UK embassies to get £11.5m web platform

LogicaCMG has won a £11.5m contract to build a new web platform for the UK's 200 embassies, consulates and high commissions around the world.

As part of the five-year deal LogicaCMG will completely replace the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) current web platform, which handles 24 million visitors per year, such as British travellers looking for advice on the safety of countries they are about to visit.

The FCO is also aiming to increase the number of visitors to its website, improve usability, minimise security risks and ensure it can cope with spikes in demand, such as the Asian tsunami in 2004 when site traffic increased five-fold.

The new web platform, called FCOWeb, is expected to be ready next year and sub-contractors working on the project include Mediasurface for web content management, Verizon for hosting support and XMLondon for web design.

Peter Ricketts, permanent under secretary at the FCO, said in a statement: "The new FCOWeb platform marks a significant development for the FCO in delivering a more robust and efficient web service for users in the UK and across the world."