| By CMS-Zone,
on 06-12-2006 17:28
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Views : 1079  |
Andrew Charnley, M.D of Igaro Ltd and qualified ICT teacher has spent the last four years researching and developing a tool for which there appears to be no shortage; a content management system. This article looks at the birth of content management for the web, the issues and differences between solutions and the introduction of Igaro's software into the market. Over the last few years, thanks largely to a price drop for high-speed Internet connections, more people are online then ever before. Today our young empower their I.T knowledge like a second language and have come to expect a new level of interaction and communication from web sites. Even small businesses are harnessing the Internet for delivering information and selling products. But these demands have introduced new problems for website owners. In the 90’s web pages were written by hand or basic programs and were defined as being ‘static’. These websites were simply files send over to the reader, and they were horrendously difficult to manage once the website grew. Since they were simply delivered, it was difficult to process information sent back to the user and to personalise the pages based on this information. A software called Vignette started a wave of new web software that treats content, design and functionality separately and merges them together to form a web page. These pages are known as being 'dynamic'. With the components for a website separate they can be managed, processed and customised. The dynamic website was born.
From 2000 our demands for Web 2.0 technology has risen. Now we expect streaming video media, and rich web pages full of well presented, referenced material that engages and stimulates. Communication has became all important - satisfied readers are those that can input to the website, personalise pages, share ideas and complain and talk to other users.
Running a website like this brings in security challenges, because some users will be trusted to do and see things that others can not. Managing a website like this is something that can only be envisaged by the content management system, although since we're not just talking about content, the solution is called a web or enterprise management system.
A web management system must manage the following in no certain order; sections, content, resources, users, groups, security, delivery, language, design and functionality. All of these must be delivered through a non-technical interface to different levels of user ability, at critical speed and with proven reliability. Naturally, hundreds, maybes thousands of people could be trying to access all this at the same time.
When it comes to choosing a web management system most are dazzled by the features and functionality shown through animated advertising mediums. Few understand that whatever system they choose will lock them into a way of doing things and make it difficult to backtrack or switch systems in the future. Most purchasers fail to question the most important aspect of the system; how well it can adapt to change.
There is little point investing in a system that works today only to find it can't be upgraded in its function later, or if it has preset layouts that you can't change, or if the language is set. A well engineered web system can cater for the future without knowing what the future holds and maintain compatibility with past and present requirements. To understand how difficult this is to achieve take a look at an organisation with a huge web budget - compare a current BBC News item to an item in 2001, then 2002.
Solutions that work to such a high standard are designed by expert programmers using expert methodologies. You can appreciate that this sort of labor and knowledge does not come cheap, and those that do not understand web management usually go with cheap software that later fails, or open-source software, which although promising in potential, is a mixture of good and bad ideas. But a small company called Igaro is offering a promising solution to a complex situation.
Lead programmer Andrew Charnley began research and development into a web management system in 2002, building on two years of commercial website development experience, and decided on a different approach. "Most developers follow a financial path where a system is developed quickly to a defined spec., released and improved over time. With web management the best solution is one that will never need any major improvement and which is extended rather than modified. This requires a head for scoping future requirements." Andrew held of commercialisation and invested his time in engineering the software. Most of the functionality for Igaro might have been finished in 2004, but it took a further two years to make what Igaro believes is the very best software infrastructure for web management.
It's not just industry that needs good web management. Schools and colleges are yearned for a solution to handle their web infrastructure just as much as business. “As a secondary school teacher I spoke to schools that went down the web management route to discover the logistical nightmare, followed by a subsequent back track to the old system. Schools are highly agnostic of web management because most of the software they purchase is in some way problematic and they can foresee anything of this complexity being a risk they can do without. However for ICT to have the positive impact on learning that is spoken off by the DFES, the quality of the solutions and unbias consultation for schools needs to improve.”
In July 2006 Igaro web management software launched as a limited company. Like any new start-up the company is starting off by providing its software and services to other small businesses and education, but it already has a broadside of functionality to offer including; content and resource management, communication tools and administration. It's features include feedback tools, survey polls, blogging, newsletters and data filtering. Gavin Elliott, a web consultant at Igaro explained what makes their software stand out: “We've an edge in three ways; we have a first rate product covering most of the requirements needed by business and education, we provide excellent service and support and Igaro offers unrivaled value over other systems.”
Igaro is currently looking to release their software under a dual license compatible with the GNU. Andrew would like to talk to web designers and programmers that work with open-source technology to see if an agreement is possible.
For further information on Igaro visit: http://www.igaro.com . More information on content management systems can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_management_system
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