new ScotlandsPeople contract awarded

The following is brom brightsolid and ScotlandsPeople - 8 Sep 2009

Online publisher brightsolid wins new deal to manage ScotlandsPeople online family history service

Online publisher brightsolid has won a three-year deal to manage the hugely-successful family history site, www.ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk.

The site, with almost one million registered users and growing currently by more than 10,000 per month, is run in partnership with the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS). The contract, awarded by competitive tender, will run for three years from September 2010.

brightsolid is among the major online publishers specialising in family history and genealogy sites. It has operated the ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk site since 2002 and also owns the genealogy site findmypast.com. Last month brightsolid completed the acquisition of FriendsReunited,
including GenesReunited, from ITV plc (subject to approval by the competition authorities).

"This new contract to manage ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk in partnership with GROS is a significant one for brightsolid," commented brightsolid chief executive Chris van der Kuyl.

"We have developed an unparalleled expertise in processing, managing and presenting information for online audiences as well as providing hosting and customer service support.

"ScotlandsPeople is a world-leading web site that has built a real community of users worldwide, with that number rapidly approaching one million people.

"We look forward to continuing to build on that success with GROS with this new contract. We will continue to invest in providing enhanced services to the site, in partnership with GROS."

The site contains more than 50 million records dating back to when national records of births, deaths and marriages began in Scotland in 1855. It also includes parish records, dating back as far as 1533, as well as other data including wills and testaments.

Mr Paul Parr, Deputy Registrar General of the General Register Office of Scotland, commented: "We are very proud of ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk. It is one of the leading sites of its kind worldwide, and has helped bolster the interest of the Scottish diaspora in the history of their country or
the country of their ancestors, as well as providing a popular service for the Scottish public.

"This contract has been awarded after a keenly competitive tenders process and we look forward to continuing the site's progress and further development in partnership with brightsolid."