Web Content Management Systems (WCM or WCMS), are systems (usually web based) that facilitate the creation, management and delivery of information (content and documents), typically via corporate websites, portals, extranets or intranets.
Content Management Systems can be used for corporate websites, secure extranets for trading partners or online communities and intranets. Content Management Systems in large organisations are often referred to as Enterprise Content Management Systems (ECMS). Web Content Management Systems are a subset of the Enterprise Content Managaement System.
The basic roles of a CMS include a content creator, reviewer and a publisher. This user security level enables the editor and reviewer to manage content via a web browser with the content stored in a database.
In it’s simplest form, the CMS (using a browser) will allow a content creator to use an editor to create and edit content with an authorised user to approve the content to be published in a live environment. All of this interaction is controlled through security, workflow and audit trails and all of this is stored and tracked in a database.
In the years pre and post the dot com boom, what is now described as Content Management Systems or CMS, were custom developed by internal programmers or external contractors.
Currently the trend is to purchase Content Management Software due to the following reasons (depending on the vendor):
- Extensive pre-built features
- Upgrade path
- Scalability
- More functionality
- Increased security
- Fewer software issues
- Improved useability
- Mature product
- External support
- Integration expertise
- Resources to develop additional functionality
- Lower total cost of ownership
- Training availability
- User and technical documentation
- Application help
- Problem knowledge base
- Not reliant on employees with an organisation
- Modularity
- Product roadmap
- Application Program Interface (API) available
- Compliant with standards such as W3C
Content Management Systems are now being utilised to facilitate the following:
- Online commerce
- Knowledge management
- Document management
- Information management and dissemination
- Integration with accounting, distribution or business systems
- Seamless login to the CMS from the network, such as Microsoft Active Directory
- Moving business processes online
- Business process engineering
- Interaction with community, whether staff, customers, suppliers or other trading partners
- Self- service capability, providing a more effective and lower cost of service
- Compliance
Elcom’s elcomCMS Content Management System is utilised by a range of clients including Small to Medium Enterprises, Large multi-nationals and numerous Government agencies.
Read more about the elcomCMS offering for Web Content Management.
With so many CMS vendors out there selling their wares, how do you determine which ones have the right stuff? Hopefully this simple checklist of the top 10 requirements will help you to separate the “wheat from the chaff” so to speak.