to manage the large amount of content and media elements without further technical assistance.

The website’s main purpose is to display the company’s large portfolio of different fabrics and enable visitors easily to find materials of interest and then make an enquiry online or locate agents in their part of the world. In order to make the website user-friendly, Codehouse developed a search engine with multiple keywords capabilities that makes it easy and intuitive to browse collections and find related fabrics, and allows for both discounted and new lines to be promoted.

Are you looking to upgrade your website too (design, build, and hosting or all three)? So get in touch and we can help steer you in the right direction.

Hello Twitter!

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:16:00 GMT

In the age of social media and constant change your web presence shouldn’t be left behind. With the brand new Twitter Module from Codehouse you’ll be able to tweet from within Sitecore when you publish new content to your site.

Social media integration? You bet! With the brand new Codehouse Twitter Module for Sitecore you will be able to publish easily to your Twitter account when you publish new items in Sitecore. All you have to do is set up your Twitter account within Sitecore and press the Tweet button from the Sitecore item you want to tweet about. The module suggests the text for your tweet based on the item’s title and contains a link to the post on your website by automatically generating a shortened bit.ly URL. But, before you tweet, you still have the freedom to modify the suggestion any way you like.

Twitter offers the opportunity to access a huge network and generate traffic to your website which ultimately can result in increased business. With the Twitter module you’ll be able to automatically publish news, articles, blog posts, etc. on the Twitter platform directly from your Sitecore items. Save time and ease the content management burden. A simple but effective social media integration.

You can get your Twitter Module and Sitecore web solution by contacting Codehouse. And you can find even more Codehouse modules here.