Evaluation Criteria
The list of selected products highlighted in this guide represents a diverse sampling of commercial and open-source CMS choices available today. The guide is not a comparative analysis of vendor offerings but rather a mosaic of solutions ranging from simple, database-driven Web page management applications to massively scalable corporate content solutions. The intent is to introduce the reader to a wider variety of products within this market segment and to provide a starting point for further exploration of choices that may solve an organization's content-management needs. To facilitate this exploration, baseline categories supply an overview of notable product attributes that consist of:
Features and Claims. This category highlights the advertised claims of the product. Due to space constraints, only the most high-level features can be mentioned. If you're interested in learning more about a product's specific feature set, I encourage you to visit the URL listed next to the product's name.
Market Buzz. This attribute subjectively distills the product's unique differentiators and the level of success it has in resolving the problems it seeks to address. This category also highlights some of the more distinctive, unique qualities promised by the respective solution.
Cost. Absolute costs for small and mid-range solutions are provided, compared to the large CMSs that require extensive configuration and integration. These vendors prefer to price their products with a "starting price" since the level of sophistication, number of components and length of implementation engagement can vary from customer to customer.
