Articles - Page 60

ai12z Takes AI Visibility from Scoreboard to Playbook, Turning AI Search Insights into Action

matt-garrepy

<a href="http://www.marketo.com/" target="_blank">Marketo</a>, the world renowned marketing automation system, has just turned ten years old.
<a href="http://www.marketo.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/marketo-300x300.png" /></a>With clients like Intel and Acquia, Marketo has grown into one of the most trusted marketing automation systems on the market.
Although, it's not a product exclusive to the world of enterprise. Small and medium sized businesses make up a large chunk of Marketo's clientele, despite the fact that it's “Spark” package, designed for smaller projects, is still priced for businesses that are already relatively well developed.
<h2>Marketo: A Brief History</h2>
<blockquote>
“Ten years ago this month, Phil Fernandez, David Morandi, and Jon Miller founded Marketo with one idea: to create a new kind of enterprise software company, one dedicated solely to the needs and mission of today’s marketing professional.”
</blockquote>
Founded in 2006 by Phil Fernandez, Jon Miller and David Morandi (all formerly of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany,_Inc.">Epiphany</a>), Marketo has been ranked in the Inc 500 as high as 78th, and was listed as 28th on Forbes' Most Promising Companies in 2011.
In 2008 Marketo released its first product. In 2011, it established its first international office in Dublin, Ireland, before going public (MKTO) in 2013.
Today, Marketo supports over 4,000 customers, with services including; B2B Marketing Automation, Consumer Engagement Marketing, Real-Time Personalization and Marketing Management.
On their <a href="http://blog.marketo.com/2016/01/happy-10th-birthday-marketo.html" target="_blank">celebratory blog post</a>, Marketo put together a full timeline of their history, which is a pretty interesting read.
Congratulations to making it to Ten years old, <a href="http://www.marketo.com/" target="_blank">Marketo</a>. Here's to Ten more!

Ten Years of Marketo

mike-johnston

Bigcommerce Review

Umbraco, the provider of the flexible, friendly, easy-to-use and full-featured open-source content management system (CMS), today announced the promotion of the company’s chief sales, service and support executive, Kim Sneum Madsen, to chief executive officer. Madsen officially replaces founder Niels Hartvig, allowing Hartvig to focus on expanding the company’s active open source community.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/blobid5_1568743306549.ft" />
In 2005, Hartvig founded Umbraco CMS, the only .NET-based CMS that also offers all of the advantages of open source software such as the ability to use the software and make changes freely, without expensive licensing fees. Umbraco gives developers the flexibility and freedom to build websites, apps and other solutions with the look and features they want, while enabling editors and content creators to easily and quickly get content in front of their customers. Umbraco CMS and the Umbraco Cloud run more than 500,000 websites worldwide, while being developed and maintained primarily by a global community of 220,000 developers.
“My expertise is in software design and community development, so to grow Umbraco into the type of company I envisioned, I knew we needed someone with vast business experience like Kim,” said Hartvig, who was named a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional in 2014, 2015 and 2016. “Since he joined us 3.5 years ago to help run our sales, service and support, we’ve experienced yearly growth between 25 and 40 percent and added 40 new employees. With Kim trusted at the helm, I’m now ready to go back to where my true passion lies—completely focused on building the Umbraco community, the main reason for our global success and continued development.”
Prior to joining Umbraco in January 2016, Madsen served for 12 years in various service, support and sales management roles at e-conomic international, a Denmark-based accounting software program. He also served for several decades in various high-pressure and high-risk relief and military roles, specifically within the Danish Emergency Management Agency. In addition to working at Umbraco, Madsen is on the board of directors for the IT industry Region of Funen, Denmark, which supports Funen IT companies.
“Working at Umbraco over the last few years has been extremely fulfilling and fruitful as we’ve strived to combine our open source project with the commercial initiatives through Umbraco Cloud,” Madsen said. “With Niels focused on bringing even more creativity, talent and ideas from our active and dedicated community, and our management team focused on growing Umbraco into an even greater business, we’ll ensure our customers and partners get the most safe, professional and high-quality products available.”
About <a href="http://icm-tracking.meltwater.com/link.php?DynEngagement=true&amp;H=3ZUQjNycMu7D%2Fe%2Bm%2FOmi3Qi1eTNrfRb0HcFplK3KYerw%2B6SfjwwI9rHaDQ%2FE22BtrodA2Y7EpntSIZi0q8z2TQ7PKO0cMUA%2BaRov2%2Blz6gk9m6LhQI8ViA%3D%3D&amp;G=0&amp;R=https%3A%2F%2Fumbraco.com%2Fumbraco-8%2F&amp;I=20190918130026.000005ce82e7%40mail6-53-ussnn1&amp;X=MHwxMDQ2NzU4OjVkODEyMDI4ODE2NmRhY2YxZmU5ZGM3OTs%3D&amp;S=067cA9ORbnNO5p5uEnQydj0d9kcmyORizEu2kIp_AOY" target="_blank">Umbraco</a>
Umbraco is an open source CMS built on the Microsoft .NET platform. Often referred to as the “Friendly CMS,” Umbraco gives developers the flexibility and freedom to build website, apps and other solutions with the look and features they want, while enabling editors and content creators to easily and quickly get content in front of their customers as quickly as possible. Created in 2005 by Danish developer Niels Hartvig, Umbraco also offers the Umbraco Cloud, providing all-in-one Azure hosting and predictability in cost, performance and time. More than 500,000 websites run live on Umbraco CMS and the Umbraco Cloud, supported by more than 220,000 very active Umbraco community members. Based in Odense, Denmark, the company also has a sales office in New York City. For more information, visit <a href="http://icm-tracking.meltwater.com/link.php?DynEngagement=true&amp;H=3ZUQjNycMu7D%2Fe%2Bm%2FOmi3Qi1eTNrfRb0HcFplK3KYerw%2B6SfjwwI9rHaDQ%2FE22BtrodA2Y7EpntSIZi0q8z2TQ7PKO0cMUA%2BaRov2%2Blz6gk9m6LhQI8ViA%3D%3D&amp;G=0&amp;R=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.umbraco.com%2F&amp;I=20190918130026.000005ce82e7%40mail6-53-ussnn1&amp;X=MHwxMDQ2NzU4OjVkODEyMDI4ODE2NmRhY2YxZmU5ZGM3OTs%3D&amp;S=E72h70ZB7VkBYDo74WiNn7kOpR_nK8fz-s2CWuKx9OY" target="_blank">www.umbraco.com</a>

