Articles - Page 79

Agentic AI for Agencies in 2026

bmckeiver

So WordPress and Wix are fighting one another – and I'm not talking about them competing for customers. Instead, the two website building heavyweights are having a brawl via the blogosphere.
Here's everything you need to know:
<h2>Matt Mullenweg Calls Out Wix</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wordpress_wix.png" />
A few days ago, WordPress' Founder Matt Mullenweg took to his blog to <a href="https://ma.tt/2016/10/wix-and-the-gpl/" target="_blank">directly attack Wix</a>. Here's why.
Mullenweg wrote that he downloaded <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wixcom-launches-wix-app-providing-a-powerful-mobile-operating-system-for-small-business-owners-store-owners-hoteliers-and-bloggers-around-the-world-300339448.html" target="_blank">Wix's new mobile app</a>, which boasts a blog post editor. To cut a long story short, he first claimed to feel a sense of déjà vu before outright accusing Wix of stealing WordPress' code. Yeah, it escalated quickly.
To be more specific, he accused Wix of stealing open source code that WordPress and the WordPress community had crafted for WordPress' own mobile editor.
How can you steal open source code, you ask? Well, Matt Mullenweg pointed out that although open source code is free to take and modify, the borrower must then release the finished product under the GPL license, making it (you guessed it!) open source.
But Wix didn't do that.
They took the code and integrated it into their proprietary mobile app, sealing the open source code behind closed doors. Obviously, that grinded the gears of WordPress' Founder.
In fact, it even led him to take digs at Wix for their WordPress-inspired beginnings (they used to be called WixPress). It was a tad brutal at times, actually:
<blockquote>
“If I were being charitable, I’d say, “The app’s editor is based on the WordPress mobile app’s editor.” If I were being honest, I’d say that Wix copied WordPress without attribution, credit, or following the license.”
</blockquote>
<h2>Avishai Abrahami Responds</h2>
Wix's Co-Founder and CEO Avishai Abrahami read Matt Mullenweg's rant, <a href="http://www.wix.com/blog/2016/10/dear-matt-mullenweg-an-open-letter-from-wix-coms-ceo-avishai-abrahami/" target="_blank">and responded</a>.
He retorted by saying that Wix has a <a href="https://github.com/wix" target="_blank">GitHub page</a> full of open source projects, and also by admitting that they did indeed delve into some of WordPress' open source code in order to build their app (which there's nothing wrong with).
He also had some nice things to say about WordPress' contribution to the internet, alluding to the point that Wix and WordPress should be on the same page, rather than at odds with one another.
Abrahami also indicated that the source code for Wix's new app will be released, although he didn't explicityly say that:
<blockquote>
“We always shared and admired your commitment to give back, which is exactly why we have those 224 open source projects, and thousands more bugs/improvements available to the open source community and we will release the app you saw as well.”
</blockquote>
At the same time, Abrahami defended his company. He made it clear that Wix had always been about website building, and that WordPress (in its original form) was about blogging alone:
<blockquote>
“…your business model changed to almost exactly the one we had for years. Can it be that you guys are borrowing from us? If so, again, you are welcome to it.”
</blockquote>
<h2>Matt Mullenweg Hits Back</h2>
In response to Abrahami, Matt Mullenweg updated his original blog post. Suffice it to say, he wasn't exactly satisfied with what Wix's CEO had to say.
There were some niceties in play, but you can sense the passive aggressive tone seeping between every line of Mullenweg's second swipe at Wix. He jibed at Mr Abrahami's lack of comments on his post, reiterated his points about GPL license violations, and
<blockquote>
“I said the app includes stolen code. It doesn’t matter if it’s 30 lines or 30 million lines: because it includes GPL code and you distributed the app, the entire thing needs to be GPL. If you release the entire app’s code, as I think you said you would, then that resolves the license violation.”
</blockquote>
<h2>What's Next?</h2>
Well, Mr Abrahami did offer to take Matt Mullenweg out for a coffee. I hope that happens, although I won't be holding my breath.
Mullenweg seems adamant that cordial relations will only resume once Wix release their app under the GPL license, freeing up all the code to to be accessed by everyone and anyone. Until that happens, I think we can expect these strained relations to remain as they are.
What's your take on the beef between WordPress and Wix?

