Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain introduced the new Common Web Platform (CWP) which government agencies can now access to control and maintain the “look and feel” of their respective websites.

The CWP is a shared web platform developed for government agencies by Wellington ICT company, SilverStripe and hosted by another New Zealand company, Revera, through Infrastructure as a Service, another All-of-Government service.

Apart from being a web hosting solution, the CWP allows agencies to control the several functionalities which include: the look and feel of their websites, suppliers of professional services to manage and develop their websites, content, the website’s code and customised integration with other websites.

“The CWP is part of the ICT Strategy and Action Plan to 2017, announced in June, calling for shared investments, pooled resources and reduced duplication across different departments,” says Minister Tremain.

“In terms of procurement there are potential savings of $50,000 per web project. On its own it’s not a big amount but when spread over the whole of government we’re looking at estimated savings of over $1 million dollars a year.”

“This all-of-government web services contract is part of the drive for Better Public Services. The deal maximises web technologies and makes it easier for New Zealanders to interact with government online.”