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**********************************************************************
POSTNUKE
**********************************************************************
Company: The PostNuke CMS Development Project (pnCorp)
Product: PostNuke
URL: http://www.postnuke.com/
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
"PostNuke is an Open Source multi-lingual Content Management System
(CMS) written in PHP and licensed under the GNU General Public
License. PostNuke software dynamically manages website content
submitted through browsers. PostNuke has been rated as "IBM Server
Proven" by IBM (Click here for more details) and is currently the only
Open Source CMS to have attained this status.
PostNuke allows administrators to work dynamically within a structured
environment to rapidly deliver diverse content including articles,
links, news, job boards, frequently asked questions, resume listings,
dynamic headlines, weather forecasts, file download areas, and much
more. PostNuke reduces web site development costs by introducing
sophisticated administration tools & services which separate form,
function, content, and design.
Utilizing the ADODB database abstraction layer
(http://php.weblogs.com/ADODB), PostNuke connects to many different
database management systems (DBMSs) (including MySQL, SQL, PostGRESQL,
among others) providing convenience and flexibility for
internet/intranet implementations of any size. Designed from the
ground up to be modular, scalability is a key feature of PostNuke.
Modules can be 'bolted' into the web site with very little
configuration, making it a snap to add new features.
The PostNuke development community is world-wide, active and dynamic.
With over 120 active developers spanning five continents and more than
thirty-five languages, PostNuke's development draws from the best &
brightest of the open source development community."
Help4Hosters - PostNuke
http://help4hosters.com/ser_postnuke.php
PRICING: GNU General Public License Version 2
CONTACT INFORMATION
*******************
Contact with the developers is available through the PostNuke website,
particularly the Developer Team section, as well as the main support
forums.
http://developers.postnuke.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpWiki&file=index&pagename=bio
Contact information for the domain name registrant is located at:
http://www.godaddy.com/whois
Log in per instructions and enter postnuke.com into the search box.
PRODUCT FEATURES
****************
-- Full CSS support
-- HTML 4.01 transitional compliant
-- Ability to run multiple sites from one code base
-- Multi-lingual enabled
-- XML/RPC support
-- Visual text editor
-- Banner Add Manager
-- Hacker protection
-- Powerful Security Module for Multi-level User/Admin Logins
-- Scalable
-- Database driven Site Engine
-- Extendable through third party modules
-- Fully Editable News, Links, Downloads, FAQ, and Services Sections
-- Dynamic Forum/Poll/Voting Booth for On-The-Spot Results
-- News Feed Manager - Access to over 1,000 news feeds
-- Site Stats, Browser & Operating System, Top News and Articles
-- Workload distribution using the Users/Administrators Manager
-- Rated as "IBM Server Proven" by IBM
Site structure, design, editing, and the submission of site content
can be separated for easy administration of material.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
*********************
System requirements:
-- OS: Unix, Linux, MacOSX, Solaris, AIX, Win98/NT/2000/XP,
Sun Cobalt OS (RAQ4)
-- A functioning webserver (Apache or IIS, among others)
-- A working installation of PHP (version 4.0.1 or higher)
compiled with MySQL support.
-- A working database management system (MySQL 3.23 or higher,
SQL, or PostgreSQL, among others).
SUPPORT AND CUSTOMER SERVICE INFO
*********************************
Support is available through an extensive user/developer community.
Support forums (PostNuke powered) may be accessed at:
http://support.postnuke.com/
PROS/CONS
*********
Pros/
-- Ease of installation
-- Multi-language support
-- Browser compliance
Cons/
-- Documentation severely lags behind development
SUITABILITY
***********
PostNuke may well be best suited as a beginner's CMS system. Ease of
installation, plus the ability to customize and configure most modules
and features without broad knowledge of PHP or programming. Good
choice for a small organization without extensive programming
resources.
Working Demo:
A working demonstration version of PostNuke is available from
OpenSourceCMS. Login allows experimentation with admin control, and
program configuration.
