Definitions of Content Management System (CMS) on the Web:
Software that enables one to add and/or manipulate content on a Web site. Typically, a CMS consists of two elements: the content management application (CMA) and the content delivery application (CDA). The CMA element allows the content manager or author, who may not know HTML, to manage the creation, modification, and removal of content from a Web site without needing the expertise of a Webmaster. The CDA element uses and compiles that information to update the Web site. The features of a CMS system vary, but most include Web-based publishing, format management, revision control, and indexing, search, and retrieval.
jhmcis.jhmi.edu/standards/webguidelines/glossary.cfmA content management system is a system used to manage the content of a web site. It typically consists of two elements: the content management application (CMA) and the content delivery application (CDA). The CMA allows the author, to manage the creation, modification, and removal of content from a web site. While the CDA element compiles the information to update the web site. The features of a CMS vary, but most include format management, search, web-based publishing, revision control, and indexing, and retrieval.
www.discoverit.co.uk/glossary/full_a-e.htmA system used to manage the content of a Web site. Can allow a content manager or author, who may not know Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), to manage the creation, modification, and removal of content from a Web site without needing the expertise of a Webmaster.
www.nomensa.com/resources/glossary.htmlA content management system is a system used to manage the content of a Web site.
www.zeroonesoftware.com/glossary.htmlSystem used to manage the content of a Web site. Typically, a CMS consists of two elements; the content management application (CMA) and the content delivery application (CDA).
www.ecommerce-dictionary.com/c.htmlSoftware that allows for the addition and/or manipulation of content on a web site.
www.webdev.vianetworks.co.uk/glossary-general.aspA tool used to organize data. Some are very elaborate and expensive; some are free and easy to use. The trick is finding the best and most affordable CMS for your organization.
www.access-egov.info/glossary.cfma software tool that enables content workers to perform content management tasks.
www.donald-firesmith.com/Glossary/GlossaryC.htmlThis is a tool used to assemble and aggregate your online content. It can be browser-based, or via your workstation, such as Macromedia's Contribute. A CMS theoretically gives the "Average Joe or Joanna" the power to change or update a website without affecting the overall design or structure. This decentralized approach can save you money and time.
www.pixelphoria.com/glossary.phpSoftware that manages documents for Web sites. It provides for the storage, maintenance and retrieval of HTML and XML documents and all related elements. Content management systems may be built on top of a native XML database and typically provide publishing capabilities to export content not only to the Web site, but to CD-ROM and print.
A content management system (or CMS) is a system used to organize and facilitate collaborative content creation. Recently, the term has been associated with programs for managing the content of web sites. Web Content Management (WCM) is also used to refer to these programs.
CMSs allow end-users (typically authors) to create new content in the form of documents. These documents may be entered as plain text or perhaps with markup to manage document layout and structure.
The system then uses rules to style the article, which separates the display from the content, which has a number of advantages when trying to get many articles to conform to a consistent "look and feel". The system then adds the articles to a larger collection for publishing.
The systems also often include some sort of concept of the workflow for the target users, which defines how the new content is to be routed around the system.
A good example of a CMS would be a system for managing a newspaper. In such a system the reporters type articles into the system, which stores them in a database. Along with the article the system stores attributes, including keywords, the date and time of filing, the reporter's name, etc. The system then uses these attributes to find out, given its workflow rules, who should proofread the article, approve it for publication, edit it, etc. Later the editors can choose which articles to include (or ignore) in an edition of the newspaper, which is then laid out and printed automatically.
The Web-based publishing feature allows individuals to use a template or a set of templates approved by the organization, as well as wizards and other tools to create or modify Web content. The format management feature allows documents including legacy electronic documents and scanned paper documents to be formatted into HTML or Portable Document Format (PDF) for the Web site. The revision control feature allows content to be updated to a newer version or restored to a previous version. Revision control also tracks any changes made to files by individuals. An additional feature is indexing, search, and retrieval. A CMS system indexes all data within an organization. Individuals can then search for data using keywords, which the CMS system retrieves.
A CMS system may also provide tools for one-to-one marketing. One-to-one marketing is the ability of a Web site to tailor its content and advertising to a user's specific characteristics using information provided by the user or gathered by the site (for example, a particular user's page sequence pattern). For example, if you visit a search engine and search for "digital camera," the advertising banners will advertise businesses that sell digital cameras instead of businesses that sell garden products.
Two factors must be considered before an organization decides to
invest in a CMS. First, an organization's size and geographic dispersion must be
considered especially if an organization is spread out over several countries.
For these organizations, the transition to CMS is more difficult. Secondly, the
diversity of the electronic data forms used within an organization must be
considered. If an organization uses text documents, graphics, video, audio, and
diagrams to convey information, the content will be more difficult to manage.
The pervasive nature of the Web means that it has become the preferred vehicle for content delivery. "CMS" should therefore be read as "Web Content Management System."
"A set of business rules and editorial processes employed by people surrounding Web content, designed to align online publishing efforts with organizational objectives."
Software that enables one to add and/or manipulate content on a Web site.