Book Image

Alfresco 3 Web Content Management

Book Image

Alfresco 3 Web Content Management

Overview of this book

Alfresco provides a robust, easy to use, and scalable web content framework for managing multiple websites leveraging a common web infrastructure. If you are interested in configuring and building a new website quickly, determined to create a scalable infrastructure to stage multiple websites, and want to secure and control the content being pushed to external applications, then you have reached the right place.This book will guide you through creating, managing and publishing web content in staging, test and production environments. It will help you set up an infrastructure for supporting multiple websites using Alfresco, enabling a shortened web development cycle, and providing high return on investment and low cost of ownership.This book will take you from the basics of publishing style CMS – such as web forms, page templates, and staging – to the skills that will make you an Alfresco developer, covering advanced topics such as workflow, web services integration, and more. You will learn the various options used to install Alfresco including File System Deployment receivers on target production servers. You will also learn to configure a single instance of Alfresco to serve multiple web projects. Focus is given to reuse assets such as images, forms, and workflows across multiple web projects.It will introduce you to advanced concepts of separating the web content from presentation. The entire process of creating web content, getting it approved and published to a staging environment needs a robust workflow process. You will learn and have extensive hands-on experience with the examples given in the book to create a flexible workflow. You will learn about Alfresco Web Editor, a new feature released with the latest version of Alfresco 3.3. You will learn to configure Web Editor for in-context editing of web pages. You will be able to try out various integration options using Alfresco’s RESTful web services framework. By the end of the book, you will be able to set up an extensible enterprise web content management system for your company and customers.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
Alfresco 3 Web Content Management
Credits
About the Authors
Acknowledgement
About the Reviewers
Preface

Good web content management pays big dividends


When an organization's management team is reviewing budgetary proposals, the price tag associated with a new computing solution often elicits one question: "Can't we avoid this expense?" The answer is obvious: you can continue to operate your websites without the benefit of a content management solution. However, the real question should be, "What is the cost of not making this purchase?"

Here are some factors to consider:

High labor costs and the shortage of qualified personnel

Finding and holding on to qualified employees can be a challenge. All the more a reason to make the most of each individual's skill set. A web content management solution that empowers content providers to post directly to a live site increases their productivity. By the same token, IT personnel who are not ensnared in the posting process are free to apply their skills and knowledge to more challenging tasks. Providing state-of-the-art tools helps promote positive attitudes while improving productivity, which can go a long way in retaining skilled personnel.

How long it currently takes to implement site changes

Does it take hours or even days to post new content on your websites? That's often far too long to leave outdated or incorrect information on a site. After all, the beauty of the Internet is providing target audiences with 24x7 access to all of the latest and greatest information. When a site becomes stale, users become disenchanted and are less likely to return. Recapturing a user's interest is far more difficult than maintaining it with fresh, personalized content.

Potential problems caused by erroneous or out-of-date postings

When new information doesn't get posted quickly, what does it cost your organization? In case of a publicly-traded company, incorrect financial postings can have serious consequences. Providing only accurate, timely product information can prevent misunderstandings that lead to customer dissatisfaction. Giving distributors and suppliers incorrect, out-of-date, or partial information can have a negative effect on your bottom line. The right web content management solution, one that is easy to use and maintain, will help ensure that your organization provides site visitors with reliable content.

Revenue losses attributable to an inability to respond

A website that cannot be scaled to meet a business' emerging needs is just as serious a problem as an inability to hire more people, move to a larger facility, or acquire additional suppliers. Revenue can be lost and the future of the organization diminished. Why take such chances, especially when websites are becoming central to doing business?

Competitive issues related to a lack of planning

Hiring an experienced webmaster allows an organization to use that individual's skills beyond day-to-day site maintenance. A knowledgeable individual can help review site architecture, assess future site requirements, and implement upgrades. These are valuable activities for growing organizations that want to remain competitive in today's rapidly changing economic environment. However, when the webmaster must operate as a "web page processor", the time and skills of this valuable resource cannot be fully utilized.

The right web content management solution can allow your organization to:

  • Make effective use of all internal resources

  • Slash the time required to implement site content changes or redesign a site

  • Ensure the availability of timely, accurate information

  • Scale its website to keep pace with organizational growth

  • Plan to accommodate new business initiatives and technological advances