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Enterprise Content Management Systems (CMS) – explained in plain English
Enterprise Content Management Systems/Content Management Software (CMS) are also referred to as Web Content Management Systems (WCM or WCMS). This is software that facilitates the publishing and display of information for websites, portals, extranets or intranets
Content Management Software can be used for small websites, corporate websites, secure extranets for trading partners or online communities and intranets. Where a Content Management System is implemented for a large organisation or large portal it is referred to as an Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS).
The basic roles of a CMS comprise a content creator, reviewer and a publisher. This user security level enables the editor and reviewer via a web browser using a text editor components of a CMS are with the content stored in a database.
In it’s simplest useability, the CMS (using a browser) will allow a content creator to use an editor to create content, an editor to finesse content and an authoriser 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 could be 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
The trend is continuing, with more and faster connections to the internet, and more affordable and improved security systems for all potential users.
Content Management Systems are now being utilised to facilitate the following:
- Online commerce
- Knowledge management
- Document management
- Information management and dissemination
- Integrated 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
- Interact 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 Community Manager .NET Content Management System is utilised by Small to Medium Enterprises, Large multi-nationals and numerous Government agencies.
A key differentiator of Elcom’s CMS is the out-the-box functionality in the modules available for Community Manager .NET.
Read more about Elcom’s Community Manager.NET as offering for Enterprise Content Management |