Enterprise CMSs

These high-powered software packages are usually comprehensive solutions, delivering effective content management for use on an enterprise, or corporate level.

They are designed to help a corporation become more efficient and cost-effective, and increase accuracy and functionality, while decreasing human error and customer response times.

They can integrate corporate functions such as shipping and delivery systems, invoicing, employee and human resource issues, customer relations, and document management and transactional (sales) systems.

Enterprise CMSs bring data management down to the user level so many users can add their individual piece to a very large integrated pie. Software companies deploying these complex systems pride themselves on offering highly customized company-wide solutions, and the software usually comes with a relatively hefty price tag.

 

Web CMS/Portals

Web CMS packages are mostly created for use on the web. They can incorporate numerous functions, or have one specific function they are centered around.

They allow users to update portions of a common Web site or collaborate in a website “community.” Web CMSs can make a developer’s life easy by bringing functionality to a website quickly and easily, and allowing a lead developer to include others in site development and maintenance without fear of straying from the standards.

Open source Web CMS packages will be the focus of this chapter, in particular the PHP/MySQL packages.

A subset of the Web CMS category is groupware. This type of package runs over an intranet or over the Internet and is designed to allow collaboration between users, presumably working for the same company, working on the same projects.

They typically offer features such as project management, file checking in and out, calendar systems, email, and internal forums.