MARKLOGIC UK SUMMIT, London — March 17, 2011 — Dods Parliamentary Services will join representatives from the UK today to discuss how they have successfully implemented technology solutions to leverage unstructured data. MarkLogic Corporation, the company revolutionizing the way organizations leverage unstructured information, today announced that MarkLogic is powering a new information application, developed by Ixxus, for Dods Parliamentary Services. The new information application, Dods Legislation, allows customers to follow specific clauses or entire bills through parliament and track versions of the bill as elements are updated or changed. Dods will be one of many customers talking about their applications built on MarkLogic today at the MarkLogic UK Summit.
Founded in 1832, Dods is a leading political information, publishing, events and communications business operating in both the UK and European Union. As Dods expanded organically through mergers and acquisitions, it acquired a complicated technology architecture that was unsuitable for the scale of the growth of the business. The company was using multiple content management systems with relational databases resulting in applications powered by a variety of different platforms that required the management time of seven full-time employees.
“Before we partnered with Ixxus and MarkLogic, it was obvious that it was only a matter of time before our system would become prohibitively complex and expensive to manage,” said Simon Thompson, managing director, Dods Parliamentary Services. “We needed a more agile platform so we could change and add products to it easily and cost effectively. MarkLogic’s database for unstructured information has allowed us to increase customer value through more personalization and bring new products to market more quickly and easily than we could have imagined.”
Ixxus and MarkLogic worked with Dods to provide a solution that included a consolidation of existing systems. As a database built for unstructured information, MarkLogic was chosen as the central content repository and search engine. Using Alfresco, the open platform for social content management, and MarkLogic to combine content management with unstructured information, Dods was able to create a powerful publishing platform with the ability to support multiple websites. The result has been the creation of new applications, including Dods Legislation, and faster time-to-market with new products for the company.
“The transformation of Dods’ system architecture has had a profound impact throughout the organization,” said Steve Odart, managing director, Ixxus. “Dods is now looking at the way it processes its information to provide a better service to its customers and users. The company is now operating on the cutting edge of technology solutions and is reaping the benefits of it with new and improved products.”
“Dods has played an important role in the political information publishing and communications landscape for 179 years,” said John Pomeroy, vice president, MarkLogic Europe. “Unstructured information has wreaked havoc on traditional relational database systems worldwide, and like most companies, Dods was struggling to force fit information into columns and rows. Working with Ixxus, we were able to deliver a solution that streamlined Dods’ business and enabled it to provide better service to its customers.”
Dods is a political information, publishing, events and communications business operating in both the UK and Europe. They specialise in providing services designed for organisations wishing to understand and engage with Parliament, the Civil Service, the wider public sector and the public affairs community. Dods deliver a range of services including information, monitoring, training, events and integrated communications.
They have a long and successful history built upon providing contact and biographical information about and to the Houses of Parliament and the Civil Service since 1832. Renowned for the quality, accuracy and relevance of the political information it provides, Dods is one of the oldest political publishing and communications houses, offering some of the most regarded and respected political products and services in the UK and Europe.
Headquartered in London, UK, Ixxus (www.ixxus.com) is a leading consultancy and system integration company specialising in the design, development and operational support of enterprise content management and search solutions, with a modern and innovative approach to project delivery. Ixxus has designed and delivered websites, portals, intranets and document management systems to some of the world’s largest commercial organisations, and to both Central and Local Government in the UK.