Channel Islands based Guiton is bringing its traditionally-independent Jersey and Guernsey dailies closer with the installation of a new content management solution.

PCS’s largely browser-based Knowledge system will replace two separate Adapt installations to allow greater cross-publication working between the flagship dailies and their respective websites. It will be hosted and replicated separately on secure data servers on the Channel Islands.

Guiton becomes the fifth major installation of Knowledge in the last two years – the others being at the Racing Post, Newsquest, the Newark Advertiser and Irish News.

At the same time, Guiton’s sister company, the Midland News Association is upgrading its inaugural Knowledge system to an InDesign variant, producing the Express & Star, Shropshire Star and their respective weekly titles as well as feeding the MNA’s websites.

The Guiton system will allow journalists at the Evening Post and the Press to adopt elements of the MNA system and, apart from replacing the previous Quark Xpress-based pagination solution with server-based InDesign, will combine other key workflow elements, including advert and edition planning, picture desk, wire feeds and archive into one system.

Shaun Green, who has been working with PCS on the installation and succeeded Richard Digard as editor of the Guernsey Press recently, says reporters and freelancers are now filing direct from the courtroom or café, with editors “checking headlines as easily from the home as the office.

“With a single fully integrated real-time system we are able to work in tandem with our sister paper, the Jersey Evening Post, and harvest the benefits of being part of a larger group with extra resources.”

Guiton was acquired in 2004 by Claverley Group which owns the UK dailies West Midlands Express & Star and the Shropshire Star. Claverley also owns PCS. Guernsey Press also produces free weekly the Globe and a colour magazine, Guernsey Now.

Pictured: Members of the Knowledge implementation team at Guiton (from left) IT technician Matt Hayes, Matt Mansell and Martin Rees (PCS), Shaun Green and (seated) Guiton group IT manager Darren Cooley.