Kim Sneum Madsen Promoted to CEO of Umbraco, the “Friendly” Content Management System (CMS) Provider

<a href="/phpfox-4-2-on-the-horizon/">Thanks to a sly Fox</a>, we all recently got a sneak peek behind the scenes at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.phpfox.com/">PHPFox</a> headquarters. More specifically, we got to know a little about PHPFox 4.2. The online community builder used to come in two flavours; Neutron, their latest offering, and Nebula, their classic flagship platform. Now, though, they've left classic stuff in the past, and are now pressing forward with a unified, modernized platform.Now, close to the date promised, PHPFox 4.2 has landed, And it brings with it a nice range of new features and apps. Let's take a closer look.<h2>Easier Theme Customization</h2>PHPFox's theme manager now includes much easier customization and theme management options.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/theme-manager.png" alt="theme manager" />Also, IM chat and Video apps are now available in the AdminCP, thus making management of those apps easier. PHPFox users can find tutorials for enabling these in newly improved PHPFox <a target="_blank" href="https://docs.phpfox.com/display/FOX4MAN/phpFox+4+User+Manual">knowledge base</a>.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/video-main.png" alt="video main" />The PHPFox team has also has added Facebook Connect, Google reCAPTCHA and Twemoji to the core product as apps.<h2>More Breaks for Developers &amp; Pricing Adjustment On The Way</h2>A few months back, <a href="/phpfox-appoints-sales-community-manager-scraps-developer-fee/">PHPFox scrapped all developer fees in order to encourage third party app and theme development</a>. With PHPFox 4.2, more benefits have rolled in for those same developers.PHPFox's Bootstrap theme is now the product's core default theme, a move which PHPFox hopes will help them fully extend their theme system in a more modern way.Clients and developers are able to make themes based on Bootstrap, while Sync CSS has been integrated into the upgrade process to make it easier for upgrading. Theme changes can also be exported and imported whenever needed.The PHPFox Apps system has been improved, too. Third party developers that have made V3 modules can now easily make them available as apps for V4 clients.Plus, <a href="/phpfox-introduces-new-knowledgebase/">PHPFox's new knowledge base</a> is almost complete, with tutorials for developers nearing publication.As for future updates, PHPFox seem optimistic about what's yet to come:<blockquote>“We’ve got more coming folks! This is just the tip of the iceberg. For those that stuck around, you’ll be ecstatic with what’s coming and in your choice to hold course. For those thinking about purchasing, you might as well do it now as our pricing will be changing as mentioned in earlier blog posts.”</blockquote>I'd consider that as a confirmation and final warning that PHPFox is about to get a little more expensive. So, if you're considering it for your project, I'd act sooner rather than later.To take PHPFox for a spin, check out their <a target="_blank" href="https://v4.phpfox.com/">live demo</a>.To find out more about PHPFox 4.2, <a target="_blank" href="http://blog.phpfox.com/2016/01/27/phpfox-4-2-0-released/">check out the official blog announcement</a>.

PHPFox 4.2: New Features, Further Breaks for Developers & Pricing Set to Change

Dropbox, the darling of the online storage industry (and my personal choice for online storage), has announced some significant changes to it's online storage service. Pro members ($9.99 / month for those of you who are unaware) are now being upgraded from 100 GB of storage to 1 Terabyte (1,000 GB) of storage for the same cost.Dropbox is also introducing some additional features such as:<h3>New and improved sharing controls</h3>The ability to collaborate easily  is one of the reasons people choose Dropbox Pro, but there's always been room for improvement and Dropbox has listened to their customers by implementing more control over sharing with the following new capabilities:<ul><li>Passwords for shared links create an additional layer of security so only people with the password can access your link.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.dropbox.com/help/5888">Expirations for shared links</a> safeguard your sensitive files by letting you set how long your links stay up.</li><li>View-only permissions for shared folders let you pick whether recipients can edit or just view files within your shared folder.</li></ul><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/password-protected-links963x0.png" /><h3>Lost your device? Now you can safeguard your Dropbox data.</h3><a target="_blank" href="https://www.dropbox.com/help/4227">Remote wipe</a> lets you delete your Dropbox files from a lost or stolen device without damaging your Dropbox data. This is handy for those occassions where you lose a laptop or device that has synced data via Dropbox and you want to ensure it's not compromised.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/remote-wipe963x0.png" />So, in addition to the awesome 10x the extra space upgrade that they are giving pro users, you now get these other awesome features as well. For those of you wondering where your additional space is, according to the email from Dropbox, it will update automatically to reflect the space increase in the next couple days. You don’t have to do a thing.Visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.dropbox.com/pro">www.dropbox.com/pro</a> to sign up.

