West Australian Newspapers’ transition to multiplatform publishing will be ”evolution, not revolution,” the company says.

The Perth-based publisher is upgrading its CCI editorial systems to the company’s NewsGate platform in a move reported by GXpress in August.

The strategic rollout across the WA daily and its 23 regional newspapers will ”strengthen print and further establish digital publishing”.

General manager for group operations and information technology Liam Roche (pictured) says WAN is ”extremely pleased” to be extending a relationship with CCI which began in 2006.

The NewsGate decision follows an announcement earlier in the year regional titles were to be consolidated onto one centralised CCI advertising platform, joining the West Australian, Kalgoorlie Miner and Countryman which have been using CCI’s AdDesk since 2010.

Deputy editor and NewsGate project manager at The West Australian Michael Beach says the newspaper is one of the most successful in Australia: ”We are also part of a dynamic company that includes Australia’s number one TV network, the second biggest magazine publisher and the national Yahoo!7 online network.

”Most of Australia’s major newspapers are ripping out their computer systems and starting again to adapt to multiplatform publishing. But we are in the enviable position of simply upgrading to NewsGate. We see it as a natural evolution of our newspaper and digital operation rather than the revolution confronting our competitors.”

CCI chief executive Dan Korsgaard says the announcement sends ”a positive message about the importance of selecting a stable technology partner with vision.”

During a meeting with WAN chief executive Chris Wharton – who announced the upgrade during an address to PANPA’s Future Forum – Korsgaard says he established they had the same philosophy for the industry: ”Moving to NewsGate further strengthens our partnership with Chris and his team and we look forward to continuing the relationship by delivering solutions that supports West Australian Newspapers today and into the future,” he says.

WAN is part of Seven West Media, which also includes the Seven Television network, Pacific Magazines, Yahoo!7