CMS in context
A web Content Management System (CMS) is a software system that allows users to manage a wide range of complex and varied content. In the context we are using here at The University of Melbourne, the type of content we are dealing with is Web Content - that is, content intended for distribution via the web.In our current environment of information overload, content has become a strategic asset, which needs to be effectively managed to gain its full potential. We are constantly dealing with content in its various guises, and on the whole are struggling to manage and understand its value. Our CMS can bring some order to the process of managing web content.
CMS history at the University
After a selection process and implementation project, the CMS software the University decided upon was a product called MySource Matrix developed primarily by a company in Sydney called Squiz. Anyone who has investigated CMSs will know that there are huge variations in cost, features and usability. No system is perfect, but we believe MySource Matrix offers the tools we need to achieve a balance of ease of use for content editors and powerful tools for site administrators.
Through wide consultation, Application Services has committed to performing an analysis of the needs of each faculty and other key stakeholders for a central web CMS to support all most web content publishing needs.