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What people say about VBN...
"This is groundbreaking stuff. Administrating grant applications is an extraordinarily complex process, particularly where the funds available run into millions of pounds. This unique system enables a simple online registration, eligibility checking and application process enabling us to stay on top of thousands of applications and track their progress through the system.
We are also accountable to the EU and the system will allow us to report to them effectively and to track where funds are at any point in time. We will also be able to demonstrate a huge return on investment by massively reducing our administration costs. "
Steve Cargill, Project Officer, Lincolnshire Broadband Team on the Grant Administration System developed by VBN |
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i10 |
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i10 A Meeting of Academic and Business Minds
The communications challenge
All our Content Management products are delivered across the web via a browser interface this means that, with the correct access rights, you can be managing the content of your website from anywhere without the need to install any specialised software.
i10 felt that creating an online portal to act as a communication channel would be the most effective means of achieving this aim. A platform for networking was required to bridge the gap between the two normally incompatible communities. Contrasting value systems lay at the centre of academia and commerce, which has meant that the two normally operate on very separate levels. For this reason the value of knowledge and resource sharing and the potential for mutual gain had yet to be realised.
The i10 project aimed to facilitate the delivery of higher education expertise and resources to businesses as a catalyst to innovation and regional economic development. Virtual Business Network (VBN) was appointed to create the online environment where an interactive community could grow to serve this purpose.
Making the Connection
VBN provided the technology to build the site and the ongoing consultancy to drive membership participation and the growth and sustainability of the i10 network.
VBN’s software acted as a platform for networking facilities, offering i10 members the ability to post news, profiles, events, vacancies and articles of interest to innovators within their sector.
“VBN provided us with the platform to help companies across the region tap into the knowledge and expertise that is on offer in our academic institutions and at the same time spark interest from the academic community in commerce.”
Matthew Bullock, Chairman of i10
Additional functionality options enabled the VBN solution to be tailored to i10’s exact requirements. The configuration devised for i10 incorporated the VBN enquiry broker module - a package that allows i10 members to communicate and exchange information in ‘private areas’, to timely and effectively manage enquiries and to administrate the sale of event tickets online and the ability to search across member web sites.
The software contains the content management, membership participation and configuration tools needed to build a professional online network. In addition to the required software, VBN provides full technical support and hosting as part of the package and offered i10 the expertise to help build the network to a point when it becomes self-perpetuating.
VBN as a database-driven web based solution is simple and easy to administrate for network owners. Through a browser based interface or ‘back office’, i10 can easily manage content and membership.
Turning hyperlinks into handshakes
The i10 site has generated over 2000 registered users since its inception who interact through the portal
The site is visited several thousand times a month by users posting news, sharing knowledge and building lasting relationships with other members
The portal has fulfilled its objective in promoting interaction between Higher Education Institutions and businesses in the East of England
“To date the i10 site has been hugely successful, gaining momentum month on month and I am delighted by the level of collaboration that has been achieved through the website. Full credit to VBN for providing such an effective solution that has help i10 to achieve so much.”
www.i10.org
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Visit the site at http://www.i10.org.uk
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