What is the best CMS (CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM)?
September 26, 2009
There are a number of types CMSs available out there on the internet. As everyone knows there is an array of different types of content that needs to be managed. Some of the different types of CMSs are:
- Enterprise CMS: managing content related to organizational processes of an enterprise.
- Web CMS: simplify publication of Web content
- Document MS: system to manage electronic documents (especially on an OS)
- Mobile CMS: sites and content management for mobile phones
- Component CMS: most of the time this is a sub functionality of all the other CMS, because it involves the managing of components at the component level (image, fields .. content types) rather than as big documents.
- Media Content MS: This is content management for media. Radio and TV.
For the purposes of this project I am just looking at the Web CMS. There is a big list of CMSs both propriety licensed and open source on this link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_content_management_systems
The most defining feature on a CMS is the language in which the CMS is built-on: ASP.Net, Java, PHP, Perl and Python.
As far as my own research goes Drupal is the most commonly used free CMS. Organizations like The United Nations, Warner Brothers Records, Discovery Club, Forbes, Grateful Dead, AOL Developer Network, Yahoo Research and Lime.com use Drupal.
Here are the major reasons why I chose Drupal:
- User Management: You can customize user roles and access control functionality as much as you want. Multiple blogs feature for users can be enabled on the core.
- Approval: Built into the Drupal is a process by which uploads to the system can be moderated.
- Revision Control: Every change in the published content will be recorded and stored categorically. It is very easy to keep track of who posted what when.
- Custom Content Types and Views: Ability to expand the type of content hosted on a Durpal site is unlimited. You can host every from videos to wikis. And all this without typing a single line of code.
- Taxonomy: This is especially useful when enabling search on the website. Taxonomy combined with CCK (Content Construction Kit) and Views will enable high fidelity search.
- Excellent Documentation: Everything that is done on Drupal is thoroughly documented. Nothing about Drupal is anything more than a Google search away.
- PHP Themes: In Drupal you can create themes by customizing a PHP template file. It is not easy but very convenient especially when you know that your website will start small and it will eventually grow into a website with more functionality.
- Drupal Modules: Think of something you want to achieve on Drupal that is not available on the Core module. Chances are you will find someone who has written a module for that need and has submitted it to the Drupal modules. I have been amazed at how many different modules there are.
- Large and Friendly Community: Finally and most importantly if you can’t afford to higher Software Engineers, Programmers and Developers and you still require their services in keeping your CMS up to date Drupal is your friend. There are over 22000 contributors to Drupal (may be even more) updating and fixing bugs on t Drupal. So you can be assured that your IT team is bigger than just who’s on your payroll. The beauty of open source projects.
Now compare this functionality to Joomla! or WordPress or any other CMS that you think will beat?

October 13, 2009 at 9:51 am
I think Drupal is the best CMS application as we have also implemented Drupal in various of our Organizational projects and the results has been far more satisfactory, also OSSCube helped us lot in getting Drupal customized and fit in our Organization.
http://osscube.com
October 13, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Yea, part of the reason I chose to use Drupal for this project is that it has a lot of support from so many developers. And also the felxibility it provides.
I would love a professional hand like http://osscube.com but can’t afford to do it with the kind of budget we have.
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February 6, 2010 at 8:57 pm
I am glad it helped. Thanks