Content Management
Like almost everything on the internet, there is no fixed definition of what content management is. However, you could define a content management system (CMS) simply as a system that allows an organisation to manage the content of its Web site.
CMSs come in all shapes and sizes and range from a simple form into which text is inputted in order to update the content of a page to large enterprise solutions which control many thousands of web pages across multiple websites and allow full enterprise workflow and collaboration. However, to understand what content management means to most people we can logically divide it into 3 main areas:
- Content creation and editing - The CMS will contain tools to allow a page author to create and edit page content as well as adding other page attributes such as META tags.
- Content management and administration - The CMS will contain a management suite that will allow the site administrator or editor to manage the structure and layout of the site as well as the approval of content. This suite can also be used to manage version control and site area permissions.
- Content delivery - The CMS will contain an engine that delivers this content to the user, possibly across different media platforms (web, iTV, WAP etc.) as well as multiple outputs such as a website, Intranet and Extranet.
How they work
A CMS will usually consist of tools to allow site authors to manage page content, a suite to allow administrators to approve content and manage the site structure and settings, (often on-line, but occasionally off-line), a database which will hold the page content and other information, templates which are used to display the pages to the user and an engine that will pull the content from the database and push it through the templates to the user.
Many CMSs will do all of this "on the fly" which means that when a user wishes to look at a particular page, the engine will go to the database and select the relevant page content and push it through the relevant template to the user, all at the moment the user clicks on the link.
However, some CMSs will build static pages whenever the administrator updates the content and then will upload these pages to the website.
Which CMS?
Choosing which CMS fits your organisation is a daunting task. There are many hundreds of different CMSs available, most of which have a very similar level of functionality.
To help understand the different types and levels of CMS available on the market, we can divide them into several categories. These are:
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Proprietary Solutions
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Other Solutions
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The CMS that is right for you may depend on a number of factors from its functionality, its technology, your corporate structure as well as your budget. Because of this, we at Foresite do not work exclusively with one CMS solution but work with our clients to choose the solution that is right for the client and the project.
To discuss how Foresite could help you with Content Management, email info@fsite.com.
