Choosing a CMS

I am looking for a content managment system for a client. I can’t seem to find a system that meets all their needs. The RedDot solutions are perfect other than price. The Express version starts at approximately $15,000 and the full version starts around $70,000. The cost is too high for my client. There are others that provide very similar functionality and have their own draw backs. LiveStoryBoard provides most of the necessary functionality and is affordable ($150/user $50/user, Robert Koberg let me know I had an incorrect price), but it is a hosted solution. GlobalScape PureCMS provide great content management features but does provide for the automatic generation of lists, i.e., authors edit news stories, the news page lists all of the current stories. The search continues…

Parital List of Requirements

  • Cost less than $2500
  • Support publishing to a remote production server
  • Serve as the staging server (or editorial server)
  • Support publishing to static HTML
  • Dynamically generate indexes and lists, i.e., enter the job posting, enter the publication schedule, automatically generate the job lists for categories
  • Support for versioning and version control
  • Support for simple workflow
  • WYSIWYG HTML editing
  • Support for Dreamweaver templates and integration

If it wasn’t for the version control, content scheduling and workflow for approvals I would strongly consider using MovableType. Strange to be considering MovableType and RedDot for the same project.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 7th, 2003 at 5:56 pm and is filed under Articles. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

  • David Gammel

    <p>Have you checked out Ektron yet? There is a link to it in your 'Related Links' list. The CMS100 product might meet most of your needs (including price). That's a tough set of requirements to meet with that price ceiling.</p>

  • http://www.highcontext.com David Gammel

    Have you checked out Ektron yet? There is a link to it in your ‘Related Links’ list. The CMS100 product might meet most of your needs (including price). That’s a tough set of requirements to meet with that price ceiling.

  • David Crow

    <p>I had looked at Ektron, it looked like they had an annual subscription fee and that it wouldn't publish out to flat HTML. But it was very, very close. I will look at it in more detail.<br />
    <br />
    The client is a department at an academic institution. The requirements are tough but they are close.<br />
    <br />
    Are there other higher priced options? I know that RedDot would work out of the box.</p>

  • http://davidcrow.ca/ David Crow

    I had looked at Ektron, it looked like they had an annual subscription fee and that it wouldn’t publish out to flat HTML. But it was very, very close. I will look at it in more detail.

    The client is a department at an academic institution. The requirements are tough but they are close.

    Are there other higher priced options? I know that RedDot would work out of the box.

  • emmajane

    <p>Here's a few that I've run across — I don't /think/ any of them will do all of what you need out of the box. The advantage is that (most if not all) are open source and therefore very easy on the budget.<br />
    <br />
    Red Hat's CCM: <a href="http://ccm.redhat.com<br />
    " target="_blank"><a href="http://ccm.redhat.com&quot; target="_blank">http://ccm.redhat.com</a&gt; </a> <br />
    Drupal: <a href="http://www.drupal.org " target="_blank"><a href="http://www.drupal.org&quot; target="_blank">http://www.drupal.org</a&gt; </a>(definitely will not have DW support or publish pages to a remote server — it's nice code and design though and therefore easy(er) to modify)</p>

  • http://emmajane.net emmajane

    Here’s a few that I’ve run across — I don’t /think/ any of them will do all of what you need out of the box. The advantage is that (most if not all) are open source and therefore very easy on the budget.

    Red Hat’s CCM: http://ccm.redhat.com

    Drupal: http://www.drupal.org (definitely will not have DW support or publish pages to a remote server — it’s nice code and design though and therefore easy(er) to modify)

  • Susan Dorward

    <p>Have you looked at Plone?<br />
    <br />
    I'm also searching for a low-cost CMS for the online presence for a magazine that likes to get readers involved in contributing and discussing the content. They eventually want to integrate some e-commerce as well. And they can only pay by trading advertising space! So we really need to keep costs low.<br />
    <br />
    I'd be interested in hearing which product you go with!<br />
    <br />
    Sue</p>

  • Susan Dorward

    Have you looked at Plone?

    I’m also searching for a low-cost CMS for the online presence for a magazine that likes to get readers involved in contributing and discussing the content. They eventually want to integrate some e-commerce as well. And they can only pay by trading advertising space! So we really need to keep costs low.

    I’d be interested in hearing which product you go with!

    Sue

  • Michael

    <p>SavvyBox released low-end Content Management System Author.CMS&Atilde;&acute; with usability-tested user interface. System price is only $495. I'm sure, you can't find more useful system at lower cost!<br />
    <br />
    Visit <a href="http://www.author-cms.com " target="_blank"><a href="http://www.author-cms.com&quot; target="_blank">http://www.author-cms.com</a&gt; </a>to be sure</p>

  • http://www.author-cms.com Michael

    SavvyBox released low-end Content Management System Author.CMSô with usability-tested user interface. System price is only $495. I’m sure, you can’t find more useful system at lower cost!

