Scottish Youth Hostel Association
Website migration from 'end of life' Alterian CMC to Umbraco
Project goals
- Move existing websites from unsupported 'end of life' CMS, to a supported CMS solution with future road map.
- Reduce overhead costs through infrastructure and website hosting changes.
How we did it
This was a technically orientated project with the primary requirement to migrate the website to a new CMS platform without making design or functional changes.
Page based solution - it was important that SYHA did not have to completely re-learn a new content management system so choosing Umbraco was a good decision as its page-based system is one with which content editors from Alterian CMS will be familiar.
Current website analysis - the existing website contained many templates and plugins that where no longer needed. To keep the new system clean and simple, we worked with SYHA to identify exactly what elements were required for migration.
Templates to document types - by looking at the existing content, categorisation, templates and plugins that were being used, we devised a much more simple and intuitive document type system for SYHA editors to use.
Content migration - by identifying the content which required migration, we programmatically imported content into the new system whilst leaving old, out of date content behind.
Whilst the scope for any changes or improvements was limited due to SYHA resource constraints, we wanted to make sure SYHA got some extra value from the migration so through simplification and function/content pruning, the system is now much cleaner and intuitive to use.
Are you considering what to-do next with your Alterian website? Would you like to know more about this project? Get in touch or give us a call on 0117 946 6800.
Further reading
Client profile
The Scottish Youth Hostels Association (SYHA) is Scotland's largest network of tourist youth hostels. Founded in 1931, SYHA is a registered Scottish charity providing over 60 hostels across the country.
syha.org.uk