OpenSourceCMS.com
http://opensourcecms.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1
INDUSTRY REVIEWS
****************
Interview with lead PostNuke developer, John Cox, July 4, 2002
Easino.com
http://www.easino.com/article53.html
CONSUMER REVIEW/COMMENTARY
**************************
ePinions: http://www.epinions.com/content_2241962116
Hotscripts: http://www.hotscripts.com/Detailed/10922.html
Sidney.Wilderness.Org.au
PostNuke Installation and Evaluation Notes
http://www.sydney.wilderness.org.au/docs/node.php?id=40&PHPSESSID=ebb1978945ae6ae5ae17988b8e43c431
**********************************************************************
DRUPAL
**********************************************************************
Company: Drupal.org
Product: Drupal
URL: http://www.drupal.org/
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
"Drupal is an open-source platform and content management system for
building dynamic web sites offering a broad range of features and
services including user administration, publishing workflow,
discussion capabilities, news aggregation, metadata functionalities
using controlled vocabularies and XML publishing for content sharing
purposes. Equipped with a powerful blend of features and
configurability, Drupal can support a diverse range of web projects
ranging from personal weblogs to large community-driven sites.
Due to its modular design Drupal is flexible and easy to adapt or
extend. The Drupal platform, written in PHP and utilizing a database
back end (e.g. MySQL or PostgreSQL database) provides APIs that
facilitate the development of building blocks (modules) that
seamlessly integrate with each other. The functionality of Drupal
systems can be easily extended by adding and configuring new modules.
The source code is available under the terms of the GNU General Public
License (GPL)."
Drupal.org - Description
http://drupal.org/node/view/1
PRICING: GNU General Public License (GPL)
CONTACT INFORMATION
*******************
Contact with the developers is available through the Drupal.org
website:
http://drupal.org/node/view/994
Contact information for the domain name registrant is located at:
http://resellers.tucows.com/opensrs/whois/newwhois
Scroll 3/4 of the way down the page, and enter drupal.org into the
lefthand search box.
PRODUCT FEATURES
****************
-- Discussion forums
-- Web-based administration
-- Theme support
-- Open submission queue
-- Personal blogging tool
-- User management with access control
-- Filters
-- Collaborative book writing module
-- Support for static pages
-- Poll module
-- File Module
-- Backend that exports headlines (RSS/RDF)
-- Content syndication framework
-- Localization support
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
*********************
System requirements:
A Web Server that can execute PHP scripts
Recommended: Apache.
Development with version 1.3.x.
Successfully tested with version 2.0.x.
Optional: IIS.
Drupal is being developed with IIS compatibiliy in mind,
and IIS is reported to be working.
PHP
Required: Version 4.0.6.
Development with version 4.0.6 and newer.
We recommend using the latest version of PHP.
PHP XML extension (for {bloggerapi|drupal|jabber|ping}.module).
This extension is enabled by default in a standard PHP
installation;
Windows version PHP has built in support for this extension.
PHP needs the following configuration directives for Drupal:
register_globals 1
magic_quotes_gpc 0
session.save_handler user
In addition, we recommend the following settings:
session.cache_limiter none
Directives only mentioned that differ from the default
php.ini-dist / php.ini-recommended starting with PHP 4.0.6)
These settings are contained in the default .htaccess that
ships with drupal, so you shouldn't need to set them
explicitely. Note, however, that setting php configuration
options from .htaccess only works with Apache (or a
compatible webserver), if the .htaccess is actually read,
ie. AllowOverride is not None, if php is installed as an
Apache module.
Using a PEAR supported Database (see below) requires
(of course) PEAR to be installed.
PHP-supported Database Server
Recommended: MySQL.
Development with version 3.22.32 and 3.23.x.
Optional: Any PEAR supported Database.
Currently, only PostgreSQL is actively maintained and
supported, though. Experiences with other Databases are
greatly welcome.
SUPPORT AND CUSTOMER SERVICE INFO
*********************************
Support is available through its Usage, Support and Troubleshooting
Forum, which may be accessed at:
http://drupal.org/forum/1
PROS/CONS
*********
Pros/
-- Drupal source is fairly clean, easily extensible.
-- Includes support for blogging and collaborative eBooks.
