Cms software

KIT digital, a provider of IPTV enablement technology and video-centric marketing solutions, recently announced that it has completed an agreement to acquire Morpheum, an Australian provider of LanternCMS software. LanternCMS, the highlight of this acquisition, plays an integral role in expanding KIT digital’s IPTV platform. It is a versatile Web CMS that touts ease-of-use and functionality while offering a modular design. Its integration into KIT VX is expected to have numerous benefits for the company.

Judson College's Web project involved two key components: redesigning the old site, and adopting a Web content management solution so many users — including the admissions team — could update, manage, and publish compelling online content. After evaluating several Web content managementsoftware solutions, Judson College adopted Ektron CMS400.NET. Submitted by Ektron

Software maintenance fees can really add up. But since maintenance revenue represents a recurring (and therefore highly-prized) income stream, vendors are often loathe to negotiate there. But that shouldn't stop you from asking. In this market, you should at least be able to get to a higher tier of maintenance for a lower published rate. But as an excellent CIO Magazine article (by way of Analysis Zone) points out, you need to be careful about clarifying just what you're buying. CMS vendors in particular have sometimes been less than scrupulous, e.g. labelling upgrades as "new software modules" uncovered by traditional maintenance agreements...Check out the CIO Magazine article

As the Henry Stewart DAM Conference kicks off in New York City today, CMS Watch has quite a bit to say about the state of the DAM industry, based on our research for the recently released Digital Asset Management Report 2008. As we discuss in our press release, despite the continued "on-the-cusp" feel of the DAM industry, it has yet to explode. And, frankly, we question if it ever will. DAM's growth has been more like that of a trusty, stable bond investment than a late-'90s software stock. All the better, perhaps, if DAM grows slowly but surely, even if it's a bit in the shadows. We'll blog more on the themes from our report, and this week's conference, in the coming days.

Funny how time flies. It doesn't seem like 18 months have passed since we blogged about Day Software's slipping development schedule on its flagship Communiqué Web CMS product. But that's how long it's been. Version 4 of Communiqué first appeared in late 2005. Since then, there have been only relatively minor point releases. The current version (reviewed in our Web CMS Report 2008) is 4.2.In early 2007, Day said that Version 5 of Communiqué (said to be mostly a back-end refactor, although UI enhancements were promised) would be released in the second half of the year. Over the summer, that changed to the "first half of 2008." Day now says it is looking at a "late fall" (2008) release of 5.0.

It's been a busy month at CMS Watch. Today we announce the release of another evaluation report, The XML & Component Content Management Report 2008. Developed in conjunction with The Rockley Group, the report evaluates 14 component content management vendors and 5 XML editor tools. From today's release about the report:"Component Content Management (CCM) technology allows enterprises to manage text content as componentized chunks of information rather than whole documents or web pages. It has become increasingly important to modern enterprises, especially given the rapid emergence of the DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture) standard. However, CCM technology remains largely the domain of a wide collection of smaller software vendors targeting narrower use cases..." Subscribers will receive copy shortly; others can download a free sample here.

People frequently ask me about where their Web Publishing efforts should end and Social Software begin. Like so many things, the answer is, "it depends." For example, one important question is whether you are talking about intranets versus a public site, which will likely exhibit very different interaction and security models. I can certainly understand the confusion. Our recent research on Web CMS and Enterprise Social Software suggests a definite overlap from a tools perspective. But our research also found most Web CMS tools coming up short when it comes to deeper forms of Social Networking and Collaboration. (See today's press release for more details). Meanwhile, most Social Software tools lack -- in some cases deliberately lack -- the sort of heavier-duty systems and administrative services that you would want behind an enterprise website.

In "How IBM Conned My Execs Out Of Millions," a former project manager at a major U.S. defense contractor details how a mid-sized contract with IBM turned into a nearly bottomless pit of software and services. It's hard to gauge the story's truthfulness, but the author, Tristan Yates, wrote it for attribution, which was gutsy and makes it more credible. For those of you who read Matthew Clapp's classic "Should a 'Big 5' firm implement your CMS?" in these pages, the story will sound familiar. It should also come as little surprise that Yates' calamity started out as a "portal project." Remember, portal software itself actually doesn't do much at all. After the last PowerPoint slide showing that spiffy portal "dashboard" fades to black, the hard work of integrating content and data begins, so prepare yourself for investing in more software and more services -- often a lot more services

CMSWatch has noted IBM's strategy of pushing its enterprise CM products while partnering with other Web CM vendors to push DB2 and WebSpehere licenses. Now Lotus announces its "Content Management Solution." A change in strategy? We think not. Look deeper and you'll see that the solution is really an amalgamation of (mostly pre-existing) product and service offerings that gives IBM a Web CM story -- for its existing Domino clients in particular -- without a major investment in new software....See what you can glean from the Lotus press release

Say what you will about Microsoft CMS ("MCMS"). I have criticized the company in the past and possess misgivings about what the next rev of the software means for current customers. But you have to be impressed by the volume of publicly-accessible MCMS resources. Check out the latest version of the official MCMS FAQ, which seems quite comprehensive and mercifully lacking in the kind of officious, take-it-or-leave-it tone that other vendors often dispense on private support sites. For example, see the very specific answer for "Implementing an RSS feed for a MCMS Web site." After reviewing the code, my first reaction is: why does generating a feed have to be this hard? My second reaction is: why doesn't every other vendor publish this kind of material openly?

Should major CMS software vendors also provide their solution as a hosted service? None of them do right now (though some of their partners have set up ASPs). Stellent is working towards the hosted model, though. The company recently acquired a very small firm that used Stellent to provide Document Management services to the real estate industry. Stellent is going to expand this into other verticals, maintaining a focus -- initially -- on DM and forms management. However, they also plan to stray into hosted web content management as well. We really like the idea of hosted CMS solutions, but wonder a little whether the same company can remain successful as both a purveyor of packaged software and provider of managed services...Read Stellent's release about its acquisition

We like Day Software's CMS technologies, but the company's finances continue to give us pause. Day's latest quarterly results show a continuing drain of cash against rather modest reserves. Plus, their "days sales outstanding" (DSO) numbers for Q2 2002 took a serious jump, suggesting possible receivables challenges. Sure, other public CMS vendors are losing money too, but they typically can fall back on troves of cash. Day apparently cannot. If we were a Day customer, we'd want to see some evidence of tangible sources of financing beyond the usual path-to-profitability platitudes in investor-relations statements...Check out Day's Q2 Results

That's the title of an Infoconomy review (free registration required) of our CMS Report. "Choice can be a curse as well as a blessing, and in few other sectors of the technology industry is this more true than of content management software," notes the reviewer.

Yesterday the annual CEBIT expo opened in Hannover, Germany. It's an enormous IT exhibition the size of a small city. You'll find 31 portal vendors, 43 CMS vendors and once you're done with those, you can visit the booths of document management vendors, digital rights management suppliers, and much more. The event goes until Wednesday, and it's a useful experience for a potential technology buyer with sufficient stamina. In total CEBIT holds about 6,200 booths and is expecting around 500,000 visitors. Enjoy!