Web Content Management Update

1. Web Content Management Update University of Louisville April 12, 2005

2. Content Management Systems • Content management systems are used to systematically create, organize, publish, manage and maintain web-based information and resources.

3. Content Management at UofL

4. UofL Departmental web sites • Inconsistent in look and feel • Navigation changes from page to page • Content often out of date • Variable quality of content • Content difficult and labor intensive to maintain • Web pages not designed to be handicapped accessible

5. Goal • 1. Provide tools, resources and support for departmental web creation and maintenance that will: • Simplify creation and maintenance of web sites • Ensure a consistent look and feel • Provide for handicapped accessibility • Enable maintenance by causal web users • Support editorial processes (content approval and scheduling workflow)

6. Content Management System Features • Page templates • Create consistent look and feel across a set of pages • Maintain navigation across site • Build in accessibility • Use web standards • Structured data entry • Create and maintain content without use of HTML • Ease maintenance for non-technical content owners • Workflow process • Allows for approval from editor before publishing • Scheduling of content can automate removal

7. CMS features (continued) • Separation of content from presentation • Allows reuse of content with telephones, handhelds, and other devices • Provide built-in applications types • Mail forms • Departmental calendar of events • Departmental news • Photo Gallery • Advanced search

8. Evaluation Process • Organize CMS Team • Interview CMS users and stakeholders • Examine technical requirements • Develop strategy and evaluation criteria • Survey available software • Implement pilot project • Develop recommendation • Review with advisory groups

9. Evaluation Criteria • System Capabilities (required) • Compatible with proposed Linux environment • Load Balancing and Scalability • Supports LDAP authentication • Distributed administration • Granular (role-based) privileges

10. Evaluation Criteria (continued) • Product Features (required) • Accessibility Support (section 508 and WAI) • Flexible and fully customizable templates • Capability to assign different look and feel by unit • Content approval workflow • Ability for casual users to maintain content

11. Evaluation Criteria (continued) • Product Features (required) • SSL compatible • Unlimited license for servers, users, and URLs • Ability to interoperate seamlessly with other UofL web environments, portal, etc. • Availability of commercial support

12. Evaluation Criteria (continued) • Product Features (desired) • Content Scheduling • Human readable and publishable URLs • Version control • Advanced Search capabilities • Support web standards (XHTML and CSS) • Undo

13. Evaluation Criteria (continued) • Product Features (desired) • Automatic generation of navigation • Through-the-web editing • Online help • Available training • Content syndication • Wide user base • Inexpensive to deploy

14. Evaluation Criteria (continued) • Built-in Applications • Mail form • Departmental calendar of events • Departmental News • Photo Gallery • Search Engine • Site map • Survey/polls • Forum

15. Popular CMS Products

16. Popular CMS Products (cont’d)

17. Popular CMS Products (cont’d)

18. Results of Product Survey • Very wide variety of options and approaches • Options range from individual blogging software to comprehensive enterprise application systems • CMS products are often dependent on additional vendor product sets such as Lotus Notes, Microsoft Sharepoint server, etc.

19. Results of Survey (continued) • Commercial options • Expensive and proprietary • Primarily targeted at business, e-commerce sites • Open source options • Good fit with existing network and server environment (Linux, apache) • Open, flexible and customizable • Good fit with departmental publishing needs

20. Top Candidate • Plone CMS • Open source • Highly customizable • Support for large enterprise departments • Enable rapid implementation • Maintenance by casual users • Wide user base • Commercial support available

21. Plone Characteristics • Compatible with UofL environment • Cross-platform support: Linux, Windows, Sun, Apple, BSD • Support for LDAP authentication • Ability to distribute administration and privileges • Content scheduling and approval • Ability to import/export websites

22. Plone Characteristics (continued) • Standard templates validate to web standards (XHTML and CSS) • Standard templates implement accessibility standards (WAI and 508) • Supports load balancing and scalability • Existing experience • Commercial support

23. Plone Characteristics (continued) A sample of Plone users include: • Duke University • North Carolina State • UNC, Chapel Hill • Rice University, Houston • Loyola University, Chicago • NASA Mars rover - http://mars.telascience.org/home • Sigma Xi, research Society - http://exchange.sigmaxi.org/

24. Implementation Considerations • Establish production environment and LDAP connection • Identify technical support staff (1/2 FTE) • Develop user support staff (1/2 FTE) • Additional Helpdesk resources • Develop documentation and training • Develop sample templates • Develop custom support offerings

25. Summary • A content management system can help University departments develop consistent web sites, meet accessibility standards, ease maintenance of content by casual users, and implement editorial processes to maintain content quality. • The Plone CMS is currently the top candidate. • Implementation will require: • Integration with enterprise infrastructure, including LDAP • Technical support staff (1/2 FTE estimated) • End user support and training (1/2 FTE estimated) • Additional HelpDesk resources

26. Discussion This presentation is located at http://docushare.louisville.edu/dscgi/ds.py/Get/File-8560/ Mike Dyre mike.dyre@louisville.edu 852-7770