-- Category management feature is particularly well executed
Cons/
-- Admin section improving, but still needs additional development
-- Drupal is considered a blogging tool more than a CMS
SUITABILITY
***********
Drupal is geared toward use as a community portal or collaborative
blog, more so than news or commercial portals. Easily extensible for
integration with a wide variety of apps. Suitable when groupware is
not required (doesn't have any collaborative calendaring, ticketing,
contact management or similar.) Most suitable if current apps are to
be retained, and a new CMS added.
Working Demo:
A working demonstration version of Drupal is available from
OpenSourceCMS. Login passwords are provided to allow experimentation
with admin control and program configuration.
OpenSourceCMS.com
http://opensourcecms.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=5
INDUSTRY REVIEWS
****************
OpenSource Directory (5th item listed)
http://www.opensourcedirectory.org/Downloads-req-viewsdownload-sid-38.html
CONSUMER REVIEW/COMMENTARY
**************************
Hotscripts: http://www.hotscripts.com/Detailed/9747.html
OpenSourceCMS: http://www.opensourcecms.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=5
High Context (Drupal Taxonomy Support 11.19.2002)
http://www.highcontext.com/blarchive/2002_11.html
Sidney.Wilderness.Org.au
Drupal Installation and Evaluation Notes
http://www.sydney.wilderness.org.au/docs/node.php?id=5&PHPSESSID=ebb1978945ae6ae5ae17988b8e43c431
**********************************************************************
eZ PUBLISH
**********************************************************************
Company: eZ Systems AS
Product: eZ Publish
URL: http://ez.no/
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
"eZ publish is a web based application suite. It offers functionality
ranging from publishing of news, web logs and diaries, through web
shop functionality such as shopping carts, wish lists, and forums to
intranet functions like contact handling and bug reporting.
The software uses caching and other optimization techniques to speed
up page serving. It handles users, user preferences and user tracking
through a user database and both cookie-based and non-cookie sessions.
It supports statistics for page views, links followed and banner ads,
both images and HTML with presentation logic.
The package lends itself easily to customization, from changing the
look and feel by changing templates, localizing the languages and
other internationalization issues to adding new functionality."
eZ.no - Products
http://ez.no/products/ez_publish
PRICING:
Gnu GPL (free)
EZ Publish professional licence $3,900^ / per year
http://ez.no/products/power_tools/pro_licence/ez_publish_3_professional_licence
CONTACT INFORMATION
*******************
eZ Systems AS
Postboks 253
N-3701 Skien
Norway
Telephone (+ 47) 35 58 70 20
Opening hour's telephone: 8am - 5pm CET.
Fax (+ 47) 35 58 70 21
Support: support@ez.no
Sales/Customer Service info@ez.no
Licenses: license@ez.no
PRODUCT FEATURES
****************
-- Dual licensed
-- Custom content classes
-- Template engine
-- Role-based permissions
-- Workflows and extensions
-- Translation and localization
-- Cross platform
-- Full version control
-- Multi-language support
-- Integrated search engine
-- eCommerce functionality
-- Optional plug-in editor for simplified content editing
eZ.no - 3.0 Features
http://ez.no/products/ez_publish/ez_publish_3/ez_publish_3_key_features
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
*********************
System requirements:
Technologies used:
-- PHP scripting language
-- SQL database
-- XHTML version 1.0
-- XML 1.0
Supported operating systems:
Unix systems: Linux, Solaris, HP-UX and FreeBSD. Other Unix-type
systems may work as well.
Win32 systems: Windows NT, 98 and 2000. Other Win32 systems may work
as well.
Macintosh: Mac OS X
Required software:
-- A database, currently supported are: MySQL version 3.23
or later, and PostgreSQL version 7.1.3 or later.
-- Apache 1.3 or 2.0, or another web server with PHP support.
-- Apache modules, at least mod_php.
-- PHP version 4.2.3 or later.
-- ImageMagick and/or GD compiled in PHP for image
conversion (not required)
Required hardware:
There are no built-in requirements. The hardware needed to run an eZ
publish site depends on several factors, such as the average number of
users, the size of the templates (including graphics), and how caching
is used.
The installation requires about 50 MB on your hard drive. Minimum
values recommended: at least 500 MHz CPU and 250 MB of RAM.
