A Content Management System (CMS) is a program used to create a framework for the content of a Web site. Content is the information and experience that may provide value for the website user. Content may be delivered via any medium, in this case the internet.
With most content management systems, the framework can be customized with a “skin” that defines the look & feel. This approach is opposite to defining the look & feel first then coding the functionality second. Whereas the majority of cost of a website is in the functionality, the CMS approach is often significantly more cost effective.
The content managed includes computer files, image media, audio files, electronic documents and web content. The idea behind a CMS is to make these files available inter-office, as well as over the web. A CMS would most often be used as an archive as well. Many companies use a CMS to store files in a non-proprietary form. Companies use a CMS to share files with ease, as most systems use server-based software, even further broadening file availability.
A Web Content Management System is a CMS with additional features to ease the tasks required to publish web content to web sites.
Web Content Management Systems are often used for storing, controlling, versioning, and publishing industry-specific documentation such as news articles, operators' manuals, technical manuals, sales guides, and marketing brochures. A web content management system may support the following features:
Some content management systems allow the semantic layer of content to be separated to some extent from its layout. For example, the CMS may automatically set the color, fonts, or emphasis of text.
Identification of all key users and their content management roles.
Definition of the content workflow tasks, often coupled with event messaging so that content managers are alerted to changes in content.
The ability to assign roles and responsibilities to different content categories or types.
The ability to track and manage multiple versions of a single instance of content.
The ability to publish the content to a repository to support access to the content.
Increasingly, the repository is an inherent part of the system, and incorporates enterprise search and retrieval.
