Ask 10 people what content management is and you'll get 10 different answers. Web content management is still a new area, and many (if not most) companies do not have a formal content management system (CMS) in place. But with the ever increasing demands on company websites, more and more website managers are looking for ways to simplify maintaining and updating their websites.
That depends on the size of your site, the number of people working on it—and your budget. But for most it means a product that will address one or more of the following criteria:
Before we get to what solutions are available, we wanted to offer some resources that provide advice on selecting a solution:
In addition, below is the criteria we use to determine which solution is best for a given project:
This question is almost harder to answer than 'what is it?'. There are almost as many approaches to content management as there are websites. Still, the content management marketplace is starting to gain some definition.
Below we will attempt to provide you with an idea of the range of solutions available, and point you in the right direction for your needs.
[Editor's Note: Products mentioned below were available at original publication date. Product names and versions may have changed since publication.]
Entry-Level Products
[Approx. $100 -$500 Price Range]
Traditionally thought of as Web authoring tools, the below applications have added more and more content management capabilities with each successive version. If you have basic content management requirements, a small site (~25 - 75 pages) and a small budget ($100 - $500) these tools might be right for you.
Product Review and Comparisons from PC Magazine
[http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,13690,00.asp]
PC Magazine reviewed and compared Macromedia Dreamweaver 4, Microsoft FrontPage 2002, Adobe GoLive 5 and NetObjects Fusion MX in October 2001. (Note: this was before the release of GoLive 6.) If you are looking for a solution in this category, their reviews might help you decide which of these programs to choose.
Adobe GoLive 6.0 with Web Workgroup Server
[Editor's Note: This link is no longer available.]
Adobe GoLive has been around for some time but the newly released version 6 includes the new Adobe Web Workgroup Server. The addition of the Web Workgroup Server puts GoLive in a category of its own. Priced comparably to the other Entry-Level tools, it provides content management capabilities that until now could only be found in higher priced packages. A single license of GoLive lists for $399.
Macromedia Dreamweaver 4
[Editor's Note: This link is no longer available.]
Dreamweaver offers some basic, practical content management capabilities such as file management and page check out. This combined with it's strong template, page creation and editing capabilities makes it a popular choice among those running sites with simple content management needs. If you qualify for the upgrade you can get Dreamweaver for $199, otherwise it will cost you $299 for a single license.
Microsoft FrontPage 2002
[Editor's Note: This link is no longer available.]
Although not popular with professional web designers and developers, Frontpage is widely used by novice users and many small and home-based businesses. Depending on the edition you require, FrontPage ranges from $149 to $549.
Low-Priced Products
[Approx. $1000 - $10,000 Price Range]
(Yes, this is considered low cost for content management systems.) These content management products are designed for small to large organizations that have what would be considered relatively simple requirements. However, that does not mean they do not provide strong capabilities in the content management areas they address.
RedDot Solutions: Content Management Server (CMS)
[http://www.reddot.com/products_web_content_management.htm]
You can review the key features [http://www.reddot.com/products.htm] to determine if RedDot Express will address your key needs. The Express version is available starting at $9900. (The Professional version's features and pricing fall into the top-tier category below.)
NetQuest NQcontent
[http://www.nqcontent.com]
NQcontent is geared toward the needs of medium and large corporations. It offers strong content management features and database integration. It provides web-based administration so there is no client-side software to install. Pricing for this product starts at $5995 but there is add-on pricing for some features.
Ektron CMS100, CMS200 and eMPower 3
[http://www.ektron.com/cms100.cfm]
[http://www.ektron.com/cms200.cfm]
[http://www.ektron.com/empower.cfm]
See the Ekton's Product Comparison links on the main products page [http://www.ektron.com/content-management-systems.cfm] to compare the features and costs of these applications. Their products have a strong focus on integration with ASP and Coldfusion. You will find that Ektron's products are more budget-friendly than most content management tools—ranging from $499 - $2999 for standard licenses.
UserLand Frontier and Manila
[http://frontier.userland.com/]
[http://manila.userland.com/]
At just under $1000, UserLand offers basic content management that may be right for the webmaster that needs a little more than Dreamweaver but still wants a simple out-of-the-box solution.
Custom-Built Solutions
[$10000+]
One of the most popular approaches for companies requiring mid-level content management is to implement a custom-built solution. Many online managers running mid-sized or advanced functioning websites use a combination of templates, scripts (typically written in JSP, ASP, PHP, Perl or ColdFusion) and databases to manage their sites. In addition, some companies are now starting to use XML as part of their content management.
These approaches address some content management needs but usually not all of them. As a result, it is not unusual to find a combination of tools (including those listed in the Entry-Level and Low-Priced product categories) being used to manage these script and database-driven sites.
Learn more on this subject from the resources available at:
Mid and Top-Tier Products
This category covers a wide range of products. What they have in common, besides many of their features, is that they target mid- to large-sized corporations—and their licensing fees range from 5 to 6 figures. These products are designed for managing large sites with enormous content bases and complex workflow requirements.
Clearly, the cost of these products puts them beyond the reach of most companies. Below is a partial list that will give you an idea of the range of products available in this category. In addition, links to more CMS products and information is available at the end of this article.
Hosted CMS Solutions
As with most Web-related technologies, hosted content management systems have become available through application service providers (ASP). There are providers offering services to small and large companies. One of the major benefits associated with hosted solutions is that they typically take substantially less time to deploy. In addition, they minimize the internal technical issues associated with installing a content management application.
Hosted solutions are relatively new and pricing information is not readily available. However, hosted providers do claim that their solutions cost less to deploy.
Other CMS Products and Information