    Visit http://www.author-cms.com to be sure

  • Thad Seymour

    <p>Take a look at Conviveon (<a href="http://www.conviveon.com). " target="_blank"><a href="http://www.conviveon.com)." target="_blank">www.conviveon.com).</a> </a> It's a relatively new content management product that offers both hosted and licensed versions. It's significantly less expensive than players like RedDot, but with functionality comparable to the enterprise players. Conviveon has several higher education customers. I'm a principal in the company and admittedly biased, but thought you'd be interested in taking a look.</p>

  • http://www.conviveon.com Thad Seymour

    Take a look at Conviveon (www.conviveon.com). It’s a relatively new content management product that offers both hosted and licensed versions. It’s significantly less expensive than players like RedDot, but with functionality comparable to the enterprise players. Conviveon has several higher education customers. I’m a principal in the company and admittedly biased, but thought you’d be interested in taking a look.

  • David Crow

    <p>I had a look at Plone and AuthorCMS, they are both very attractive solutions. The deployment infrastructure requires that I choose a J2EE or ColdFusion based platform (Plone is Python and AuthorCMS is PHP, I think)<br />
    <br />
    I am thinking that the enterprise solution, RedDot or Merant, is probably my best bet. I can't find any &quot;third party&quot; information about the Conviveon solution. And having been bit by Tier 3 players in other arenas I am hesitant, however, I don't have enough information to make an informed decision about Conviveon.<br />
    <br />
    Though for another client I am strongly leaning towards the AuthorCMS solution.</p>

  • http://davidcrow.ca David Crow

    I had a look at Plone and AuthorCMS, they are both very attractive solutions. The deployment infrastructure requires that I choose a J2EE or ColdFusion based platform (Plone is Python and AuthorCMS is PHP, I think)

    I am thinking that the enterprise solution, RedDot or Merant, is probably my best bet. I can’t find any "third party" information about the Conviveon solution. And having been bit by Tier 3 players in other arenas I am hesitant, however, I don’t have enough information to make an informed decision about Conviveon.

    Though for another client I am strongly leaning towards the AuthorCMS solution.

  • David

    <p>I have decided that we are going to build a custom CMS in ColdFusion for the client. It is not the best long-term solution but it is the only way to meet 100% of the needs.<br />
    <br />
    For another client, I have installed and begun using <a href="http://www.mamboserver.com/&quot; target="_blank">Mambo Server</a> and I have been playing with <a href="http://www.typo3.com/&quot; target="_blank">Typo3</a>. Typo3 is a great system, however the complexity is a little high. It looks like it will meet all of my future needs. The learning curve has been steep but it is up and working for simple stuff.</p>

  • http://www.davidcrow.ca David

    I have decided that we are going to build a custom CMS in ColdFusion for the client. It is not the best long-term solution but it is the only way to meet 100% of the needs.

    For another client, I have installed and begun using Mambo Server and I have been playing with Typo3. Typo3 is a great system, however the complexity is a little high. It looks like it will meet all of my future needs. The learning curve has been steep but it is up and working for simple stuff.

  • Val Zamulin

    <p>I represent AITOC, a web development company based in Delaware. You might want to check out our CMS product which is at <a href="http://www.smbcms.com&quot; target="_blank"><a href="http://www.smbcms.com</a&gt;. " target="_blank"><a href="http://www.smbcms.com</a&gt;." target="_blank">http://www.smbcms.com</a&gt;.</a> </a>You might want to check out free demo to see if it provides for all the functionality you require. </p>

  • http://www.smbcms.com Val Zamulin

    I represent AITOC, a web development company based in Delaware. You might want to check out our CMS product which is at http://www.smbcms.com. You might want to check out free demo to see if it provides for all the functionality you require.

  • Sune Toft

    <p>Too bad for you … you should have choosed Plone :) </p>

  • http://www.headnet.dk Sune Toft

    Too bad for you … you should have choosed Plone :)

  • David Crow

    <p>Plone is great, however, as my requirements were refined it did not meet <a href="http://davidcrow.ca/2003/07/22/coldfusion_content_management_systems.html&quot; target="_blank">the technical requirements of running on a ColdFu…</a>. Plone or Typo would have been excellent choices.</p>

  • http://davidcrow.ca/ David Crow

    Plone is great, however, as my requirements were refined it did not meet the technical requirements of running on a ColdFusionMX box. Plone or Typo would have been excellent choices.