SUPPORT AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
****************************
eZ Systems Paid Support
http://ez.no/services/support
Support Forums
http://ez.no/developer/forums
PROS/CONS
*********
Pros/
-- eZ publish 3 is database, platform and browser independent
-- Powerful, easy to use
As a Content Management System (CMS) it's most notable feature is its
revolutionary, fully customizable and extendable content model. This
is also what makes it suitable as a general web development framework.
Its stand-alone libraries can also be used for cross-platform,
database independent PHP projects. eZ publish is also well suited for
news publishing, e-commerce (B2B and B2C), portals, corporate web
sites, document and knowledge management, intranets, extranets and
more.
Cons/
-- More complex installation
SUITABILITY
***********
eZ Publish targets e-commerce, ASP (Application Service Providers),
and BSP (Business Service Providers. As a content management system,
it main strength lies in the content model, fully customizable, and
extendable.
Working Demo:
A working demonstration version of eZ Publish is available from the
developer. You may create an account to login and experiment with
admin control and user experience. Use the links in the Information
box on the right side of the page:
eZ.no
http://ez.no/products/ez_publish
INDUSTRY REVIEWS
****************
SitePoint - PHPs Killer Ap
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/917/3
CONSUMER REVIEW/COMMENTARY
**************************
PHP Resource Index
http://php.resourceindex.com/detail/00817.html
HotScripts:
http://www.hotscripts.com/Detailed/7894.html
Sidney.Wilderness.Org.au
eZ Publish Installation and Evaluation Notes
http://www.sydney.wilderness.org.au/docs/node.php?id=7&PHPSESSID=ebb1978945ae6ae5ae17988b8e43c431
PortalZine
http://www.portalzine.de/Reviews+index-req-showcontent-id-9.html
**********************************************************************
MIDGARD
**********************************************************************
Company: The Midgard Project
Product: Midgard
URL: http://www.midgard-project.org/
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
"The Midgard Application Server Suite has many features for the
process of creating and maintaining Web sites. It also provides a
solid base for creating Web applications and gives developers new,
powerful ways to get their job done. Features include: A powerful
implementation of database connectivity, Separation of content, layout
and functionality for easy maintenance and rapid deployment,
Platform-independent interface for site administration, and Easy
customization of the front end for the whole administration toolset
using the standard Midgard Web creation tools. Midgard can easily be
used in many different tasks, including: Web-based magazines, Intranet
applications, Organizational web sites, Knowledge management, and
Web-frontend for legacy CGI and shell applications. "
Hotscripts: Midgard
http://www.hotscripts.com/Detailed/2018.html
PRICING: GNU Library General Public License
CONTACT INFORMATION
*******************
Contact with the developers is available through the Midgard Website
mailing list:
mailto:user@midgard-project.org
PRODUCT FEATURES
****************
Midgard enables cooperative work by separating application logic,
graphic design and content, and applies natural tree structure
concepts to each of these tasks:
Programers develop Page Elements, artists design Style Elements, and
content editors write Articles which are organized into Page, Style
and Topic tree structures respectively.
The editorial and attached multimedia content is inserted into nested
Page and Style Elements whose inheritance mechanism provides a
flexible and powerful templating system. In addition, text content can
be formatted into basic html on the fly.
Collections of one or more Web sites are fully separated into
Sitegroups, and administrated by distinct Groups of webmasters.
Within Sitegroups, the default Unix-like permission system restricts
the users' write privileges to sub-trees depending on the Groups they
belong to.
Snippets, which are organised into yet another tree structure of
Snippetdirs, are used to store and share Page or Style Elements. They
are meant to become a growing library of Midgard templates and
applications.
Asgard, the Web based administration interface, is one such
application. Repligard, on the other hand, is a command line
replication utility.