WordPress and Wix Are Fighting About Open Source Software

mike-johnston

<a href="https://www.coastercms.org/">Coaster CMS</a> is a free, open source, and beacon-compatible CMS developed by <a href="https://www.web-feet.co.uk/">Web Feet Ltd</a> – a certified Google partner with over 16 years of experience.
Built upon Laravel PHP, Coaster CMS is aimed at independent developers and development agencies that handle large scale projects.
According to its website, Coaster CMS is, “the next generation of Content Management Systems” – which is a bold claim indeed.<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/booW2EgadoaASwQrts-3FJz6alqt3tJgPD-2o2GyhsojKxHGaeC-VmZQN-2YdlHEgjXwK8TSbjrrXFBF5jsVAwwWBbF_PbVWnCeXmp-hTjdV1EkzPjMvk23FmVMUJb42uFwohuaz" />
But as I explored the features of the platform, I began to see where the Coaster CMS team was coming from. Kind of.
I’ll tell you exactly what I mean by that throughout the course of this review. Let’s get started.
<h2>First Impressions</h2>
As always, I began my journey – as any user would – through the vendor’s website.
I found the Coaster CMS site to be bold, professional, and informative. All positive signs.
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/JWaKEsqF9OY33vZfjTdbCjZKrtudRW06Unv0ahi4kWFs1z2iVLcnsPedo537h64obj_tqljQ9755cELFb_5IskXz_VwR4f_G-mno_SLt2j06P6ihyU4skIteLqtNJdjbHwljNHDN" />
It also boasts an interesting chart pitting Coaster against WordPress and Joomla. To be fair to the Coaster CMS team, the results show no bias, and they aren’t attempting to preach that Coaster renders WordPress or Joomla useless.
Instead, it’s more about highlighting the areas that Coaster excels in, where the other two fall short.
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/sedV7bNOHpIflt2--hWjkvcBGsaiWNzt7CwNCEQLo5ZWmzxu-w8NUzAOgQ7dYMg4YmKAyappoRESybdQl0VRSx7djbkaPbN_5joBmdpr188qDkpWO_UuXH8V9W-0sLr-p7o02VQL" />
As you can see, the chart happily presents prominent areas where Coaster CMS isn’t so well-rounded. This level of honesty right there on the homepage is endearing, and I think it does a sound job of contextualizing Coaster CMS for those who aren’t familiar with it.
To get started, the platform is – as previously mentioned – free and open source, so you can <a href="https://www.coastercms.org/download">download Coaster CMS</a> directly from their website. Or, you can make use of their <a href="https://www.coastercms.org/demo">free online demo</a> which demonstrates most, if not all, of the platform’s functionalities.
<h2>Getting Started</h2>
I like a platform to wow me when I first arrive at the dashboard, but to be frank, Coaster CMS didn’t do that.
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LXGY3EzUy4XCUYbbM5ElKTEBW58T3dEurqmLOrGqIOL-H3nV91eDcKEqzT2DNaFniGEQ223hkUmJEP5NHCzKfphWb9NkAUIFNmSCCO5cMeijsDa7dh3o3-n0FnlcImc5jrT10Jpk" />
The only piece of information displayed is the site’s recent administrative updates, which is handy if you work as part of a team that regularly makes website changes. Other than that though, the Coaster CMS dashboard is quite bare indeed.
As for the default theme, I really liked it. It wasn’t your stereotypical white-washed plain Jane attempt at a template – Coaster CMS had given it some personality.
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KqmvbKLx-nzhLHY9uz4Wr2p8bCOfM8EkU5zQTM-bmgyjcXbhUoajjvVW0y2BttKNbR8_rnwXpQVEgu3vC11A1jf8ZGL_uuENP3jzJoaFCqvoWGDOJbk66lU8UslkSljZ8vYpI-Rk" />
However, I didn’t come across any design customization features, which is a shame. Although, do bear in mind that Coaster CMS isn’t geared towards small businesses in need of a website builder, it’s very much designed to be tinkered with via code.
<h2>Page Management</h2>
To manage a website’s pages, Coaster CMS has drafted in a tree page view system that has been adopted by a growing number of content management systems as of late.
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bC3DfXA_ZiUMQOXkdyyXEBIUwUdWF7uMrnkWOCpsLa_XsU2yHj5kIrZjRg44EyaT2KpscwGPMTBa-qCzMAZjZjcZ2qqFllCWLOOx0gfJqxMB7TTzlYbqNvTLO5Y1M0MgUTkaq_FF" />
It’s easy on the eyes, and gives you a clear overview of your site’s structure via a relatively small amount of screen space.
