Steve Drucker

Currently there are more than 200 commercially available content management systems (CMSs). Each has strengths and weaknesses relative to the others...belying their underlying middleware platform and customer history. While not all are ColdFusion based, I believe that the CommonSpot Content Server 3.0 (the 2001 CFDJ Readers' Choice winner) from PaperThin, Inc., sets a new standard for flexibility and performance across all middle-tier systems. Comparing Apples to Apples Believe it or not, there's quite a bit of controversy within the CMS industry about what functionality a "Web content management" system should bring to the table. After evaluating many CMS applications, however, I've found that most vendors offer the following core set of features: Nontechnical content contributors may modify the contents of their Web sites anytime, anywhere, through their Web browse... (more)

CMS 200 from Ektron, Inc.

I have always considered Ektron's eWebEditPro to be the best, easiest to integrate, and most innovative Web-based WYSIWYG component available. Many software vendors apparently concur with this assessment, for you can find the product embedded in a number of CMS systems ranging from Allaire Spectra to Microsoft Content Management Server 2002. It should come as no surprise then that Ektron, seeking to capitalize on the success of their award-winning editor, launched a series of content-management products that interoperate with ColdFusion 4.x, 5.x, Microsoft Active Server Pages, M... (more)

Great Philosophers of Software Developers

Men at some times are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings. —Julius Caesar, Act 1: Scene 2 While sometimes we're loath to admit it, as consultants we control our destiny. Despite applying the latest technologies, working long hours and starting initiatives with the best of intentions, software projects fail. These breakdowns take many forms. Some projects run over budget. Many initiatives fail to meet time-sensitive deadlines; others may fall prey to unexpected technical glitches or a genuine lack of developm... (more)

LayerIT Content Management System from LayerIT AS

After evaluating and deploying a number of content management systems over the past five years, I guess I've become a bit jaded. Frankly, they all just started to look the same. To be sure, each one has core strengths and weaknesses. Each is usually geared to fit a certain vertical market (education, for example), and many have similar levels of functionality. All of them have significant usability issues - particularly when authoring content that requires HTML tables. So when I was asked to write a review of LayerIT CMS (priced at $2,695 for the enterprise edition), I expected ... (more)

CommonSpot 4.0 from PaperThin, Inc.

CommonSpot Content Server, developed by PaperThin, Inc., has been simplifying Web site development and authoring since its introduction in 1998. On April 8, 2004, the newest generation, version 4.0, was released. Web Content Management products usually seek to empower nontechnical users by allowing them to modify Web content from their desktops; enforcing standards; and categorizing, structuring, and cataloging information in a way that makes it easy to locate. With over 200 commercially available products spanning every conceivable market niche, CommonSpot has earned a reputation... (more)