This paper discusses our experiences of developing a platform to support the Emerge Project in creating an effective and sustainable Community of Practice (CoP), using collaborative online tools to support community activities and development. It demonstrates a paradigm shift from a 'tools-deployment' to a 'service-oriented' managed platform.

We adopted, adapted and implemented parts of the ITILv3 'best practice' guidelines as a framework and used a mix of self-hosted core services integrated (mashup) with external services making the most of Web 2.0 technologies to deliver a coherent set of 'Services' : that have a positive effect on the performance of being available when needed in sufficient capacity, and dependency in terms on continuity and security.

The initial Strategic Assessment was based on the Technical Project Aims, that were:

1. To act as a conduit and pathway for the range of locations inhabited by participants,
2. To channel and enhance the reach of content from existing community members, whether working in single or multiple locations,
3. To scaffold the online practice, work and communication of the community,
4. To organise, store and aggregate the project documentation,
5. To host support materials created by project staff and community members.

It is a concise description of the strategic methodology employed, emphasising the use of a versioning 'Configuration Management' system for a transparent Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) control as well as providing an effective deployment tools system to upgrade customised service applications. A full detailed documentation of every piece of code is available at http://repository.jiscemerge.org.uk/