You can drag-and-drop pages around to adjust their positions, and you can also drag them into sub-page positions. An edit and preview button are both visible on the right-hand side.
You can also open and collapse sub-pages quickly and easily. Just as with the rest of the platform, it’s all very fast and responsive.
I also noticed that on the contact page – a page type which comes out of the box with Coaster CMS as opposed to having to install a plugin – you can quickly view submitted forms by clicking a button on the tree page interface.
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/k8MtzwRaYvJlUTumMmSmkVYG6L4M02aktC7Fj3-cMPd6NyEC_-xVa--fbB5A5VSON0zaz_JNNtqYPmmnl0vIcIaGpi_6RF-fxqb4Ki-3WWju9hjXN92JBxd_EUGCEYyCSQFOMoJS" />
When it comes to editing pages, Coaster CMS takes a very detailed approach. Content can be configured for the main area of the page, sidebars, and footers. SEO options are also available.
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/MsaiySLoVZhVCfTgCAGZQSOCI9ReH1QQBBFReApUBLLGi0CvRn_TAEhmcJMrTbkrlUjQ0rUgu1esLIlsyQmI6Lw5lcNvDa5RMfebG8Z3_aFiWbZRy5BoNCRWbCocEsERyMVnFVJY" />
The WYSIWYG editor was made up of all the standard stuff, as it should be. That includes image insertion, linking, aligning, font formatting, and so forth.
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/DDanA1LF2aGHNUkMSNZJh3BtOd3yAByUl_jU7yUQ3BiQHz7-qBK5S5A5mLHHkyz2kIDOQC7GF27JG5DwztUqEWk9kYCrNiA1hI2mVzsob6LermcE2F-J6n_BlrxayQomQ_wWtGHw" />
There was also an option to insert files from Coaster CMS’ file manager, and a video insertion tool that lets you find and embed YouTube videos without having to leave the Coaster CMS interface. It even uses YouTube’s search function to suggest similar videos to you – which is pretty cool.
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/R5vzxysu_LIoom6HOmIBoV3BuiXcHyTvUoUSNNQ2Ah_rumH99D2rr2WWZdrHhgJP3acCs0v5OKWTIgdumv3-ZfwBHkSCDGa09UepNe6m3xtPTbsv_hHbMXxNHKOy076Yh7syUnoM" />
<h3>Time Specific Pages</h3>
Here’s another feature I found interesting.
With Coaster CMS, you can make pages visible to the public during specific time periods only.
There are also repeat options available if you wish for pages to appear annually, weekly, monthly, and so on.
For example, you might want to specify one day of the year to offer a 50% off sale on all your products. With Coaster CMS, you can create a page to promote that sale in advance, and then configure it to automatically be accessible for just 24 hours on any chosen day of the year.
This can all be set when creating or editing a page, under the Page Info tab. (or using the versions tab for more complex rules with versioning turned on.)
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/n8MEUR1A8PkXhCQEnxZS1TueghVtb9oKiYR9M17AnUF7wbAJmH0E-1WDYddLK5TxtqmulpyWouZPWfmooLB-N4uqZISM_ykOxtRpbI-MKc4xBpYC4VRGP-2DcNAxIBQuFfiNdkmZ" />
<h3>Site-Wide Content</h3>
Coaster CMS also lets you configure site-wide content, including:
<ul>
<li>
Header HTML
</li>
<li>
Logo uploading
</li>
<li>
Banners
</li>
<li>
Scroll to the top text
</li>
<li>
Footer HTML, links, and other footer content
</li>
<li>
Meta title, description, and keywords
</li>
</ul>
This is all done via the Site-Wide Content page, which segments all of the above (and more) into five different tabs.
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/EztFDRqWdry2X1XY0uqx7qCOPHb26oc85ZpXkfGErMR7RAAGgtcDraUrcim6F7lx6vLuazPh8vIIFG8PKQF3X0WpaTKxGQJdj4E-8xju12PvAEEganjRtJLn47hqFDl3GUn6awyW" />
NB: some of these features may depend on the template you are using meaning that themes in Coaster can use a wide range of features as required by each website.
<h3>Menus</h3>
Coaster adopts a similar tree page view system to handle menus, which works nicely.
You can rename menu items, and specify the amount of sublevels you want to display to users all from the same interface.
