Introduc)on*–*Module*1*

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Introduc)on*

Why*so*many*CMS?*

Content*Management*Systems*

What*is*a*CMS?*(Define)*

• Content*management*systems─just*like* businesses─can*take*many*forms*with*varying* degrees*of*complexity.**
• Some*CMSs*cost*over*$250,000*for*the*soKware* alone*while*others*are*free*for*the*soKware*with* rela)vely*small*implementa)on*costs.**
• The*CMS*market*is*way*too*big*for*there*to*be*a*
"oneVsizeVfitsVall"*solu)on*or*a*single*"best"*tool.**

The*CMS*landscape*can*seem*confusing*to* someone*who's*not*familiar*with*the*industry.** There*are*literally*hundreds*of*web*content* management*systems*on*the*market*today.* It's*absolutely*cri)cal*that*you*understand*the* different*types*of*CMS*tools*and*what*they*do.** More*importantly,*you*also*need*to*understand* exactly*what*you*or*your*company*wants*to*do,* so*you*can*narrow*down*your*choices*and* determine*which*CMS*is*the*best*fit*for*you.** A* Content* Management* System* (CMS)* is* a* soKware* that* helps* web* teams* maintain,* change,* control,* repurpose* and* publish* content,* including* text,* images,* photos,* videos,* audio* or* any* other*piece*of*web*content.*** OR*
Content* management* refers* to* the* system* and* processes* whereby* informa)on* is* created,* managed,* published,* and* archived.*Informa)on*typically*passes*through*this*lifecycle*for*a* finite* period* of* )me.* A* content* management* system* (CMS)* provides* the* necessary* infrastructure* for* mul)ple* persons* to* effec)vely*contribute*content*and*collaborate*throughout*these* lifecycles.**
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Why*so*many*CMS?*

Tradi)on*Content*Management*

A*CMS*is*a*complete*computer*system*that*manages* informa)on.** A*CMS*can*be*programmed*in*any*computer*language* and*run*on*any*computer*system.** It*allows*data*to*be*input,*stored*in*a*database,*edited* by*authorized*users,*and*displayed*to*the*public.** A*good*CMS*handles*every*aspect*of*formaZng,* storing,*cataloguing,*and*retrieving*data,*which*means* that*editors*and*users*don't*need*any*technical* exper)se*and*don't*need*to*use*a*special*program.** •

• In*addi)on,*different*CMSs*have*unique* strengths*and*weaknesses.** • Some*CMS*tools*focus*on*making*content* produc)on*easier,*while*others*excel*at* content*syndica)on*or*distribu)on.**
• However,*CMS*tools*do*share*some*common* characteris)cs,*features*and*benefits.** Tradi)on*Content*Management*

5. I*add*links*to*the*new*site*to*the*index*pages,*the*
"What's*New"*page,*and*possibly*2V5*other*crossV
reference*links*
6. I*add*the*document*to*my*MicrosoK*WordVbased*list* catalogue* 7. Making*correc)ons:*I*manually*make*any*correc)ons* in*the*HTML*document,*test,*and*upload*the*new* document*
8. If*anything*more*than*cursory*changes*are*made,*I*reV convert*the*en)re*document* 9. I*search*for*all*links*that*need*to*be*updated*and* change*them*oneVbyVone* •

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Tradi)on*Content*Management*
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Documents*are*emailed*to*me*in*a*variety*of* formats* I*manually*convert*all*the*formaZng*to*HTML*
I*use*a*number*of*professional,*oKen*
complex*programs*to*create*content:*
PhotoShop*to*edit*images,*DreamWeaver*to*
edit*HTML,*and*numerous*helper*apps*
I*compile*all*document*info*I*can*find*and*
create*a*blurb*for*index*pages*

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How*Does*a*CMS*Compare*to*Tradi)onal*
Online*Informa)on*Upda)ng?**
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Why*Do*I*Need*a*CMS?**

