In his latest report, "Open Source Web Content Management in Java," Seth Gottlieb, principal of Content Here, discusses the expanding market for Java web content management (WCM) technologies. Seth's report provides a framework for helping IT organizations understand the cost and risk implications of selecting an open source platform over commercial software. It also discusses the changing market and the models that some companies are using to "build viable businesses out of free software" (p. 2), and it provides an in-depth analysis of seven of the leading open source Java web content management platforms.

We asked Seth to tell us about his new report and to give us his opinion on certain industry practices and trends.

(1) What were the drivers behind your latest report, "Open Source Web Content Management in Java"?
Open source web content management software is an increasingly viable alternative to commercially licensed options. Money saved in licensing can be invested in more important success drivers like the execution of the implementation, site design, training, and, most of all, creating better content. Decision makers that are considering open source technologies are under-served by the mainstream analyst community. The minimal open source coverage that does exist fails to reach the level of technical depth that is necessary to understand what it will be like to implement and live with the technology. With open source software, you have the opportunity to learn how the technology works and about the forces that drive it. The information is available but it is not nicely packaged in press releases and sales demos - it is all over the place and takes a unique set of skills and a lot of time to compile and understand.

The reason for the focusing on Java is to help prospective buyers who want to use their in-house Java skills to implement, integrate, and support the solution. There has also been a significant amount of improvement in the Java offering over the past couple of years. Some of the projects that I cover are useful for managing basic informational websites. Others are more appropriate as components within larger custom web application architectures.

(2) You have published numerous reports addressing the intelligent selection of content management solutions. In your opinion, what is the biggest mistake that enterprises make when trying to identify and select a solution?
Companies often go into technology selection with very poor knowledge of their requirements and select the vendor with the flashiest sales demo. They wind up overbuying and having unrealistic expectations for the technology's ability to solve their business problems. Technology doesn't manage content, people do. When you understand that, you realize that you are not done when you deploy the technology. You are just beginning to solve the business problem. You should prepare for organizational and process change to achieve the results you want. Also, you will learn much more about your requirements after you deploy the system so have some budget left over for post roll-out adjustments.

(3) Based on current trends in content management strategies, where do you see this ever-growing and ever-changing field headed over the next five years?
I think that companies will continue to use lots of different technologies to manage different content. Rather than standardizing on a single enterprise platform, companies will try to do a better job of integrating disparate systems. Search, syndication, and open, service oriented APIs will play major roles. My hope is that businesses will start to make better use of the technologies that they have already deployed. Companies are still replacing their WCM system because their website is ugly. The only hope is to simplify tools to make them transparent in business processes. I would also like see greater adoption of microformats that will enable serendipitous machine to machine content exchange. RDF would be even better but I will settle for little steps.

My expectations are modest because the industry has a history for slow movement. I am continually surprised by the number of companies where authors still mail Microsoft Word documents to content managers that paste the text into the CMS. The bigger changes will probably happen at the organizational and cultural levels as Generation Y comes of age professionally and starts running the show. They are more comfortable swimming in digital information and more resourceful in putting it to work.

Back to CM Pros Newsletter June 2008