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/zsByO0BPOdGV9ddbxDhNDa4kNvmoJm3k11YwpIDbbcixaTSS5YRRfJItgTwIyNJ6bJiX_dxdSlNNMLXGP10TbVT6NzXqkKV5QtlmgNuZ2A5sbJjwUU2XHOxVXz_O87sqIOTuldiH" />
<h2>Beacon Management</h2>
A beacon is a small Bluetooth transmitter that transmits a single signal that other Bluetooth-enabled devices can see.
By using beacons, brands can transmit marketing materials to people passing close by, alerting them to sales and information directly to their smartphones or other devices.
When it comes to beacons, Coaster CMS teams up with <a href="https://kontakt.io/">Kontakt.io</a> to produce the neccessary functionality.
Kontakt provides the hardware and software required to manage beacons, and Coaster CMS makes it easy to integrate it all with your website.
You’ll need to purchase beacons from Kontakt, and sign up for a free account to access their web panel, too. At the time of writing, that will set you back $60.00, which gets you three beacons.
Would it be even better if Coaster could offer all of this by itself? Yes, but that’s not really the point. Coaster CMS is the software that helps you align your beacon marketing efforts with your digital strategies. As such, I don’t expect it to be a hardware vendor too – although it would be pretty awesome if it was.
The Coaster CMS team are meeting this requirement through a separate solution called proximateapp.co.uk which will allow beacon purchases and pre-defined templates for users to quickly and easlily deploy beacons and make use of the unique Coaster features as an off the shelf solution.
Of course more complex solutions can be handled in a more bespoke manner using Coaster.
<h2>Extras</h2>
There aren’t many bells and whistles, but Coaster CMS does have a built in page redirection tool that’s simple yet effective.
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ynMJa_V_xs869LcjePkgTTl8dSmOTKbUpqLeRm9dWCGT9Ho5GqBzMLmgHC8QrYk3RL3qKiRDVwn-MTWprGQlArEDVvfgrxbo5tFP_syf35skh0sAEduJ4R4LNyrh_UUqWK3TcGB6" />
Furthermore, I noticed that the file manager was fairly feature rich, with folders, a variety of viewing options, detailed filtering, and a range of search options.
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/HAy2G4cYIEZta_saBOGGKefIopByBT4vCy-HaL7h_hlhBO5U3hH4dyN7Rh_WeV4NBfJZDxK1DbUepDG5Kn_1vvJ3eXb_1Ed447n6JgENw4Jet7gs50OHvLEvRgdVBtCz1-7k9Xp5" />
I also found additional options under System Settings. There, I could specify an administrator email, page limits, and a URL for a WordPress powered blog, which would be redirected to whenever users access the /blog/ page on my Coaster CMS site.
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/BgDJ5VXtNvSfK_c5Yqm823aXg-nyeLmITXZ-vMnMGN45sq2D9ODD8gN2-UFca7ffFczgyKFOvmygzJvY0WEumbj8rh_UibOaT53XwVWj_7Z-IX8NkXH4s0MHljZtszRwMRa3HvYJ" />
Unfortunately though, there is no native blogging functionality, which is something that a modern CMS should have, in my opinion.
This was originally done intentionally as the Coaster CMS team felt WordPress was so widely known as a blogging platform and could be used to supplement Coaster. However, version 5.3 of Coaster (line with the next release of Laravel) will address this with blogging in the default theme. This makes use of Coaster’s standard feature of multiple templates (depending on design) for varied blog post (page) designs.
There also seems to be no officially endorsed plugins or themes, which is an area I think the Coaster CMS team should focus on, given the platform’s open source nature of the platform.
After all, part of the greatness of being open source is all the useful extras that the community can come up with.
NB: Coaster CMS will be creating additional “Coaster CMS wrappers” for specific purposes, such as ecommerce and marketing. We will begin to encourage others to develop these “wrappers (or plugins) keeping the main framework code at their heart and adding features specific to a purpose to avoid bloat.
<h2>Getting Help</h2>
As far as <a href="https://www.coastercms.org/support">support</a> options go, Coaster CMS offers up some decent documentation for general user and developers.
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/bNDJurMVz8ntpLAl2B7jhCAyOcuU44RhVCk4XBg7unqoTVBl4P_pGFQ4q8hoCGJpDb9VS7Mvl-hXFeUW9F9Q367pFhorFiyD1u17tcxpzMAofqIXRoxZFUrdatNpi5gwSIIcn47w" />
Coaster CMS also boasts a <a href="https://github.com/Web-Feet/coastercms">GitHub</a> and <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/coastercms">StackOverflow</a> pages.
