Content Management Systems Equals Distributed Web Site Maintenance Robert Gulick, EdD DBA / Technology Trainer Carmi Gulick Fifth Grade Teacher

Goals ● What is a Content Management System (CMS?) ● How to select a CMS. ● Results: How using one can impact your district, building, department and staff Web sites.

What is a CMS? ● A tool (either Web based or client based) used to maintain the content of a Web site. ● Typically uses a database for content storage. ● Many use a template model for page layout control.

What did Parma City Schools Select ● CommonSpot ( ● Started on version 3.0 now on version 4.5 ● Quick demonstration

Why use CMS? Empowers many users to contribute to the development and maintenance of a Web site Does not require knowledge of HTML or FTP No external FTP required No holes in firewall

Why use CMS? Helps to enforces content guidelines through an approval process Enforces – Style and Branding – Common navigation – Changes to templates affect entire site

Why use CMS? Section 508 compliance – – Differently abled visitors to a Web site must have an equal experience – Required of Federal Agencies – Fonts, colors, image based content v. text based content, frames

How to pick a CMS What technologies are required? – Database MSSQL, MySQL, Postgres, Zope – Server Operating System Linux, Solaris, Windows – Programming Language ASP.Net, ColdFusion, Java, PHP – Web Server Apache, IIS

How to pick a CMS Contributor Interactions – Via Web site or via client? Requires a specific browser if Web based? – WYSIWYG or Code? – Drop and Drag? – Upload documents / images? – Spell checking?

How to pick a CMS Visitor Interactions – Friendly URL? – Require plug-ins? – Browser compatibility? – Search tool?

How to pick a CMS ● Costs (Initial / Ongoing) ● Licensing Model – By contributor, pages, server ● Maintenance Costs – 10% to 15% yearly is typical ● Support Costs – Is there an active users group? ● Extra hardware (database server) ● Extra software (database server, app server) ● Try before you buy

How to pick a CMS Security / Approval Process – Does it have one? – Can approval flow be customized? – How are users informed of approval requests, errors? – How are users maintained? – LDAP integration? – Custom groups?

How to pick a CMS Site Design and Control – Multiple editable templates? – Lockable elements? – Scheduling content?

How to pick a CMS ● Built in Applications ● Calendar? ● Discussion / Forums? ● Internal Search Tool? ● Photo Gallery? ● Extensible (create integrate own Web programs?) ● Web site CMS + Web Calendar Custom Program

Planning and Implementation of the Site Hosting options (internal v. external hosting) Designing branding / color schemes Develop style guidelines Develop approval procedures Identify who will do what Plan for growth and modifications

Training staff ● Created our own materials available on the Web site ● Trained eight trainers ● Multiple after school sessions ● Half day during the day session ● One-on-one sessions

So what are the cons? Power Web developers will feel confined Workflow requires people in the workflow to check in Maintenance of servers and software a must Requires more 'server horsepower‘ (Web and database) than static HTML Web site

Major Vendors? ● compare major and minor players ● 504 as of 1/14/06 ● 254 as of 2/3/05 ● Some focus on education market ● Most 'tip their hat' to education with some discounts / programs ● Many open source solutions (

Results? ● Before ● Several addresses ● No consistency between sites ● No standards compliance / reviews ● 1 author per site ● After ● One address ● Branding / navigation is enforced ● Review / approval process ● 200 current authors (50 active in any given month)

Results? SYAverage Visitors / month Average Visits / Month SY031,5323,310 SY046,02620,843 SY0510,11224,340 SY0616,22033,943

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