Dropbox Boosts Pro Plan to 1TB Storage

You’re launching a new business and you want to create a mobile application for you or your customers? Many tools exist to achieve it, but do you know the differences between them and what it implies for your business?
Indeed, you will have to choose between two main actors of the App creation market:
●The SaaS App Maker Solution (DIY)
●The Open-source App Maker solution (CMS)
When you create a new website or a smartphone Application, you can either decide to subscribe to a company which will provide you an access to their software and build what you want online in a renting optic, or you can download an open-source software that you will own and host on your server.
Off the totality of the web sites, more than 70% are created via a professional process by pro-developers platforms in open-source. These platforms offer great tools for building complex websites including custom design and CMS such as WordPress, Joomla and Drupal. One of these CMS actors stands out: WordPress, by powering more than 26.4% of the web with a total of 59.4% market share. On the contrary, only 3% of the websites are created via a SaaS process.
One can think using a DIY online tool can be a good option in term of quality and price ratio. However that's not the good approach when it comes to creating your marketing and communication tools. It's like launching a restaurant and choose to create your menu depending on what you can cook with this ready-to-use kitchen. That's the opposite way to succeed. The way that leads every business to succeed is to think “bottom-up”: What is the market looking for? What can I bring to my clients to differentiate my business in this crowded market? etc. and then to build the right solutions from the ideas that emerged. Obviously, cost saving is a good thing because your business needs to be profitable, but it must not be THE thing that leads your marketing strategy.
Thus, if you take a closer look, the DIY tools might not be the ideal solution for your business. As outlined by Dave Sloan, <a href="https://medium.com/@dave_sloan/why-hasnt-the-website-builder-market-been-platformized-by-diy-tools-748ec864d025">businesses have rejected DIY tools</a> regarding the websites market, and these data from Datanize highlight this rejection:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/picture1762x0-is.png" /> Top ten technologies used for creating websites (source: )
If this is the case for the website creation market, what about the Apps creation market? For now, the SaaS dominates this market in full expansion thanks to its ease of use and its cost that seems really affordable even for a small business.
But a connexion can be made between the website and the mobile app markets. Here are the three reasons why we advise you to use an open-source <a href="https://www.siberiancms.com/">app maker</a>.
1. Customization possibilities
A SaaS provider will give you access to all the features they developed on the App builder, so you will be able to develop your application using these features. However, if you want to add a new feature to your application, you must be patient because you won’t be able to add anything before they develop it. That’s one of the biggest mistake of the SaaS solution. So, if a client wants to add a feature to his application that the company hasn’t developed yet, you will have to tell him that it’s not possible…
The positive point of the SaaS solution is the simplicity of use of these app makers. Indeed, the DIY tools allow you to create beautiful applications with a great design without any design or technical development skills.
Nevertheless, many companies try the trial version of the SaaS app maker but finally decide to opt for an open-source app maker because of this lack of customization.
Indeed, with a CMS solution you have a total control on your application. As indicated in the name, when you download an open-source software, the full source code of the software is delivered to you and you can edit it on your own, so you have the features offered with the software, but you can build your own ones. For example, you have a restaurant and you want to add features for your client’s orders? Don’t wait, you can do it if you have the skills needed or you can contact an agency, an independent developer or a freelancer to develop it for you.
Some DIY online tools provide options for adding your own features and creating your own customizations, but most of the time these developments have to be shared with other users. When you own an agency, your clients' privacy is gold and sharing what you've done for a specific client is something that cannot be considered. You may prefer an environment that is secured, where you can create the specific customizations needed by your client rather than exposing all of these changes to other users or, even, competitors.
Keep in mind that if a software is downloaded and used by a high number of people, a community is created and developers can create and share new features with each other. It avoids dependence on the company which created the software, and makes of this open-source software a tool in constant evolution.
DIY online tools have one goal: simplification. 99% of the users have absolutely no technical knowledge and want to create simple solutions. The ones who want to develop more complex tools or even who have specific requirements understand quickly they have to use other services. Open-source app makers can be seen as easy-to-use solutions as well, however, thanks to the community behind, more tools are brought to you to extend the overall possibilities, providing you a larger range of features and options.
2. Reliability
When you use a SaaS App Maker, it means that you rent a software, you’re not the owner of this software and you only use it as a “tenant”. You will pay a monthly subscription and will be able to use it on your own within the barriers the company set up.
But what if the company decides to go out of business? What does your mobile application become then? You will basically risk losing everything because the app will be hosted on your provider’s server.
Even if you’ve published your application, once your provider shuts it down you may lose everything you built. And it will not be professional to explain to your customer that their website or application doesn’t work anymore because your provider is out of business and you can’t do anything against that.
An open-source app maker means that you own the software, so you will not be dependent from your provider as you would be in the case of an online platform. Even if the company goes out of business, you still have access to your application(s).
No worries, that does not mean that you’re all alone once you purchased the software! Basically, an open-source software is maintained by the team who created it, and they’re all open to help you if you have an issue with the software, unlike with the SaaS solution where the people’s “contribution” is only the technology and the design of the app creator they brought, so don’t wait for them for specific support for your project, you won’t get it.
With an open source App builder, the company which provides you the CMS will support you with the issues encountered. Hundreds of developers are also available all over the Internet if you want to fix any issue or add any specific feature. In addition to that, they often have forums, blogs, videos and much more so you can Google an issue to find a fix by yourself.
3. Build an asset for your company
Another important point in the choice of your provider: the propriety question. Indeed, when you get a subscription to a DIY tool, the software doesn’t belong to you so you don’t create a real added value for your company. To be clearer if you want to sell your company, the only thing you’ll be able to put forwards will be your clients because your application is your provider’s propriety.
No need to tell you that the best solution for your business is an open-source app maker. Indeed, you will own the software as well as the application you will have launched so no need to ask about the propriety question.
You should think about it as an investment and the risks behind it. You buy something that will bring you money back. By subscribing to an online platform, you only rent a product and you will have to give it back if the company stops their activity or if you want to go out of business and sell your company.
There are many reasons why you should opt for a open-source software, and if yours aren’t explained in this article, we would be glad to hear them! Whatever your motivations are, this is not by chance that the deviation of use for the website creation is so important between the open-source and the SaaS process. And the app building market will obviously follow the same path.
<a href="https://www.siberiancms.com/">Download Siberian CMS, free and open-source app maker</a>

