Contribute vs CMS

[Jon]

All,

I currently have been assigned a task of putting together a comparison chart
showing the advantages and disadvantages of Macromedia Contribute, and our
in-house developed PHP-based Content Management System.

My main question is: What does everyone here use to 'sell' the CMS over a
web-based PHP CMS? Our CMS is pretty slick, using PHP, a built-in RTE and
MySQL to store content, but I'm really not sure how to sell it to my boss,
let alone to customers. Are there arguments here I'm missing besides just
being web-based and having the ability to update from any computer? Any
ideas are appreciated.

[Jon]

Re: Contribute vs CMS


"mickey" <miguelportilla ATpobrosDOTcom@ ignore.this> wrote in message
news:aC8%f.2216 3$Sf.12908@bign ews6.bellsouth. net...[color=blue]
> Jon wrote:[color=green]
>> All,
>>
>> I currently have been assigned a task of putting together a comparison
>> chart showing the advantages and disadvantages of Macromedia Contribute,
>> and our in-house developed PHP-based Content Management System.
>>
>> My main question is: What does everyone here use to 'sell' the CMS over a
>> web-based PHP CMS? Our CMS is pretty slick, using PHP, a built-in RTE and
>> MySQL to store content, but I'm really not sure how to sell it to my
>> boss, let alone to customers. Are there arguments here I'm missing
>> besides just being web-based and having the ability to update from any
>> computer? Any ideas are appreciated.[/color]
>
> Theres the fact that you are using PHP, on open source technology. Since
> your CMS is developed in house you are in control and not at the mercy of
> a third party. New features or changes can get done quickly to meet your
> needs. Stability, most liley running on Apache, PHP and MySQL, all proven
> technologies, not to mention free to license.[/color]

Ahh - the upgrading and customization is definitely something I didn't have
on my radar. Thanks man - I'm basically using that to point out that we can
add basically anything a customer wants - Article administration/searching
and the like.

Anything else is appreciated - now that I'm looking at the doc, I think it's
pretty solid so far.

[mickey]

Re: Contribute vs CMS

Jon wrote:[color=blue]
> All,
>
> I currently have been assigned a task of putting together a comparison chart
> showing the advantages and disadvantages of Macromedia Contribute, and our
> in-house developed PHP-based Content Management System.
>
> My main question is: What does everyone here use to 'sell' the CMS over a
> web-based PHP CMS? Our CMS is pretty slick, using PHP, a built-in RTE and
> MySQL to store content, but I'm really not sure how to sell it to my boss,
> let alone to customers. Are there arguments here I'm missing besides just
> being web-based and having the ability to update from any computer? Any
> ideas are appreciated.
>
>[/color]

Theres the fact that you are using PHP, on open source technology. Since
your CMS is developed in house you are in control and not at the mercy
of a third party. New features or changes can get done quickly to meet
your needs. Stability, most liley running on Apache, PHP and MySQL, all
proven technologies, not to mention free to license.

[NC]

Re: Contribute vs CMS

Jon wrote:[color=blue]
>
> I currently have been assigned a task of putting together a comparison chart
> showing the advantages and disadvantages of Macromedia Contribute, and our
> in-house developed PHP-based Content Management System.[/color]

I'd say, start with server specifications. Contribute Publishing
Server requires 256 MB RAM (512 MB recommended) and 200 MB of disk
space. In order to run, it needs an application server (Macromedia
JRun 4, IBM WebSphere/WebSphere Express, BEA WebLogic, Tomcat, or
JBOSS). All in all, it probably means a dedicated Java application
server and an administrator who knows how to keep it running.
[color=blue]
> My main question is: What does everyone here use to 'sell' the CMS over a
> web-based PHP CMS? Our CMS is pretty slick, using PHP, a built-in RTE and
> MySQL to store content, but I'm really not sure how to sell it to my boss,
> let alone to customers. Are there arguments here I'm missing besides just
> being web-based and having the ability to update from any computer? Any
> ideas are appreciated.[/color]

First of all, "just being Web-based" means that you (and your clients)
don't have to buy, install, and maintain client-side software (which,
in case of Contribute, costs $149, plus someone has to install,
configure, and support it).

Next, compare the costs and labor requirements of operating the server.
Contribute Publishing Server costs $89 per user. (Volume pricing is
available...) Then there's the cost of getting the server up and
running (Tomcat, obviously, is not expensive, but WebSphere and
WebLogic can be; regardless of application server chosen, you still
need to deploy and administer it). How does that compare to the cost
of deploying a PHP-based CMS? You don't need an application server;
you can even deploy on a hosting service, which will run you under $10
a month...

All in all, Contribute could be a good solution for companies that
already run large Java-based sites. The incremental cost in this case
is very tolerable, since server infrastucture and administration
personnel are already in place. For companies that don't particularly
care for server-side Java, Contribute could become a royal pain in the
neck.

Cheers,
NC

[fletch]

Re: Contribute vs CMS

I would have existing parts of the CMS doing the basics right away. A
forum, news, login, user management, polls. Forget all the techno
stuff. Make it look nice, wow factor all the way. You show a customer
your cms and you want them to say to themselves. It's exactly what we
need, it looks simple enough for X to use, and it runs Y sites already.

To sell it big time you will need to do something special. Our CMS is
now more a development platform.

Compare yours to the ones listed here:

http://www.cmsmatrix.org/