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How*Does*a*CMS*Compare*to*Tradi)onal*
Online*Informa)on*Upda)ng?**
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5. Powerful,*customizable*templates*allow*for*consistency*and*a* professional*“look*and*feel”** 6. Social*media*and*collabora)on*features*allow*you*and*your*users* to*share*and*interact*with*your*content*more*easily** 7. User*access*control*enables*you*to*define*who*has*access*to*your* backend*and*front*end,*as*well*what*specific*permissions*they* have*in*each*area**
8. Plugins,*extensions*and*addVons*quickly*add*features,* func)onality*and*integra)on*capabili)es*to*your*web*site,*oKen* without*extra*coding*or*technical*resources**
9. Mul)lingual*support*makes*it*easier*to*translate,*publish*and* manage*mul)lingual*content** 10. Content*syndica)on*allows*you*to*more*easily*share*and* distribute*your*content*across*mul)ple*sites*or*plakorms** Why*Do*I*Need*a*CMS?**
• Content*management*systems*offer*a*wide*variety*of* benefits,*including:** 1. Faster*and*easier*content*crea)on*and*publishing,*so*even* nontechnical*people*can*quickly*update*some*areas*of*a* site*without*learning*how*to*code**
2. Decentralized*content*produc)on*empowers*mul)ple* people*within*an*organiza)on*to*create*content—no* more*relying*on*one*group*or*department*for*all*web*site* updates** 3. Prebuilt*func)onality*allows*companies*to*include*robust* features*without*involving*backend*developers** 4. Complex*content*workflow*capabili)es*enable*different* users*to*create,*edit,*approve*and*publish*content** •

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Why*Do*I*Need*a*CMS?**

What*Does*a*CMS*Do?**

What*a*CMS*cant*Do?*

• If*you*pose*this*ques)on*to*10*different*CMS* vendors,*you’ll*likely*hear*10*different*answers— each*one*customized*to*highlight*that*par)cular* vendor’s*core*features*and*offerings.** • Remember*that*CMS*tools*at*different*levels*offer* dras)cally*different*features*and*func)onality.** • LowerVend*tools*will*usually*focus*on*content* produc)on*(especially*the*crea)on*and*edi)ng*of* text),*whereas*higherVend*and*enterpriseVlevel*
CMS*tools*offer*more*sophis)cated*features,*
func)onality*and*integra)on*capabili)es.**

What*a*CMS*cant*Do?*

5. A*CMS*will*not*necessarily*shorten*the*web* development*lifecycle*or*simplify*the*process* of*building*a*website.*
• You*or*your*project*manager*will*s)ll*need*to* plan*realis)c*)meframes*for*strategy,*design,* development*and*deployment*tasks.**
• You’ll*also*need*to*set*aside*)me*in*your* schedule*for*the*many*tasks*associated*with* planning*and*launching*a*site.**

One*of*the*most*important*reasons*for*u)lizing*a*content* management*system*is*that*you*or*your*inVhouse*team*can* manage*some*of*your*site's*content*(including*text*and* images)*yourselves,*without*hiring*an*external*web*developer* for*simple*changes.**
With*a*CMS,*you*can*create*or*edit*pages,*upload*images,*
manage*online*forms,*etc.*This*can*represent*a*significant*cost* savings*to*you*over*)me.* Another*huge*benefit*of*CMSs*is*that*they*usually*offer*a*fair* amount*of*prebuilt*func)onality*outVofVtheVbox.* Some*CMSs*(par)cularly*higherVend*ones)*allow*content*to*be* shared*across*mul)ple*web*proper)es.*This*will*eliminate* content*redundancy,*reduce*duplicate*efforts*across* departments,*improve*data*integrity*and*save*you*)me*and* money.***

• While*it’s*true*that*a*content*management*system*can* improve*your*business*in*many*ways,*there*are*a*few*things* that*it*cannot*do:**
1. A*CMS*tool*will*not*teach*you*HTML,*CSS,*Javascript,*PHP* or*any*of*the*other*development*languages*out*there.*Do* not*expect*that*you*will*never*need*to*hire*a*web* developer*again** 2. A*content*management*system*will*not*drive*traffic*to* your*web*site.* 3. A*CMS*won't*write*beoer*content*or*create*beoer* keywords*and*metadata.** 4. A*CMS*will*not*plan*your*online*marke)ng*campaigns*for* you.** What*a*CMS*cant*Do?*

Can’t*I*Just*Build*a*Site*without*a*CMS?**

• Standardiza)on*and*best*prac)ces*in*web* development*were*preoy*much*nonVexistent,* and*web*developers*spent*a*lot*of*)me* reinven)ng*the*wheel.** • As*web*projects*grew*bigger*and*more* complex,*developers*and*decision*makers— the*people*who*controlled*the*budgets*for* web*projects—realized*that*there*had*to*be*a* beoer*way.**

A*Brief*History*of*Web*CMSs**

• You*could,*but*you’d*be*reinven)ng*the* wheel.** • Why*recreate*func)onality*and*features*that* are*included*in*many*of*the*most*popular*CMS* tools*out*there?**
• You’ll*also*spend*a*lot*more*)me*maintaining* and*adding*new*func)onality*to*a*hardVcoded* site*later.**