Advantages of Choosing an Open-Source App  Builder

We last reviewed Concrete5 in 2009 when it came onto the scene with a bang. Designers everywhere reacted to this new CMS with mixed feelings. Most of the people who tried it, were blown away and loved it. Today, we've gone back and put together a more current Concrete5 Review for you.
There were a lot of WordPress and Joomla fans who were unimpressed with the way the system was being marketed at the time. Concrete5's fearless leader, <a href="/concrete5-founder-franz-maruna-interview/" target="_blank">Franz Maruna</a>, was quick to point out that his system was better than the big two (Drupal and Joomla) and wasn't mincing words about it. This, of course, set off a lot of people on a “how dare you?” tirade that only served to market Concrete5 further and peak people's interest.
Whatever side you were/are on, there is no denying that 2 years later, this system is thriving and still seeing large numbers of people converting to it.
How does Concrete5 stack up? Let's take a look.
First off, Concrete5 has a couple of options for those interested in using it. You can get it hosted on their own servers for pricing ranging from $45 / month and up. Alternatively, you can just download it and put it on your own server. It's always good to have options.
<h3>Working with the System</h3>
When you first use Concrete5, you will be presented with your standard page once you've logged into their admin interface. Being that Concrete5 was primarily designed to allow you to work with the page as you see it, all of the tools are available in a toolbar along the top of your site.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen-shot-2011-04-16-at-6_52_41-am-580x322.png" alt="Concrete5 Review" />
Clicking on the Edit Page button on the toolbar enables edit mode which lets you begin working with the content and layout.
Edit mode is shown below:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen-shot-2011-04-16-at-6_53_23-am-580x299.png" alt="Concrete5 Review" />
As you can see, the toolbar along the top has changed to provide you with options available for edit mode. Hovering over an editable area (defined by the red outline around the content) and clicking will bring up a context menu which options to work within that area.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/gutensite-about-the-company-700-620x435_tangne.jpg" alt="Concrete5 Review" />
Clicking Edit brings up the applicable properties page (or editor if you have selected a text area) with which you can modify the area in question. In this case, we're going to take a look at the navigation bar.
<img style="max-width:521px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/gutensite-what-makes-us-unique-700-620x442_bpmpur.jpg" alt="Concrete5 Review" />
For this area, we're given options to work with and modify the navigation of the site. Any time you click on the edit when working with C5, you'll be given the applicable dialog box depending on the type of area you select.
For instance, should you choose to edit a content area that contains a slider of images, you'll see a dialog such as the one below:
<img style="max-width:561px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/gutensite-sign-up-info-700-620x529_rhvetm.jpg" alt="Concrete5 Review" />And of course, choosing a content area will give you a pop up WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor window:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/gutensite-sign-up-design-700-620x484_v6dbtl.jpg" alt="Concrete5 Review" />
Accessing the Page Properties button on the toolbar opens the settings for the page you are on.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/gutensite-control-panel-dashboard-700-620x544_qlpxjy.jpg" alt="Concrete5 Review" />
Concrete5 has implemented meta tag functionality on a per page basis, so if you want to edit the Meta Keywords, Description or Title you can do so on the Custom Attributes tab of the above window. You can also add your own attributes should you choose to do so.
On the Speed Settings tab, you can modify your caching options to either full or off and how much time the page is cached for. What's nice is that you can set this on each and every page at will.
On the Design button on the top toolbar, you are given the ability to modify the page type and/or choose a theme to apply to the page.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/gutensite-control-panel-tour-content-700-620x457_ffkzqt.jpg" alt="Concrete5 Review" />
The Permissions button is pretty obvious and allows you to modify who can and cannot see the page. C5 also has built in versioning, meaning you are able to work on a page but revert to an old revision if you need to do so. This is an extremely useful function and has been well implemented. You can access your revisions from the Versions button on the toolbar.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/gutensite-control-panel-basic-page-700-620x550_wmavj9.jpg" alt="Concrete5 Review" />
Concrete5 also has a dashboard where you can make modifications to global settings and see site statistics. It can be accessed using the Dashboard button on the toolbar and looks like this:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/gutensite-basic-page-700-620x899_os6lbs.jpg" alt="Concrete5 Review" />
Look familiar? For some of you who've used WordPress, you'll note that the C5 dashboard is very reminiscent of the popular blogging platform. Is this a bad thing? Not at all, if you see something that works, then follow suit and there's no harm in that.
On the dashboard, you can instantly see site statistics and a number of other areas that you can navigate. Starting from the top, the Sitemap button is pretty straightforward and gives you a birds-eye view of your site in a sitemap. Next in line is the File Manager where you can upload and work with the various files on your site.  The Reports button should show you any data from forms or logs you may have on your site. When attempting to use it on our demo system, it told us we had created no forms. It wasn't immediately obvious how to do so, but thanks to C5's great documentation, we quickly found out the process. If you want to know, here's the how-to: (<a href="http://www.concrete5.org/documentation/general-topics/add_a_form" target="_blank">Creating forms in C5</a>).
Users and Groups lets you modify access rights and privileges to the site and worked as expected.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/gutensite-profile-list-700-620x466_tnkasn.jpg" alt="Concrete5 Review" />
Next down the list are Scrapbooks which is a rather interesting feature. Here's a video explaining how they work: <a href="http://vimeo.com/3023508" target="_blank">Concrete5 – Scrapbooks</a>.
In a nutshell:
<blockquote>Everyone on the site gets their own “clipboard” if you will, we call it the scrapbook. When you roll over any block in edit mode, you can Copy to Scrapbook on it and save it to your personal scrapbook.
Later, if you're on another page and want the same block, instead of adding a new block you can choose Paste from Scrapbook and see a list of all the blocks you've saved for later.
When you add a block from your personal scrapbook you are making a new instance of that block. That means this is totally not useful if you want to have the same block show up in many placed but be editable from a single location.</blockquote>
Pages and Themes are pretty obvious. Here you can access and apply various page templates and themes to your site.
The Add Functionality option lets you connect your site to the Concrete5 marketplace. The marketplace is a community addons repository where you can search and purchase / download addons and theme for the system.
Under System and Maintenance, you are able to perform backups, see scheduled jobs, and more.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/gutensite-control-panel-profile-700-620x550_o0rshi.jpg" alt="Concrete5 Review" />
Last but not least, Sitewide Settings does just what it says and lets you configure your site to your hearts content.
<h3>Conclusions</h3>
In testing the demo on Concrete5, we found the system to be sleek, responsive, and easy to use. What's interesting is how it's akin to what you would find inexpensive commercial products but you can get it for free. The inline editing is a pleasure to work with and the system seems powerful and responsive. Can it be compared with Joomla and Drupal? I think it's a different type of CMS. One that is in a different realm from these two and as such, comparing them would be fruitless. Concrete5 was designed to be easy, you can see it in the way the system works and the logical way everything just does what is expected.
It's a fun system to use and with the growing number of add-ons and themes, it's getting better all the time.
One thing that should always be considered is how well the pages generated by the system are coded and whether or not they validate properly. One small concern we found is that when submitting the demo system we were using with no modifications by us to the W3C validator, it came back with an error.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/gutensite-profiles-details-700-620x829_ehwhem.jpg" alt="Concrete5 Review" />
Now, before you jump to conclusions, this is a pretty minor validation error. Hopefully, the team at C5 see this and quickly correct it. Having said that, it would have been more reassuring to see none at all but this wouldn't be a major fix.
Overall, we think C5 is definitely a top contender for those looking for easy customization and a great community. If you want to try it out, you can do so on their <a href="http://www.concrete5.org/about/trial/" target="_blank">demo site</a>.
You can download the system from here: <a href="http://www.concrete5.org/" target="_blank">Concrete5</a>