-- Component Architecture for modularization
-- Well defined namespacing specs
-- Dynamically loading components
-- Integrated caching engine
-- Topic trees
-- Style engine
-- Automated Administration Interface
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
*********************
System requirements:
-- Apache 1.3.3 or later
-- MySQL 3.22.32 (earlier versions have known security problems)
-- glib 1.2.8
-- expat-1.95.1
-- zlib-1.1.3 (the zlib compression and decompression library
is required by repligard)
Midgard Installation Guide
http://www.midgard-project.org/manual/en/installation.php#AEN116
SUPPORT AND CUSTOMER SERVICE INFO
*********************************
Support is available via IRC and Mailing lists:
http://www.midgard-project.org/discussion/
Plus a Midgard Users Group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midgard-user/
PROS/CONS
*********
Pros/
-- Stylesheets
-- Exceptional modular design
Cons/
-- Steep learning curve
-- Lack of localization
-- Caching engine difficulties on highly interactive sites
SUITABILITY
***********
The object oriented modularity and templating system of Stylesheets
are the highlights. Most suitable if the site look and feel is the
most critical element.
A Midgard Demo Site is now available:
http://www.devshed.com/Talk/News/MidgardDemo/page1.html
INDUSTRY REVIEWS
****************
CMS Watch:
http://www.cmswatch.com/Features/ProductWatch/FeaturedProduct/?feature_id=48
Web Techniques:
Wilson: http://www.webtechniques.com/archives/2001/05/infrrevu2/
Jepson: http://www.webtechniques.com/archives/2000/05/jepson/
IBM: http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/library/w-midgard/
CONSUMER REVIEW/COMMENTARY
**************************
Sidney.Wilderness.Org.au
Midgard Installation and Evaluation Notes
http://www.sydney.wilderness.org.au/docs/node.php?id=24&PHPSESSID=ebb1978945ae6ae5ae17988b8e43c431
**********************************************************************
OpenCMS
**********************************************************************
Company: The OpenCMS Group
Product: OpenCMS
URL: http://www.opencms.org/opencms/opencms/index.html
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
The OpenCms project is an effort to create the first professional -
level Open Source Content Management System (CMS). OpenCms allows a
company to maintain a website with little or no help by an external
agency or internet professional. To achieve this, OpenCms hides the
complexity that is still involved when publishing in the Internet.
Departments and individual users can thus concentrate on creating the
content for the website, and publish it in an easy and intuitive way.
This functionality sounds basic, but today software solutions for
companies or organizations are very expensive and, because of the lack
of common CMS standards, most often highly proprietary. Considered
that the internet communication is a very important business factor
today, this means a company will be very dependent on the provider of
their CMS solution. OpenCms wants to provide an Open Source
alternative for companies to these high expensive and proprietary
solutions.
PRICING: GNU General Public License
CONTACT INFORMATION
*******************
Contact with the developers is available through the OpenCMS Project
Mailing List.
http://www.opencms.org/opencms/opencms/service/mailinglists.html
PRODUCT FEATURES
****************
-- Browser-enabled work environment
-- CmsShell
-- Multi-Language support
-- Dynamic and static content publishing
-- Asset Management
-- Integrated user management and permission system
-- Project-based publishing
-- Workflow and Task Management
-- Template mechanism
-- Element caching system
-- WYSIWYG-Editor
-- Personalization
-- Module System for additional applications
-- Versioning
-- Scheduling System
-- Synchronization Mechanism
-- SSL-Support
-- Import / Export of Content
-- Application Server Integration / EJB Support
-- PDF / WAP Support
-- Search Engine Support
-- Java / XML
-- Load Balancing
-- Frame Layout
-- Meta Informations (properties)
-- Online-Help System
OpenCMS Features
http://www.opencms.com/opencms/opencms/background/features.html
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
*********************
System requirements:
-- Java 1.3+
-- App Server: Tomcat
-- Webserver: Tomcat, Apache, or IIS
-- Database: MySQL, Oracle, MSSQL
SUPPORT AND CUSTOMER SERVICE INFO
*********************************
Support is available through two sponsoring organizations, Framfab,
and Alkacon.
http://www.opencms.org/opencms/opencms/service/support.html
A mailing list is also available:
http://www.opencms.org/opencms/opencms/service/mailinglists.html
PROS/CONS
*********
Pros/
-- Nearly every feature imaginable
-- WYSIWYG editor
-- Very nice asset management
Cons/
-- Documentation issues
-- Mailing list support
-- More complex installation
SUITABILITY
***********
Java-based system that's platform independent. Features galore,
however, complete install requires a higher level of technical savvy.
