| ISMagazine.com | Software Sensations |
August, 1999 |
Ektron,Inc. (http://www.ektron.com) today introduced the eContentManager, a first-of-its-kind WYSIWYG Web content and documentation management tool that gives organizations the opportunity to have multiple non-technical people involved with site management and maintenance.
Ektron's new eContentManager overcomes the limitations of having only one individual being responsible for site updates based upon his or her knowledge of HTML. It is specifically designed for organizations that want to have many individuals actively adding Web documentation and updating Web content - without requiring that these people learn a programming language.
"Organizations can no longer afford to have the flow of information bottlenecked in the IS department," says Ektron CEO Bill Rogers. "Within any organization there are numerous professionals with various responsibilities who see the Internet as a valuable resource for disseminating information. Yet they are limited in their ability to quickly share information via their own Web sites. By giving these people control of content specific to their areas of responsibility, the site can be continually updated and refined based upon changing business needs. The organization becomes a more effective e-business communicator, and the often-overwhelmed IS staff can focus on more pressing technical initiatives."
As an example, Rogers explains that a public relations manager would use the eContentManager to coordinate the site's "news" section. With a few simple steps performed directly at his or her desktop computer, this individual can readily post documentation such as news releases, article text or hyperlinks, publication masthead images, etc. without having to funnel a request to an HTML programmer. Likewise, human resources coordinates the site's "jobs" section, marketing coordinates the "About Us" or "FAQs" section, etc.
"With a higher level of sophistication among Internet, intranet and extranet users, organizations must enhance their Web-based offerings and interaction," Rogers says. "While organizations strategically understand the value of having larger, more complex and more dynamic Web sites, they often feel overwhelmed by or limited in their ability to make this happen. With eContentManager, an enhanced site is an affordable reality, even for small to medium-sized entities."
Because it incorporates Ektron's existing eWebEdit WYSIWYG Web editing tool, users can cut and paste from Microsoft Word without losing formatting, and can be involved with choosing or modifying the site's images, hyperlinks and fonts. To ensure continuity and security, the eContentManager administration tool is used by a designated individual to quickly review/approve changes before they go live on the site.
Beyond its dynamic content management functionality, the tool can also support organizations in upgrading from an existing static HTML site to a dynamic, database-driven e-business Web presence. According to Rogers, organizations that do not currently have a dynamic site and want to use eContentManager can choose to have Ektron host their entire Web site or can "invisibly" uplink to various Ektron-hosted frames for specific sections of the site.
"Much of the value and power behind these types of sites is the ability to modify content quickly while also maintaining the approval process," Rogers states. "We are currently unaware of any organization that has this specific type of offering."