Concrete5 Review

<a href="http://www.nopcommerce.com/?utm_source=cmscritics&amp;utm_medium=top-link&amp;utm_campaign=390-released">nopCommerce</a>, a free open source ASP.NET MVC based eCommerce platform, has recently released its 3.90 version. The latest version contains significant improvements in performance optimization, in marketing and content management functionality, and in the admin area UI and UX.
Many ideas for the product improvement are coming from <a href="http://www.nopcommerce.com/boards/?utm_source=cmscritics&amp;utm_medium=boards-link&amp;utm_campaign=390-released">nopCommerce community</a>, and it’s really great to see support from the partners and nopCommerce developers from all over the world.
Some of the 3.90 version highlights are explained below.
Compliance with PCI DSS 3.2 requirements
In order to fit PCI DSS 3.2, the following policies must be followed:
<ul>
<li>password attempt failure lock-out must be supported;</li>
<li>password must be changed at least once every 90 days;</li>
<li>password must be unique i.e. it's not allowed to submit one of the previously used passwords.</li>
</ul>
All of these options are integrated in nopCommerce and are fully configurable.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/11100x0-is.png" />
Extended discount functionality
In the 3.90 version, many marketing and content management features were improved.
One of the new enhancements is the discount requirement groups. These groups support complex requirements with multiple rules. The requirements are set using boolean logic. For instance, if a discount should be assigned to a particular customer role or in case a customer had spent certain amount, etc.
<a name="_crfwu4wvym4y"></a> <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2.png" />
<a name="_cjvq5id9ybx1"></a>Moreover, the new nopCommerce version allows shoppers to apply unlimited number of discount codes to one order.
<a name="_t9me2l8cy7g9"></a> <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/3.png" />
Product stock changes tracking
<a name="_vmu09vp0j6eb"></a>In previous versions of nopCommerce, it was possible to check product stock quantity only on the main product info page, and stock changes could be tracked only by viewing each order containing this product. It was not really convenient, so a dedicated Stock quantity history tab was created. Now a store owner can find all the required information on product stock quantity, its changes, and orders with the product at one place.
<a name="_4d34og8"></a> <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/4.png" />
<a name="_c9r2g6lb44i3"></a>
<a name="_39j80bwvqr0"></a>For products that are out of stock store owners will now be able to display an approximate number of days in which the product will be available again, instead of general “out of stock” message used in the previous versions.
<a name="_oy79xordtvoq"></a> <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/5.png" />
Reward points usage delay
The new version eliminates the necessity of reward points activation immediately after they were calculated. A store owner can set up a period after which the earned points become active.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/6.png" />
<a name="_2cxmyvlykga1"></a>
Performance optimization
The speed of loading user agents was increased and memory usage was reduced, so now sites require much less memory. In 3.90 version, cache discounts between requests. Previously all discounts were loaded for each HTTP request.
Some other improvements
<ul>
<li><a name="_vfx8oo9a6pat"></a>Product reviews admin replies. The 3.90 version enables store owners to leave responses directly to each customer comment, so they are not getting lost in a single thread of all messages.</li>
<li><a name="_p7ww4ermmwhj"></a>Message templates with conditions. Now store owners can add conditions to message templates. For example, shipping address can be hidden in the emails when shipping is not required.</li>
<li><a name="_sot7dfjmuot"></a>Custom order number. An order number can now be customized. For example, it’s possible to add some prefix or date.</li>
<li><a name="_ab4l1ndjymiy"></a>Access limitation for plugins usage. In the new nopCommerce version, a store owner can limit access to plugins per customer role in ACL or in a plugin editing window. This option allows to show only needed plugins for different customer roles.</li>
<li><a name="_el9vevvxjzu0"></a>File attachments in the product return form</li>
<li><a name="_rrj2u7urph5g"></a>And more…</li>
</ul>
You can read the full release notes here: <a href="http://www.nopcommerce.com/releasenotes.aspx?utm_source=cmscritics&amp;utm_medium=release-notes-link&amp;utm_campaign=390-released">nopCommerce Release Notes</a>.

Overview of new features in nopCommerce 3.90

Power your CMS on AWS

Manage your websites & apps in the most trusted cloud.

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TYPO3 CMS version 8 LTS is now available. The release features major speed improvements and easier workflows for everyday tasks. The TYPO3 CMS core team will support this Long-Term Support version for three years. Built on PHP version 7, the CMS version delivers a great increase in speed compared to previous versions. PHP 7 is on average twice as fast as PHP 5.6.
Form builder
TYPO3 now includes a mature and flexible form builder, enabling editors to create complex forms. The user friendly interface makes it possible to create multi-column field groups and multi-page forms.The form builder provides full control over where form data is stored and sent. The builder must be configured only once per installation, using the popular YAML markup language.
Image processing for responsive images
Modern websites must be optimized for mobile devices, such as mobile phones and tablets. An important requirement is the possibility to present different image versions depending on the screen size (i.e. responsive images). In the new TYPO3 8 LTS, editors can interactively select and configure responsive image versions. Each image version can be individually cropped. Editors can even define focus areas, specifying what part of the image is most important.
Flexible options for multiple languages
One of TYPO3’s greatest strengths is the flexible support for multilingual web applications, including content inheritance between languages. TYPO3 8 LTS extends the multi-language features further: Editors are now able to define which content element fields will be inherited or overwritten when translating. While this could previously only be configured once, for the entire installation, it can now be defined for individual elements. The decision is up to the editor creating the content.
New rich text editor for text input
The rich text editor, the component that allows the editor to enter and format text, is one of the most important parts of a content management system. In the TYPO3 8 LTS release the legacy editor technology has been replaced with the state-of-the-art CKEditor. The effort involved in configuring the editor has been greatly reduced.
More features for editors 
Other features improving the editors’ workflow include search engine and user-friendly links in the core. Page titles, files, and extension records are now displayed instead of cryptic numbers.
Supporting more database engines and cloud solutions
Most content management systems use a database to store their data. In many parts of the PHP world, the database abstraction layer “Doctrine” is used to connect with databases of almost any type. Both easy to learn and popular, Doctrine is a framework known to most PHP developers. With Doctrine, TYPO3 CMS now supports a long list of database engines, such as MySQL as well as software popular with enterprise solutions, such as PostgreSQL (aka. Postgres) and Microsoft SQL.
The number of cloud-hosted websites has increased rapidly over the last few years. TYPO3 8 LTS is cloud-ready and can be installed on a variety of cloud solutions, such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
New features for integrators and developers
Many features have been implemented in the TYPO3 core over the last 18 months. In order to further improve the experience for developers, popular PHP standards and technologies, such as PSR-1 to PSR-7, Guzzle and Symfony, are being used.
Thanks to a modernized core, developers and integrators can now make the user interface even easier for editors. It is possible to add information about how to use a field on the current web site or generate a live preview based on the data entered.
When debugging complex HTML templates, integrators now have one-click access to the template files used when rendering individual areas of the web page. This simplifies and speeds up troubleshooting and template enhancements.
Long-term upgrades and support
TYPO3 CMS 8 LTS is a Long-Term Support release, and will be supported with maintenance and troubleshooting until April 2022 and regular security and important bug fix releases until April 2020. Existing installations can be upgraded directly from TYPO3 7 LTS. Any installation running a previous version must first be upgraded to this version.
Screenshots
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/image_manipulation506x0-is.png" />

