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Posted by NC on 04/12/06 19:05
Jon wrote:
>
> I currently have been assigned a task of putting together a comparison chart
> showing the advantages and disadvantages of Macromedia Contribute, and our
> in-house developed PHP-based Content Management System.
I'd say, start with server specifications. Contribute Publishing
Server requires 256 MB RAM (512 MB recommended) and 200 MB of disk
space. In order to run, it needs an application server (Macromedia
JRun 4, IBM WebSphere/WebSphere Express, BEA WebLogic, Tomcat, or
JBOSS). All in all, it probably means a dedicated Java application
server and an administrator who knows how to keep it running.
> My main question is: What does everyone here use to 'sell' the CMS over a
> web-based PHP CMS? Our CMS is pretty slick, using PHP, a built-in RTE and
> MySQL to store content, but I'm really not sure how to sell it to my boss,
> let alone to customers. Are there arguments here I'm missing besides just
> being web-based and having the ability to update from any computer? Any
> ideas are appreciated.
First of all, "just being Web-based" means that you (and your clients)
don't have to buy, install, and maintain client-side software (which,
in case of Contribute, costs $149, plus someone has to install,
configure, and support it).
Next, compare the costs and labor requirements of operating the server.
Contribute Publishing Server costs $89 per user. (Volume pricing is
available...) Then there's the cost of getting the server up and
running (Tomcat, obviously, is not expensive, but WebSphere and
WebLogic can be; regardless of application server chosen, you still
need to deploy and administer it). How does that compare to the cost
of deploying a PHP-based CMS? You don't need an application server;
you can even deploy on a hosting service, which will run you under $10
a month...
All in all, Contribute could be a good solution for companies that
already run large Java-based sites. The incremental cost in this case
is very tolerable, since server infrastucture and administration
personnel are already in place. For companies that don't particularly
care for server-side Java, Contribute could become a royal pain in the
neck.
Cheers,
NC
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