What Is CMS?

The term CMS stands for Content Management System to say it simpler it’s a website engine. CMS is a website tool and at the same time a website component that enables effective solution of various tasks on creation of website sections, functionality and content publication problems.

From the Client’s point of view CMS-based website development has the following advantages:

• The executor uses effective tools for work
• The Client will be able to edit the content by himself after the website is ready without calling the programmers to ask for help
• The website becomes more reliable because of using tried-and-true technologies
• Time costs for developing the website are decreased as the executor focuses on visual and information website components, but not on solving such technical problems as "to develop a news feed" or to "teach the website to search goods in the catalogue"

What kinds of CMS are there? Various. Some are task-oriented, others provide convenient environment to develop anything you want. Some are monolithic ones, others consist of tons of small modules. Some are free and others are paid. So far there is no single classification of CMS adopted by the market. But still there are leaders to be singled out:

• Joomla, bright, easy to use and free
• Drupal, valid website development environment, free, very flexible possibilities
• MODx, effective and easy to use, free
• Wordpress, light, easy to setup, free
• Microsoft SharePoint, high-end, paid
• IBM WebSphere, high-end, paid

Note: The fact that CMS is often free doesn’t mean low quality or any restrictions. On the contrary, such CMS often scores advantages as to their commercial family because of its openness. Free CMS are also developed by groups of professional developers.

The choice of CMS should be made depending on the website type and purpose. As there is no sense to install a three-liter diesel engine to Daewoo Matiz, isn’t it? The task of the developer is to develop the website as required and in time. For that right tools should be selected. At that many web studios offer their own cottage CMS as the best variant. It is quite normal for simple websites, but where something serious is required self-developed CMS are at a disadvantage. In particular it concerns safety issues in Internet shops and systems where your clients can register and create orders online. The client base of such websites often becomes an easy game for intruders.

Often the advertisement of website developers tries to persuade the Client that using a magic CMS he can later on develop his website by himself, that is create sections, edit website structure and add new facilities. Unfortunately, it is half true. Making simple actions, for example, publishing the news, changing the text on the webpage almost do not really require any skills, but to use other facilities you have to know at least a little in web-technologies, understand layout principles, have a basic idea of programming and the main thing is to have the desire to learn and to know something new. CMS – is not magic, it is a tool you should also know how to use.