<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/improved_validation546x0-is.png" />

More information about TYPO3 CMS is available at <a href="https://typo3.org/news/article/miles-ahead-typo3-v8-lts-is-here/" target="_blank">https://typo3.org/news/article/miles-ahead-typo3-v8-lts-is-here/</a>.

TYPO3 CMS 8 LTS now available

On July 2nd 2013, Koken released version 0.9 of their popular content management system, built from the ground up for Photographers, designers and other creative media publishers.
Koken 0.9 brings about an array of over 50 updates relating to image editing, media organization, essay presentation and social sharing. Let's now delve into the most exciting features of Koken's latest update.
<h2>Featured Images &amp; Essays</h2>
One of the updates brought about by Koken 0.9 is featured images, which can be assigned to different essays and pages. Users can now quickly and easily insert images from their media library into various content, which prompts Koken to assign it as the featured image for that particular publication.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/1.png" alt="Koken 0.9" />
Additionally, Koken 0.9 brings about the ability to set featured essays, allowing users to display a certain essays in a way which is more distinct, and will thus draw the direct attention of their website visitors.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2.png" alt="Koken 0.9" />
Users can now simply click the star next to any essay to give it its featured status. Koken has also updated the vast majority of its themes in compliance with this feature, to allow all-round featured essay support and display capability.
<h2>Image Focal Points</h2>
Like many themes across a variety of CMS, Koken's templates often crop images to fit certain thumbnail and page sizes. Previously, images may have been cropped in a way which removes the focus of the picture itself. For example, faces or wording which hold value may have been cropped out of the image altogether. 
As a solution, Koken 0.9 introduces an image “Focal Point” tool, which allows users to pinpoint an area within an image which must always kept within the frame, even after cropping. This ensures that all forms of cropping never negatively affects the impact of the image.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/3.png" alt="Koken 0.9" />
<h2>Better Media Organization</h2>
Photographers and others who wish to upload large amounts of images and other types of media will be happy to see Koken's improvements relating to media organization, searching and general management.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/4.png" alt="Koken 0.9" />
Users are now able to search and sort their content by filename, displaying media is ascending and descending order. Additionally, a “Reverse Order” button has been added, which flips the order or albums, making older uploads easier to locate.
<h2>Improved HTML Editing</h2>
Koken 0.9 also presents a completely revamped HTML editor. The new editor offers features such as syntax highlighting, code completion and the ability for users to view their changes in both edit modes. Essentially, the HTML editor provides an instant preview of the changes being made.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/5.png" alt="Koken 0.9" />
<h2>Tumblr Sharing</h2>
Also amongst Koken's new features, is the ability to share content directly to the extremely popular social network, <a href="/could-tumblr-become-the-next-cms-powerhouse/">Tumblr</a>.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/6.png" alt="Koken 0.9" />
The Tumblr sharing option has been added to Koken's default themes, as well as the Library section located within Koken's administration console. This allows users to publish content to Tumblr without ever having to leave their admin panel.
<h2>Additional Features</h2>
In addition to the new features and capabilities mentioned above, Koken 0.9 also introduces changes such as, RSS feed improvements, navigational enhancements, slideshow titles &amp; captions, and much more.
Also, just hours after the release of Koken 0.9, a much smaller update in the form of <a href="http://blog.koken.me/essays/2013/07/koken-091-released/">Koken 0.9.1 was a</a><a href="http://blog.koken.me/essays/2013/07/koken-091-released/">nnounced</a>, which fixed a number of minor issues relating to the previous burst of updates and enhancements.
For further information on the changes we have highlighted, and a full list of Koken 0.9's CMS features and updates, check out <a href="http://help.koken.me/customer/portal/articles/848339-release-notes">Koken's official release notes</a>.

