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CMS 200 from Ektron, Inc.
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, Microsoft ASP.NET, and PHP. Ektron CMS 200 is their mid-range offering, falling between their entry-level product (CMS 100) and their enterprise CF-only product eMPower.

Out-of-the-Box Functionality
Ektron's CMS 200 includes the following "out-of-the-box" features:

  • "Anywhere Authoring" through the award-winning eWebEditPro editor supporting spell checking, import/export to Microsoft Word, CSS, XHTML, Section 508.
  • Limited multilingual support (English, French, German).
  • Content organized into "objects" which may be published to multiple locations in a site and syndicated to other sites.
  • Simple security model for logins, viewing, and editing content; integration with Active Directory planned for Q1 2003.
  • WYSIWYG content is versioned
  • Content may go through a configurable approval process prior to publishing.
  • Management reports detail content contributor activities.

    Is WYSIWYG Editing the Most Important Facet of a CMS?
    According to a June 2002 Forrester Research report entitled, "Enterprise Content Management Delusions," improved usability ranked as the most pressing need of respondents. To be sure, modifying Web content through a Web browser has never been a picnic. However, CMS 200's reliance on the eWebEditPro editor serves it well. Content contributors may participate using either IE 4.x+ or Netscape 4.x+ on a PC platform (Macintosh support is currently unavailable).

    While its use requires a significant client download (up to 4.5MB), its behavior more closely approximates Microsoft Word than any other editor I've tested. As an added bonus, eWebEditPro can actually invoke Word as an OLE-Automation object so that you can modify and transfer content seamlessly. Automatic spell checking within eWebEditPro is also available; however, this feature tended to bog down my system with Word running hidden in the background.

    Prevent Content Contributors from Using the <BLINK> Tag
    There is an old saying: "With great power comes great responsibility." As an administrator, you can restrict content authors to choosing from a list of approved fonts and styles in their content. Surprising, however, is the apparent inability of an administrator to restrict access to specific editor features such as HTML view, table creation, or color selection. Additionally, you are restricted to using a single content "type" consisting of the following attributes:

    • Title
    • Comment
    • Start date/end date
    • WYSIWYG content
    • WYSIWYG summary
    • Metadata (customizable)
    Creating Templates Using the Developer API
    The CMS 200 developer API is comprised of eight CFML custom tags that you will insert into CFM files to create display templates for your content (see Table 1). Ektron ships a Dreamweaver MX extension that helps facilitate this process by inserting analogous ASP call syntax into your document. A CFML version of the extension should be available in early Q1.

    The CFML custom tags that ship with the product are unencrypted and customization is encouraged. However, since the underlying kernel is actually a set of Windows .DLL files and most administrative functions are coded in ASP, you may find advanced customization somewhat challenging.

    No Support for ColdFusion MX
    Ektron's CMS core libraries (excluding the eMPower product) were developed as a series of Windows-based DLLs invoked through COM. ColdFusion 4.x, 5.x support is achieved by supplying developers with a series of CFML custom tag wrappers that invoke these COM objects through <CFOBJECT> invocations. Like most other vendors in the same COM predicament, Ektron plans to release a future version of the product architected around a more open, Web services-based model. At the time of this writing, however, no release date for CFMX compatibility is being disclosed.

    Does a Lightweight CMS Inevitably Lead to High Total Cost of Ownership?
    Carefully consider your total cost of ownership before purchasing any content management system. This includes not only the price of the CMS, but also the application server, database server, and perhaps most significantly - the development time to create your required functionality. Twenty years in software development have taught me the following:
    1.   90% of customer requirements can usually be met in 10% of the budget. Meeting the remaining 10% of the requirements usually costs 90% of the budget.
    2.   "Enterprise" software generally costs as much as the "Starship Enterprise" and frequently performs as well as that ship's transporter.
    3.   Murphy was an optimist.

    In other words, choose a CMS that most closely meets your functional requirements with "out-of -the-box" functionality. Ektron's CMS 200 carries one of the lowest starting price-points in the industry. At $2,999 USD for one URL and 10 content contributors operating using an MS Access datasource and an ASP application server model, small workgroups or departments could feasibly deploy the system for well under $10K on a single server (including hardware, excluding services). The functionality, as described in Table 1 is limited; however, if it fulfills many of your requirements, then you've just discovered a hard-to-find bargain in a very competitive industry.

    Conclusion
    Ektron's CMS 200 fulfills the somewhat peculiar need to add lightweight content management to a preexisting hybrid HTML, ASP, PHP, or CF 4.x/5.x Web site. If you're on a tight budget supporting 20 (or fewer) content contributors, have no immediate plans to support ColdFusion MX, and have minimal CMS requirements, then Ektron's CMS 100/200/300 product line will provide exceptional value as a "no-frills" entry-level system. Otherwise, you may want to consider the more fully featured "native CF" implementations of Ektron eMPower, CommonSpot 3.0 from Paperthin, Inc. (reviewed in CFDJ Vol. 4, issue 10), and NQcontent from NetQuest, which I will be reviewing in a future issue.

    SIDEBAR

    Vitals: CMS 200
    Ektron, Inc.
    5 Northern Blvd. * Amherst, NH 03031
    Phone: 603-594-0249
    Web: www.ektron.com

    Test Environment:
    Dell Inspiron 5000, 450MHz P-III
    ColdFusion 5.0, 512MB RAM
    Windows 2000, SP 2
    Microsoft Access
    Pricing:
    U.S. $2,999 (one URL, 10 contributors)
    U.S. $12,999 (one URL, unlimited contributors)

    PRODUCT SNAPSHOT
    Target audience:

    Small, price-sensitive organizations and workgroups that require simple anywhere authoring and workflow.

    Pros:

  • Low cost
  • Utilizes the exceptionally robust eWebEditPro WYSIWYG editor
  • Supports editing content through MS Word

    Cons:

  • No timetable for ColdFusion MX support
  • Requires Microsoft ASP application server
  • No support for Macintosh content contributors
  • Cumbersome process for creating new sites, adding full-text search capabilities (through Microsoft Index Server)
  • WYSIWYG features may overwhelm some nontechnical users

    Client platform:
    Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.x+, Netscape 4.x / PC only. Client download of the Ektron eWebEditPro editor is required and may vary between 1.5-4.5 MB.
    Server OS: Windows only (requires Microsoft Active Server Pages). Developer API for Macromedia ColdFusion 4.x, 5.x. PHP, Microsoft ASP, ASP.NET
    Database support: Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL

    SIDEBAR

    Note:
    Since this review was written, Ektron has unveiled its newest product, Ektron CMS300. This content-management solution, base-priced at US$4,999, adds powerful XML functionality to Ektron CMS200.

    About Steve Drucker
    Steve Drucker is the CEO of Fig Leaf Software, a Macromedia premier solutions and training partner with offices in Washington, DC and Atlanta, GA. He is also a certified Macromedia instructor and MM certified Dreamweaver, Flash, and Advanced ColdFusion MX developer.

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