A*Brief*History*of*Web*CMSs**

6. A*CMS*will*not*necessarily*save*you*a*ton*of* money*ini)allyVV*par)cularly*as*it*relates*to* content*strategy,*interface*design,*informa)on* architecture,*usability,*quality*assurance*and* online*marke)ng.**
• However,*if*you*choose*a*CMS*that*offers*preV built*func)onality*and*you*don't*have*a*lot*of* custom*development*requirements,*you*will* almost*always*see*significant*cost*savings*for* development*before*launch*and*ongoing* maintenance*tasks*aKer*launch.** •
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The$Pre'CMS$Stone$Ages$$
During*the*midV1990s,*we*hardVcoded*everything*using*
basic*HTML,*tables*and*“frames.”*Each*page*had*to*be* built*individually*and*all*of*the*content*elements*on* each*page*were*painstakingly*formaoed*by*hand*using* hard*coding.** It*was*an*extremely*tedious*process*and*took*a*lot*of*
)me—both*to*create*and*to*update.**
There*were*numerous*“WYSIWYG”*coding*tools*on*the* market*during*that*)me,*but*for*the*most*part,*they* created*clunky*code*that*did*not*render*well*in* browsers.** •
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A*Brief*History*of*Web*CMSs**

Types*of*CMS*Tools**

• There*are*several*kinds*of*CMS*tools*on*the* market,*and*each*is*geared*towards* businesses*of*a*specific*size*and*with*common* needs.** EnterpriseVLevel**
HighVEnd*,*MidVLevel*&*LowVEnd**
Open*Source**
Hosted**
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EnterpriseVLevel**

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EnterpriseVLevel**

• EnterpriseVlevel*CMS*tools*are*usually*installed*on*a* company’s*own*server*behind*a*secure*firewall,*and* they*normally*require*a*significant*amount*of*planning* and*customiza)on.** • Examples*of*enterpriseVlevel*CMSs*include*IBM*
Enterprise*CMS,*OpenText,*MicrosoK*SharePoint*and*
EMC*Documentum.**
• This*type*of*CMS*typically*costs*hundreds*of*thousands* of*dollars─or*much*more─for*the*soKware*alone,*and* enterpriseVlevel*CMS*projects*can*easily*take*more* than*two*years*to*plan*and*implement.** The$CMS$Pioneers$$
Luckily,*industry*visionaries*responded*to*the*very*real*
challenges*faced*by*web*teams,*and*started*laying*the* founda)on*for*formal*content*management*processes*and* systems.**
Some*of*the*key*players*in*the*early*days*of*Web*content*
management*systems*were*Interwoven,*Vigneoe,*MicrosoK,*
RedDot*and*NCompass*Labs.**
All*of*these*companies*offered*WCMS*tools*in*the*midV*to*late*
1990s*to*address*the*significant*challenges*that*web*
developers,*authors,*editors*and*publishers*were* experiencing.** Although*none*of*these*early*tools*was*as*robust*as*the*
WCMSs*in*existence*today,*their*popularity*helped*pave*the*
way*for*Web*content*management*as*we*know*it*today.**

• Content*management*systems*that*fall*into* this*category*are*designed*for*very*large,* mul)na)onal*companies*with*extremely* complex*needs.** • They*offer*robust*func)onality*and*integra)on* with*sophis)cated*business*processes*and* systems,*such*as*Customer*Rela)onship*
Management*(CRM)*systems,*large*
ecommerce*sites*and*custom*databases.**

HighVEnd**

MidVLevel**

MidVsized*businesses*that*have*robust*needs*but*a*finite* budget*typically*u)lize*midVlevel*CMS*tools.** While*they*don’t*offer*a*feature*set*as*extensive*as*higherV end*tools,*midVlevel*CMSs*s)ll*pack*in*a*lot*of*power*and* are*a*big*step*up*from*hard*coding*or*lowerVend*tools.**
Examples*of*midVlevel*content*management*systems*
include*PaperThin*CommonSpot,*CrownPeak*and*eZ*
Publish.*Some*midVlevel*CMSs*offer*both*a*licensed*and*an*
SAAS*(webVbased)*version,*and*prices*vary*widely.*
MidVlevel*CMS*tools*typically*require*at*least*12*months*of*
planning,*development*and*implementa)on*if*you*want*to* do*it*correctly.** •