Koken 0.9 - Feature Roundup

Win One of Three Premium Templates in the <a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/" target="_blank">TemplateMonster</a> Giveaway Today, our friends from TemplateMonster are giving our readers an exclusive opportunity to win ANY template from their huge inventory.
The giveaway of 3 TemplateMonster templates starts on 28 January, 2016, and its deadline is 4 February, 2016. Three lucky winners will be chosen at random, and each of them will get one template of their choice. Would you like to upgrade your site for free? Then, read on to find out how to win a premium TM template.
<h2>How to Win</h2>
To take part in the giveaway, visit the TemplateMonster marketplace, choose any template you like and simply leave a comment with its ID, e.g. “I’d like to win the template #58381.” Follow the quick links below.
<ul>
<li>To win a WordPress theme, <a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/wordpress-themes.php?utm_source=cmscritic&amp;utm_medium=giveaway&amp;utm_campaign=cmscriticblog" target="_blank">click here</a> and choose a design from 1700+ unique options.</li>
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<li>To pick a design for a Drupal-powered site, <a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/drupal-themes.php?utm_source=cmscritic2&amp;utm_medium=giveaway&amp;utm_campaign=cmscriticblog" target="_blank">browse an assortment</a> of 450+ themes.</li>
<li>Those of you who want another kind of template should go to <a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/?utm_source=cmscritic3&amp;utm_medium=giveaway&amp;utm_campaign=cmscriticblog" target="_blank">templatemonster.com</a> and select the design suitable for your particular needs.</li>
</ul>
Keep in mind that it’s important to provide a valid address for your email. We’ll use it to contact you and tell you the details of how to get your prize, should you be a winner.
<h2>About TemplateMonster</h2>
What’s notable about TemplateMonster is a diverse inventory of 30,000 ready-made templates and 13 years of experience behind the company.
Since 2002, TemplateMonster has released templates for different sites (e-stores, blogs, portfolios), CMSs (WordPress, Joomla, Drupal), eCommerce platforms (PrestaShop, Magento, WooCommerce) and niches (business, fashion, food, etc). With such a wide range of designs available, you will quickly find the right option for your individual requirement.
<h2>Examples of TemplateMonster Templates</h2>
Take a look at some TemplateMonster templates to learn more about the prize you can win.
Example of WordPress Themes
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/monstroid-wordpress-theme-1744x0-is.jpg" />
<a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/demo/55555.html?utm_source=cmscritic4&amp;utm_medium=giveaway&amp;utm_campaign=cmscriticblog" target="_blank">Demo</a> | <a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/wordpress-themes/monstroid/?utm_source=cmscritic5&amp;utm_medium=giveaway&amp;utm_campaign=cmscriticblog" target="_blank">More Info</a>
Monstroid is a multipurpose, eCommerce-ready theme supplied with innovative backend features, particularly a static area builder, CSS minifier, shortcode template editor, etc.
It’s also integrated with premium plugins for different purposes, e.g. drag-and-drop editing, creation of responsive slides, and more. With Monstroid, you have access to multiple free extras including 45 child themes, 50 professional images, and lifetime updates.
Example of Joomla Templates
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wegy-joomla-template748x0-is.jpg" /> <a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/demo/53576.html?utm_source=cmscritic6&amp;utm_medium=giveaway&amp;utm_campaign=cmscriticblog" target="_blank">Demo</a> | <a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/joomla-templates/53576.html?utm_source=cmscritic7&amp;utm_medium=giveaway&amp;utm_campaign=cmscriticblog" target="_blank">More Info</a>
Wegy is a multipurpose Joomla template packed with a wide range of pre-designed pages. They include 5 homepage versions, 3 blog page versions, 2 versions of contact, about, FAQ and portfolio pages, etc.
The template also comes with a rich set of features such as a form builder, parallax effect, video backgrounds, page loader with a logo, and much more. A pre-defined newsletter template will come in handy for your email marketing needs.
Example of Drupal Themes
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/rocket-design-drupal-template709x0-is.jpg" /> <a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/demo/55557.html?utm_source=cmscritic8&amp;utm_medium=giveaway&amp;utm_campaign=cmscriticblog" target="_blank">Demo</a> | <a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/drupal-themes/55557.html?utm_source=cmscritic9&amp;utm_medium=giveaway&amp;utm_campaign=cmscriticblog" target="_blank">More Info</a>
This Drupal theme is tailored for design agencies, but can be customized for any other site. Its dynamic design boasts a sticky menu, parallax header, video background, square-tiled gallery, Google map and many other must-have features of today.
This responsive and retina-ready design can provide a flawless performance of your site on different mobile devices.
Don’t overlook the fact that these three templates are given just as examples. You can choose any other design that fits your individual needs. So, choose the desired template, leave a comment, cross your fingers, and wait for an announcement of the giveaway results.
* * *
This post is sponsored by TemplateMonster. Find out more at <a href="http://www.templatemonster.com/" target="_blank">TemplateMonster.com</a>.

Win One of Three Premium Templates in the TemplateMonster Giveaway

The recently released Magnolia CMS 5 is the latest iteration of the open source Java CMS from Magnolia International Ltd.  With this release, a number of new features were introduced to make the overall experience a better one all around. Before we dive into what has changed, here's a quick overview video of the new version.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y-bjCo2M16Q?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Touch Inspired Interface for Tablets and PCs</h2>
One particularly nice feature of this new release is the introduction of a touch inspired interface that lets you work with Magnolia using swipe actions. This new interface exists for both PCs and touch devices.
Here is an example of how it works:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/tablet_action_bar_collapsed_detail_-_copy.png" />
Collapsed action bar on the iPad. The actions themselves are represented by touch-targeted squares.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/tablet_action_bar_uncollapsed_detail_-_copy.png" />
Swiping the action bar will make it collapse.
<h2>App Launcher</h2>
Magnolia 5 allows you to navigate between available Apps just like you would on a smartphone device using a springboard. It doesn't stop there, however. You can also create your own Apps to do things like update customer details, access records &amp; more.
Check out this video showcasing the Apps Launcher.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lGjTY37Vr-0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>The Pulse</h2>
The Pulse, as it's called, keeps you up-to-date with a continuous activity feed and discreet notifications. From this hub, you can receive updates on content status, comments, requests and warnings, as well as statistics and analytics.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-TrnxjDNZ_k?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Favorites</h2>
Magnolia 5 lets you create shortcuts (or favorites) to your most common tasks within the system. Whether it be creating a new website or creating a new offer, you can quickly add these functions to your favorites for future use and quick access. Even shortcuts to simply update your homepage will help you save time, ensure consistency and make it personal to you.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XKyoys9zSOM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Digital Asset Management</h2>
With Magnolia's Digital Asset Management, you can manage all of your digital assets, from images to videos and PDF files. The system allows you to upload, edit, crop, save, tag, categorize, resize, use and reuse your assets whenever you need them.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LWgEuDts_m8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Want to learn more about Magnolia 5? Check it out at <a href="http://www.magnolia-cms.com/">http://www.magnolia-cms.com/</a>