Highly customizable, but again, fair degree of technical knowledge is
required. Offset, perhaps, by the ease of use for content creators.
INDUSTRY REVIEWS
****************
ZDNet
http://techupdate.cnet.com/enterprise/0-6133424-722-8665262.html?tag=st.jp.6133424-720-8665262.tpsf.6133424-722-8665262
http://techupdate.zdnet.com/techupdate/stories/main/0,14179,2897730,00.html
CONSUMER REVIEW/COMMENTARY
**************************
OpenCMS-dev: http://www.opencms.com/majordomo/opencms-dev/0211/msg00210.html |
Clarification of Answer by
larre-ga
on
16 Apr 2003 14:37 PDT
**********************************************************************
ZOPE
**********************************************************************
Company: Zope Corp
Product: Zope
URL: http://www.zope.org
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
"Zope is an open source web application server primarily written in
the Python programming language. It features a transactional object
database which can store not only content and custom data, but also
dynamic HTML templates, scripts, a search engine, and relational
database (RDBMS) connections and code. It features a strong
through-the-web development model, allowing you to update your web
site from anywhere in the world. To allow for this, Zope also features
a tightly integrated security model. Built around the concept of "safe
delegation of control", Zope's security architecture also allows you
to turn control over parts of a web site to other organizations or
individuals. The transactional model applies not only to Zope's object
database, but to many relational database connectors as well, allowing
for strong data integrity. This transaction model happens
automatically, ensuring that all data is successfully stored in
connected data sources by the time a response is returned to a web
browser or other client.
There are numerous products (plug-in Zope components) available for
download to extend the basic set of site building tools. These
products include new content objects; relational database and other
external data source connectors; advanced content management tools;
and full applications for e-commerce, content and document management,
or bug and issue tracking. Zope includes its own HTTP, FTP, WebDAV,
and XML-RPC serving capabilities, but can also be used with the Apache
or other web servers."
ADD-ONS:
"The CMF (Content Management Framework) adds numerous tools and
services to Zope to allow community or organization based content
management, complete with a workflow system and a powerful
customization framework. The CMF Workflow system uses Zope's built in
security architecture. One thing this allows is for the "edit
permission" to be taken away from an author who has submitted a
document for review and publishing. This ensures that what the
reviewer sees cannot change during or after review without the author
intentionally taking back the document."
"Plone is a ready to use content management system that puts a
polished interface on top of the CMF. With its own installers
available, you can download Plone and have a community or
organizational web site immediately whose content, such as news items,
documentation, and events, is supplied by members of the organization.
The organizations in question can range from a large internet
community, large and small companies, and even church groups. Because
it's built on the CMF, it delivers the same powerful set of tools
mentioned above while augmenting behavior with helpful content entry
forms and validation."
What is Zope?
http://www.zope.org/WhatIsZope
PRICING: GNU General Public License
CONTACT INFORMATION
*******************
Zope Corporation
Lafayette Technology Center
513 Prince Edward Street
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Voice: 540.361.1700
Fax: 703.995.0412
Email:
Sales: sales@zope.com
Information:info@zope.com
http://www.zope.com/Corporate/ContactUs
PRODUCT FEATURES
****************
-- Open Source
-- Portal toolkit built on application server
-- Through the web management.
-- Safe delegation of control
-- Asset Management
-- Version Control
-- Auditing Capabilities
-- Custom Asset Types
-- Templating
-- Data Repository
-- Authoring Tools
-- Programmability/Customization
-- Built-in session tracking
-- Encrypted password support
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
*********************
System requirements:
Generally, you need a computer with a network connection. (You can do
without the network connection, but you definitely need the
computer.-)
Zope will run on Microsoft Windows (9x and NT) and many Unix variants.
Precompiled binaries are available for many of these platforms, and
Zope comes with a built in Web server, so you don't need one of your
own - and you can hook up Zope with the prevalent Web servers, if you
wish.
Zope is also available in source form, consisting of mostly Python
code plus several C extension modules - so if you wish to build it
yourself, you will need Python 1.5.2 or later and a C compiler.
