Website specialists Peacock Carter to provide Wiki technology

Mar 4 2010 by Karen Dent, The Journal

A WEB DESIGN business which began life in the founders' bedrooms while they were Durham University students has secured a major contract with the Government.

Peacock Carter has won the national contract to provide Wiki technology for the Government-funded websites NHS Choices, businesslink.gov.uk and Directgov. The firm, started by Michael Peacock and Richard Carter while they were studying, has been based at the Design Works in Felling, Gateshead, for two years.

Mr Peacock specialises in programming and Mr Carter is the design expert in the team but the new contracts means they are now looking to take on extra staff.

Mr Carter said: “The new contract with the Government has helped the business grow even more than we had anticipated.

“Our new plans now include taking on additional staff in the coming months, competing for more national contracts and maintaining our reputation as leaders in Wiki sites and search engine optimisation.”

The business, which has successfully completed a number of regional contracts, came to national notice through a series of books the pair authored on technical design and programming.

Mr Carter’s book on MediaWiki, the software that powers Wikipedia, came to Government attention and the firm was asked to supply more details about its work.

Peacock Carter will use MediaWiki to build interactive pages on the three Government websites, allowing users to add their own content to sections such as self-help groups on NHS Choices and contacts for their organisations on Directgov.

Mr Peacock said: “It’s amazing to know that the Government trusts us to put together these three revolutionary websites.

“Winning this sizeable project is a great testament to our expertise, and a fantastic challenge for us as a small business.”