Magnolia CMS 5 Overview

WordPress is just a glorified blogging tool. Apparently.
The debate about WordPress' status has been raging for years now. Is it still just a blogging platform, or has it grown into a what can be described as a CMS?
It's a touchy subject for some, but I've always failed to see why. Today, I'm going to take you through my thought process regarding the debate, and why I believe WordPress is a CMS, whether people like it or not.
But more importantly, I'll discuss why – at the end of the day – the label barely even matters.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wplogoblue-stacked-rgb.png" alt="WordPress" />
<h2>Uniquely Positioned</h2>
Thanks to WordPress' incredible popularity, it has evolved in ways which other platform haven't.
<a href="http://w3techs.com/technologies/details/cm-wordpress/all/all" target="_blank">According to W3Techs</a>, WordPress is used by 60.6% of all the websites whose content management system we know. That's around 22.9% of all websites.
Unsurprisingly, WordPress has a massive community with members contributing to the sea of themes and plugins every day. Many of these contributions give WordPress brand new abilities. In fact, with some straightforward theme and plugin selection, you can build anything from real estate websites to online communities with WordPress.
Relevant to this, you can check out one of my previous articles, where I discussed how <a href="/wordpress-jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none/" target="_blank"> WordPress is the Jack of All Trades</a>.
This impressive flexibility and constant evolution puts WordPress in a unique position. It no longer occupies just the blogging niche. Instead, it has stretched itself out to be compatible with an extremely wide range of project types.
This stretching is what leads many to question WordPress' status as a CMS.
<h2>Modern Definitions Mean Little</h2>
As Mike Johnston, the founder of CMS Critic, <a href="/day-one-of-magnolia-conference-2014-personalization-apps-a-roundtable/" target="_blank"> pointed out at the Magnolia Conference 2014</a>, the term CMS has been polluted. Marketing teams from all over the world have thought up newer terms and fancier acronyms, changing people's view of what a CMS actually is.
Google's definition of choice though, taken from the Plone CMS website, hits the nail on the head:
<blockquote>“A content management system, or CMS, is a web application designed to make it easy for non-technical users to add, edit and manage a website.”</blockquote>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_management_system" target="_blank">Wikipedia's definition </a> is extremely similar, and they are both definitions which we can all agree with.
In addition to that, It would be completely fair to say that both definitions describe WordPress fairly well.
The issue arises when the stripped down, true meaning of “CMS” is blown up with unnecessary jargon. In reality, those definitions hold very little weight, other than when they describe added marketing or administrative extras. The fact of the matter is, WordPress fits the definition of a CMS perfectly.
<h2>What They're Saying</h2>
WordPress began life as a blogging tool, and the voices which continue to label it as such have been loud for years. So, I wanted to highlight the other opinion held in this fiery debate.
Here are some notable names and interesting stances:
<blockquote>“WordPress deserves a place on most CMS selection shortlists.” – Janus Boye, CEO of <a href="https://www.boye-co.com/blog/2013/2/18/wordpress-the-most-used-cms-in-the-world-and-still-not-good-enough">Boye &amp; Co</a></blockquote>
<blockquote>“Anyone who says that WordPress isn’t a “real” CMS is smoking something strong.” – Jason Mark, Smashing Magazine </blockquote>
<blockquote>“While the engineers are debating the merits of WordPress for applications, savvy organizations skipped the debate and moved on to actually building applications on top of WordPress. Because it was easy. Because it was free. Because it was there and it was possible. Because they had too much to accomplish to wait around in committee.” – Chris Lema, WPEngine </blockquote>
I think the quotes are self-explanatory. WordPress is holding its own in the world of CMS, because it offers everything a CMS should offer.
<h2>What They're Doing</h2>
In case the quotes above haven't convinced you, I'd also like to point out some of WordPress' more notable deployments. Not to showcase WordPress, but to demonstrate that it isn't just the choice of smaller companies.
WordPress helps power the online presence of <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/" target="_blank"> NASA </a> , <a href="http://www.forbes.com/" target="_blank"> Forbes </a> , <a href="http://www.ted.com/" target="_blank"> TED </a> , <a href="http://www.bbcamerica.com/" target="_blank"> BBC America </a> , <a href="http://techcrunch.com/" target="_blank"> TechCrunch </a> and many more. Those are big names, using WordPress beyond it's originally intended blogging tool status. And it's serving them well.
Of course, this isn't to say that WordPress is always the best choice. Being a confirmed CMS doesn't automatically mean that it should be used for every project.
Now, I'm not in madly in love with WordPress at the expense of any other platform. Far from it.
In fact, I wouldn't recommend it to be used for large-scale enterprise projects. There are better alternatives out there, many of which sit comfortably within the CMS category. As recently discussed, <a href="/wordpress-joomla-and-drupal-are-not-the-best-cms/" target="_blank">there is no best CMS</a>, and it's extremely important to understand your needs before selecting one – WordPress included.
Unfortunately, just as there are great examples of WordPress being used where a “normal” CMS would usually be active, there are also many examples of where WordPress has been incorrectly chosen as the CMS of choice.
But does that mean WordPress isn't a CMS? Not at all.
<h2>Nothing to See Here</h2>
As previously mentioned, WordPress is the jack of all trades.
It isn't particularly amazing in any niche other than blogging, and it sacrifices being a powerhouse when it comes to things like digital asset management for the sake of simplicity. Yet at the same time, WordPress is a content management system, and a good one at that.
So, maybe it's time everyody got over it.
It may not be the most sophisticated CMS, but WordPress does everything a CMS needs to do, and then some. Going back to the actual definition, it's clear to see that WordPress fits right in.
For small and medium sized websites, WordPress is worthy of consideration. For the larger stuff, it's not as well equipped as others – but it is equipped. Just like with any other CMS in the world, some projects suit it better than others.
So, there's really not much to see here. Just another CMS that works well in some cases, and not so well in others.
And on that note, I'll end with extremely relevant quote from <a href="http://jboye.com/" target="_blank"> Janus Boye</a>:
<blockquote>“My advice to the CMS Experts among the readers and anyone else reading these lines would be to stop discussing whether WordPress qualifies to be considered a CMS and instead move on and consider WordPress where it makes sense.”</blockquote>

WordPress is a CMS (Whether You Like it or Not)

Shopify - The global commerce platform

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The global commerce platform

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The global commerce platform