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OpenConcept has used a number of solutions for time tracking and project management over the years; Basecamp, along with a couple of iterations of a Drupal 5-based system based on the Worktracker module. OpenConcept has grown considerably in the last couple of years, and with additional staff, bigger projects, and the historical accumulation of information each system began verging on unworkable as we transitioned to the next.

Recognia provides technical analysis products (interpreted chart recognition) to large brokerage firms worldwide. They help the brokerage firms attract, retain and engage traders by providing actionable research tools. 

Recognia came to OpenConcept because they were trying to enhance their web presence with a new website that is more engaging to users, clearly defines the company mandate and product offerings and enables their internal team to take control of content entry.

I was listening to a podcast by AbilityNet in the UK the other day and liked what they were doing so I sent them a note on Twitter suggesting that their community might find the developments in Drupal interesting.  I got into a conversation with them and ended up producing an MP3 with the following introduction to Drupal 7.  After Drupal 7 is released we'll have to do a piece highlighting all the pieces that got in, but for now this is a good introduction.

Recently, while working at requirements for a Government client I was tasked with finding a way to create rss feeds for site wide searches. Here, I've decided to share this solution with the wider community.

The WYSIWYG module does a great job of centralizing and abstracting the use of various graphical editors in Drupal. Its relative newness means it is poorly and confusingly documented in some respects. I recently had to add the headings plugin for TinyMCE and ran into a lot of confusing information about how to make that happen.

Ontario implemented the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) in 2005 and in January 2010 it will begin to enhance the level of services that people in this province can expect from their governments. 

Organizations Needing to Comply

The public sector organizations that now must meet the Customer Service Standard include Ontario government ministries, municipalities, school boards, community colleges, universities, public hospitals, public transportation organizations as well as some other agencies. All other organizations with over a year will have another two years before they need to conform to this standard.

The web has become a huge part of how people communicate and this act will significantly affect how organizations think about their online presence in the months to come. It is anticipated that websites by the organizations above will be required to reach compliance levels A of WCAG 2.0 (W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0). This will be a significant accomplishment as millions of web pages will need to be changed and evaluated. 

T-Base Communications was looking to enhance their web presence by implementing a new design, by upgrading the accessibility of their website and by improving the simplicity and power that their CMS was able to provide.

They chose Drupal as their platform of choice because of its intuitive content management interface, its inherent built-in accessibility features and its growing popularity amongst organizations looking for a hands-on approach to the development of their website content. They decided to go with OpenConcept because of our expertise in Drupal as well as the area of accessibility. We were able to deliver a website that adhered to the WCAG 2.0 AA web content accessibility guidelines, as outlined by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The T-Base website successfully validates and can be checked using W3C's markup validation service.

The following article was prepared by OpenConcept for Summit Magazine, Canada's magazine for public service procurement. The full article is available within the PDF copy of the magazine.

After publication I was sent this PDF about open source procurement in the Netherlands that was worth sharing.

How Can Government Responsibly Procure Free Software?

Free software is “free” in two senses: it is distributed free of charge, and can be freely used and shared because it is unencumbered by onerous and restrictive licenses. This software model has been refined over the past twenty-five years, and its use has become mainstream.

Yesterday was the third Drupal 7 accessibility taskforce meeting, and the final meeting before code freeze. With September 1 just around the corner the Drupal accessibility community would like to reach out the the broader community for some additional help during this busy time to get as many accessibility improvements into Drupal 7 core as possible.

It was the first sunny day we've had in a week, a perfect day to spend on a patio after work drinking a pint. However 35 people made their way to The Code Factory to attend the Drupal in Government Showcase.