• HighVend*web*content*management*systems*are*geared* towards*larger*organiza)ons.*Although*their*needs*are*not* as*complex*as*an*enterprise.*
• HighVend*content*management*systems*will*oKen*offer* addi)onal*capabili)es*such*as*document*management,* mul)lingual*capabili)es,*collabora)on*and*integra)on*with* mul)ple*systems*and*thirdVparty*tools*(including*social* networking*tools).**
• Stellent*(Oracle),*Ektron*and*Adobe*CQ*(formerly*Day*
Communique)*are*examples*of*highVend*content*
management*tools,*and*these*projects*usually*involve*at* least*18*to*24*months*of*planning,*development*and* implementa)on.**

OpenVsource**

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LowVend**
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LowVend*CMSs*are*built*for*small*companies*and*startups* that*have*a*limited*budget.*If*you*choose*a*lowVend*CMS,*it* won’t*include*as*many*features*or*“bells*and*whistles”*as* higherVend*tools.** However,*the*tradeVoff*is*that*lowVend*tools*are*more* affordable*than*their*pricier*counterparts.** There*are*dozens*of*lowVend*CMS*tools*on*the*market,* including*ExpressionEngine,*eazyCMS,*WebSite*Director,* Barebones*CMS*and*Symphony.**
You’ll*usually*pay*a*monthly*fee*or*a*low*oneV)me*fee*for*
the*soKware.*Some*lowVend*CMS*tools*use*a*webVbased*
SAAS*model.*Plan*to*spend*at*least*six*to*twelve*months*
planning*and*implemen)ng*a*lowVend*CMS*

OpenVsource*CMS*soKware*is*free*and*you’ll*have*full*access* to*the*source*code.* You*can*customize*it,*enhance*it*and*easily*add*on*to*the*outV ofVtheV*box*features*using*thirdVparty*plugins,*modules,* components*or*extensions.**
Don’t*assume*that*openVsource*CMS*tools*are*not*robust.*
Many*openV*source*tools*can*be*fully*customized*to*address* sophis)cated*needs*and*complex*requirements,*and*it’s* becoming*more*and*more*common*for*large*organiza)ons* and*even*enterprises*to*u)lize*openVsource*CMSs.** You’ll*typically*find*an*extremely*vibrant,*engaged*developer* community*for*popular*openVsource*CMS*tools*such*as* Joomla!,*Drupal,*Wordpress,*Umbreco,*OpenCMS*and*
Alfresco.**

Hosted*

Hosted*

Current*Trends*and*Forecasts**

• The*SAAS*vendor*usually*handles*server* monitoring,*upgrades,*patches*and*security* issues*for*you.**
• You’ll*pay*a*heKy*price*for*this*convenience,* though—usually*in*the*form*of*a*monthly*fee.** • However,*this*may*be*a*good*choice*for*you*if* you*need*to*get*up*and*running*quickly*and*you* don’t*have*a*technical*staff*inVhouse.*Examples* include*Agility,*CrownPeak,*Kintera*and* WebSideStory*(Visual*Sciences).**

Current*Trends*and*Forecasts**

• Another*area*of*interest*is*that*CMS*tools*at*all* levels*are*becoming*more*robust*and*are*beoer* able*to*compete*for*the*business*of*larger* organiza)ons*than*was*previously*possible.** • It’s*not*uncommon*to*hear*about*large* organiza)ons*who*are*considering*openVsource* CMS*tools*or*midVlevel*CMS*tools,*and*the*“big* players”*in*the*enterprise*space*now*have*a*lot* more*compe))on*than*they*had*just*a*few*years* ago.** • Hosted*CMS*tools*are*installed*on*the* manufacturer’s*web*site*as*a*soKwareVasVaV service*(SAAS)*offering.**
• This*means*that*you’ll*go*to*that*company’s*web* site*or*your*own*customized*URL*to*log*into*the* CMS*via*a*web*browser,*and*you*can*access*it* anywhere*that*you*have*an*Internet*connec)on.** • The*drawback*is*that*if*you*don’t*have*a*network* connec)on,*you*will*not*be*able*to*access*or* make*changes*to*your*site—not*good*news*in*the* case*of*an*emergency*or*an*urgent*task.** • As*of*2012,*most*CMS*vendors*have*integrated* social*networking*and*collabora)on*into*their* offerings.*
• In*addi)on,*mobile*capabili)es*(for*both*the* administra)ve*staff*who*will*be*managing* content*and*end*users*who*will*be*viewing*it)* have*become*the*norm*instead*of*the*excep)on.** • Content*management*systems*have*also* embraced*the*concept*of*integrated*marke)ng,* wherein*content*owners*can*)ghtly*)e*together* all*aspects*of*their*marke)ng*and*sales*efforts**