SUPPORT AND CUSTOMER SERVICE INFO
*********************************
Contracted technical support is available through Zope Corporation.
http://www.zope.com/Services/SupportContracts
Through Zope User Groups, worldwide:
http://www.zope.org/Resources/UserGroups
and through and extensive number of mailing lists:
http://www.zope.org/Resources/MailingLists
PROS/CONS
*********
Pros/
-- Flexibility
-- Closest to commercial CMS
-- Fair degree of scalability
Cons/
-- Documentation again. Disorganized.
-- Installation may be complex
-- Competing ways of accomplishing tasks, therefore some
difficulty in determining which way is "best" for the
circumstance.
SUITABILITY
***********
Out of the box, Zope is a web object publishing system, not a CMS.
Requires add-ons for complete CMS functionality. Zope is particularly
popular in the European government sector as a groupware tool. Closest
to the features and usability of the mid-to-high end commercial
content management systems.
Working demo: http://demo.zettai.net/manage
INDUSTRY REVIEWS
****************
CMS Watch:
http://www.cmswatch.com/Features/ProductWatch/FeaturedProduct/?feature_id=61
http://www.cmswatch.com/Features/ProductWatch/FeaturedProduct/?feature_id=64
SDTimes:
http://www.sdtimes.com/cols/webwatch_023.htm
Washington Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/1999/05/24/focus4.html
CONSUMER REVIEW/COMMENTARY
**************************
User testimonials:
http://www.zope.org/Resources/Testimonials
Sidney.Wilderness.Org.au
Plone, CMS, Zope Installation and Evaluation Notes
http://www.sydney.wilderness.org.au/docs/node.php?id=65&PHPSESSID=ebb1978945ae6ae5ae17988b8e43c431
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COMPARISONS
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Side-by-Side Comparison (Drupal, OpenCMS, Midgard, Zope)
http://www.cmsreview.com/
Content Management System Evaluations
http://www.atnf.csiro.au/computing/web/cms_eval.html
The Wilderness Society CMS Evaluation Project
http://www.sydney.wilderness.org.au/docs/node.php?id=1&PHPSESSID=ebb1978945ae6ae5ae17988b8e43c431
(Limited) Feature Comparison
Drupal eZPublish Midgard OpenCMS PNuke Zope
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Content Management + + + + + +/-
Web Client + + + + + +
Editing + + + + + +
Site Management - + + + + +/-
Workflow Management - Planned + + +/- +
Database Connectivity + + + + + +
Personalization + + + + + +
Localization + + +/- + + +
Multi-channel publishing + + +/- + +/- +/-
Application Developement + + + + + +
XML Support + + +/- + +/- +/-
What to Look For
****************
Your own requirements will determine which features are most
beneficial. As in any software search, I would recommend that you
determine and prioritize your requirements, then decide which open
source offering comes closest to matching those priorities. By all
means, try out demos, see which interface seems most intuitive to you.
Additional Guides to Selection CMS Software:
14 Steps to Select a CMS
http://www.cmsreview.com/
Content Management Tools
http://www.networkcomputing.com/1111/1111buyers2.html?ls=NCJS_1121rt
Requirements Focused CMS Selection
http://www.steptwo.com.au/papers/cmb_requirements/index.html
CMS Systems (.pdf)
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=techwatch_report_0102
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SEARCH STRATEGY & RESOURCES
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I used the following resources in my search (* = Most Useful):
CMS Watch * [www.cmswatch.com]
CMS Review * [cmsreview.com]
OSCOM [oscom.org]
CMS Info [cmsinfo.org]
CMS Strategies [cm-strategies.com]
Open Source CMS * [opensourcecms.com]
Linux Newsgroups
Developer's Forums
Open Source Newsgroups
Google Directory - Open Source
ZNet [zdnet.com]
SourceForge [sourceforge.net]
Dr. Dobbs Journal * [ddj.com]
In addition, I downloaded several of the products, read doco, tried
the various demos, and used Google searches to turn up additional
avenues of information.
Google Search Terms
In addition to the company/product names, I used various combinations
of the following search terms:
"features" OR "feature listing"
"system requirements"
"technical requirements OR overview"
comparison OR review OR evaluation
I hope you find this information useful. Should you have any questions
about the materials or links offered, please, feel free to ask.
--larre
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