The British Standards Institution (BSI) is looking to develop and manage corporate websites to improve efficiency through best practice.

In an attempt to improve standards and performance the BSI and web compliance expert Magnus have developed a Publically Available Specification (PAS 124).

Companies such as Shell, Unilever, Interbrand and the Institute of Directors worked on the project.

Chief executive of Magus Simon Lande said: “Websites are a complicated beast to manage in an increasingly competitive environment.

"There are lots of standards out there telling people how to address the various components of their website, how to manage their brand online and how to optimise their search engine. But the problem that we've seen in the industry is that there's no over-riding framework.”

PAS 124 is a three-step process and it is hoped it will achieve brand protection and provide security through protection of intellectual property under a defined legal jurisdiction.

A recent Connect survey found that the two major concerns about outsourcing services like IT support were 'loss of control' (56 per cent) and 'budget over-runs' (43 per cent)