A Content Management
System (CMS) is a software application or a set of related programs that are
used to create and manage digital content. CMSes are typically used for
Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and Web Content Management (WCM). An ECM
facilitates collaboration in the workplace by integrating document management,
digital asset management, and records retention functionalities and provides
end users with role-based access to the organization’s digital assets. A WCM
facilitates collaborative authoring of websites. ECM software often includes
WCM publishing functionality, but ECM web pages typically remain behind the
organization’s firewall.
Both enterprise and
web content management systems have two components: a Content Management
Application (CMA) and a Content Delivery Application (CDA). CMA is a Graphical
User Interface (GUI) that allows the user to control the creation,
modification, and removal of content from a website without needing to know
anything about HTML. The CDA component provides back-end services that support
the management and delivery of content once it has been created in the
CMA.
Features of CMSes:-
·
Features can vary among
various CMS offerings, but the core functions are often considered to be
indexing, search and retrieval, format management, revision control, and
publishing.
·
Intuitive indexing,
search, and retrieval features index all data for easy access through search
functions and allow users to search for attributes, such as publication dates,
keywords, or authors.
·
Format management
facilitates the conversion of scanned paper documents and legacy electronic
documents into HTML or PDF documents.
·
Revision features allow
content to be updated and edited after the initial publication. Revision
control tracks any changes made to the files by the individuals.
·
Publishing functionality
allows individuals to use a template or a set of templates approved by the
organization as well as wizards and other tools to create or modify content.
·
CMS may also provide
tools for one-to-one marketing. One-to-one marketing is the ability of a
website to tailor its content and advertising to a user’s specific
characteristics using information provided by the user or gathered by the site,
such as a particular user’s page sequence pattern. For example, if the user
visited a search engine and searched for a digital camera, the advertising.
banners would feature businesses that sell digital cameras instead of
businesses that sell garden products.
Other popular features
of CMSes include:-
·
SEO-friendly URLs.
·
Integrated and online
help, including discussion boards.
·
Group-based permission
systems.
·
Full template support
and customizable templates.
·
Easy wizard-based
installation and versioning procedures.
·
Admins panel with
multiple language support.
·
Content hierarchy with
unlimited depth and size.
·
Minimal server
requirements.
·
Integrated file
managers.
·
Integrated audit logs.