Capsool, Melbourne Server Hosting and Attido Create Digital Jubilee Archive

A trio of Manchester technology companies have come together to create a digital social archive which was presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on November 14.

 
Software developer Capsool, secure hosting company Melbourne Server Hosting, part of iomart Group plc, and apps developer Attido Mobile were brought together to create and host The Jubilee Time Capsule (JTC) – a digital Diamond Jubilee gift commissioned by the Royal Commonwealth Society to mark The Queen’s 60 years on the throne.
 
The JTC is the world’s largest online history project and is a 150GB online collection of videos, photos and text from 37,000 people across 66 countries reflecting on Her Majesty’s reign.

Amongst the contributors are HRH Prince Harry, HRH Princess Eugenie, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, and ‘Blade Runner’ Oscar Pistorius.
 
The digital technology which supports this archive was created by Capsool, the server hosting and secure backup was provided by Melbourne Server Hosting and Attido Mobile developed the free iPhone and iPad apps for the JTC. All three companies are based in Manchester.
 
Capsool developed the digital platform that supports the Jubilee Time Capsule. It provides multimedia upload and playback capabilities, alternative search and discovery features, and a timeline for all content. The system was developed so that it could be used across the Commonwealth, on the different generations of computers found in different continents and nations.
 
Paul Carruthers, MD of Capsool, explained: "We knew it was an incredible opportunity to be a part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. At Capsool we wanted to make a great Commonwealth project that would signal the potential of this unique, global network. When it came to choosing partners we needed companies that were similarly imaginative, completely trustworthy and technically first-rate. That’s why we recruited Melbourne Server Hosting and Attido Mobile to the project. After we’d spoken to them, we didn’t need to speak to anyone else."

Melbourne put together a high-redundancy private cluster in its secure Manchester-based data centres using enterprise Dell servers to provide the reliability, security and scalability needed by the project. It also provided multiple backups in its separate DR facility.

Rajesh Joshi, brand manager for Melbourne Server Hosting, said: "Melbourne is absolutely delighted to be part of a group of young northern tech companies that are working on behalf of one of the oldest institutions in the country. It’s a real privilege to be hosting such an innovative digital project that has created a Royal legacy for the whole of the Commonwealth."

Chris Byrne, MD of Attido said: "This has been a groundbreaking project and we are very proud to be associated with the Queen’s Jubilee."  
 
After the JTC is presented to The Queen it will form the Diamond (re)Collection, becoming a permanent part of the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle. All 80,000 contributions will remain online in perpetuity.