Over the past decade, an exponential increase in online data has been the calling card for many organizations world-wide. While providing various benefits to companies and individuals, the management of such data has also proved to be quite challenging for most companies operating in today's rapidly changing markets

Over the past decade, an exponential increase in online data has been the calling card for many organizations world-wide. While providing various benefits to companies and individuals, the management of such data has also proved to be quite challenging for most companies operating in today's rapidly changing markets. The most common solution to the rapid increase in digital data has been the introduction of Content Management Systems (CMS). The market for such systems has expanded rapidly and is expected to be worth well over US$1 billion by 2013. Considering the rapid expansion witnessed by the market, it is important to discuss the key benefits of deploying these systems. The main benefits of implementing a CMS are:

Ease of Use

Subsequent to deployment of a CMS for your website, the hassles of introducing new content such as coding from scratch etc. are no longer necessary. This generates considerable time savings for the creator of the content as well as the administrator. Moreover, the CMS enables the users to directly control how the website displays the content, while allowing webmasters to determine suitability or unsuitable of a specific content prior to displaying it on the website.

Support for Web 2.0 Features

Modern day content management systems by default support leading Web 2.0 features, which make websites more attractive to users. Additionally, CMS-based websites also support increased collaboration between users for creation of new content, which significantly improve the overall quality of the website. Other Web 2.0 features commonly supported by leading content management systems help improve overall communication between users and web site owner, which benefits the businesses associated with the website.

Availability of Attractive Designs

Most CMS systems are highly customizable and allow the designer access to a wide variety of plug-ins most of which are absolutely free. Commonly used plug ins include flash based systems, which enhance the design commonly found on the page and leave a lasting impression on the visitors ensuring that they revisit the pages to obtain new information.

Enhanced Security

Many of these solutions include a wide range of security features, which prevent unauthorized access of data by protecting the database. There are also various plug ins available which ensure that allow website administrators to change security protocols in real time without affecting the effectiveness of unrelated pages and minimizing the downtime of the website.

Increased Savings

By designing the webpage around a CMS, the page owner can easily save both time and money as most changes to design can be performed in-house without the need for external help or support. The initial costs of setting up the system will be offset by the savings generated on the long run in such circumstances, which would benefit the owner of the website as well as save the time of website designers and administrators.

Conclusion

The leading content management systems, which are currently used, include WordPress, Drupal and Joomla! But many software development companies often create custom-designed CMS solutions for their partners, which could include additional features such as increased security, availability of a wider variety of plug ins, support for integration with applications such as Java etc. The current market for such solutions is expected to expand further in the coming years as more and more companies adapt to the requirements for the age of Big Data, mobile computing and web pages designed to enhance accessibility through mobile devices.

By: Abhishek Chakravarti