BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, has selected Manchester-based digital agency Cantarus to deliver its online community.
From the start of the pandemic, BCS, which is the professional body for the IT industry, moved the majority of its membership activity online, often with increased engagement beyond geographical restrictions.
BCS knew it needed a permanent digital community platform for all its 58,000 members, to complement its rich programme of face-to-face events and networking.
The Institute approached Cantarus to help create this space, which aims to grow membership, increase networking and collaboration, and channel its members’ influence on public affairs issues like ethics, professionalism, diversity, digital exclusion and Net Zero.
Cantarus, whose community clients include The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), and Youth Sport Trust, will develop a community solution for BCS using the leading open-source solution, Discourse.
The community will aim to be a primary point for interaction between BCS members and facilitate online collaborative spaces for BCS committees and working groups. BCS communities are envisioned as an integral and evolving part of the organisation’s member benefits offering far into the future.
Mark Eichler, Principal Consultant at Cantarus, comments:
“We are delighted to partner with BCS in enriching digital member experiences with robust engagement and collaborative spaces worthy of the BCS mission and brand. For this project we will be designing, extending, and integrating Discourse, a leading open-source community solution, to precisely meet BCS’s requirements. Cantarus and BCS staff talents will, working together, ensure the unique culture and differentiators that make BCS distinct are central to this next generation of online member experiences.”
Holly Porter, Membership Director at BCS, adds:
“Partnering with Cantarus means we can create a diverse online community where every member can contribute to our influence on society and policy, help improve professional practice, share career development advice, and collaborate on events.
Before BCS agreed the Cantarus contract, we took the time to get to know each other’s culture, strategy, and requirements, so we knew we had the right partner to create a digital community that will be at the heart of our offer to current and future members.”
Lee Adams, Chief Executive Officer at Cantarus, adds:
“It is an absolute privilege to have been selected by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, to deliver its online community. As one would expect, BCS requires the very highest standards from its technical partners and we are proud that BCS has felt confident that our people, processes, and technologies position us to deliver to those standards. We look forward to helping BCS bring the British information technology community closer together and to supporting BCS’s mission to unleash the power of technology to the benefit of all.”
To find out more about Cantarus’ community offering visit the website or get in touch at enquiries@cantarus.com
Follow Cantarus on Twitter: @cantarus
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cantarus/
Instagram: @cantarus.agency