Other than that though, you’ll be hard pressed to find help if you run into any issues.
It would be nice to see a community forum set up, where the Coaster CMS team and community can come together to aid each other, share project, and cultivate a community feeling that – in my opinion – fuels the growth of any platform.
Coaster CMS have addded a forum to coastercms atcoastercms.org/forum.
<h2>The Verdict</h2>
Coaster CMS offers features that align with the next generation of marketing. Beacons have been around for a while in primitive forms, but as location-based marketing evolves, they’re set to be used <a href="http://www.mycustomer.com/community/blogs/az-ahmed/the-future-of-beacons-in-retail-marketing">more intelligently by brands such as Nestle and Mercedes</a>.
I also like Coaster’s time-specific page publications, a feature which will give marketers an idea or two.
The platform also deploys a tree page view, a trend which has well and truly caught on amongst modern content management systems – and for good reason.
However, would I describe Coaster CMS “the next generation of content management systems”?
No, not really.
There is no blogging feature, for starters, but by decision to hold back on such a statement is less of a reflection on the platform itself, and more of a call for the Coaster CMS team to re-think their homepage copy. After all, there are very few platforms out there that I would refer to as “next generation”.
It seems to me though, that Coaster CMS is primed to be a content management system suited to modern brands with big marketing plans. Beacon technology is indeed a growing trend among larger brands, and if the Coaster team can supplement this compatibility with some more marketing features, I can see them carving out a real niche for themselves.
All in all though, I enjoyed using Coaster CMS, and if you’re looking for a platform that’s free, open source, and beacon compatible, I can’t think of a simpler solution.
The features that are in the latest version of Coaster, released on 31st August 2016) are detailed on their blog.
<h3>Pros</h3>
<ul>
<li>
Coaster CMS is free and open source – which is always a positive.
</li>
<li>
Beacon compatibility is an increasingly relevant feature as far as marketing is concerned.
</li>
<li>
Time-specific pages further bolster the marketing capabilities of Coaster CMS.
</li>
<li>
Tree page view interfaces for page and menu management.
</li>
<li>
Makes it easy to integrate a WordPress powered blog.
</li>
<li>
The file manager is of a good standard, with plenty of search and filtration options.
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Cons</h3>
<ul>
<li>
Support options and the community feeling you expect with an open source platform is lacking somewhat.
</li>
<li>
No built-in blogging functionality – although it is coming in version 5.3.
</li>
<li>
The user interface isn’t the most beautiful I’ve come across, and sometimes looks a little cramped. However, the Coaster team has assured me that they’re focusing on improving this with the release of version 5.3.
</li>
</ul>
Have you had any experience with <a href="https://www.coastercms.org/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Coaster CMS</a>? Let us know how you feel about it in the comments section below!

Coaster CMS Review

In 2007, PrestaShop burst onto the scene as a free, open source, and on-premise eCommerce solution.
Within just a year, PrestaShop had been translated into 15 different languages by users in France, the US, Italy, the UK, Brazil, and Indonesia. All through <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/an-interview-with-sabrina-marechal-director-of-product-marketing-at-prestashop/">word of mouth alone</a>.
Today, PrestaShop powers over 250,000 active online stores, and <a href="https://www.prestashop.com/forums">their online community</a> boasts over one million registered members.
When I visited PrestaShop’s Paris headquarters, I got to see for myself that PrestaShop is no longer just a popular eCommerce solution – it’s a software project with deep and meaningful roots that spread to the four corners of the earth.
<h2>A Timeline of PrestaShop’s Global Growth</h2>
<h4>2007</h4>
<ul>
<li>PrestaShop Founded</li>
</ul>
<h4>2008</h4>
<ul>
<li>Raised $220k in funding</li>
<li>PrestaShop 1.0 released</li>
<li>In the first month, there were 100 stores running in 10 countries</li>
</ul>
<h4>2009</h4>
<ul>
<li>PrestaShop holds the first Community Barcamp with 250 attendees</li>
<li>PrestaShop 1.1 and 1.2 are released</li>
</ul>
<h4>2010</h4>
<ul>
<li>Raised $700k in funding</li>
<li>PrestaShop 1.3 is launched</li>
<li>The 2010 Barcamp has 450 attendees</li>
</ul>
<h4>2011</h4>
<ul>
<li>Raised $3M in funding</li>
<li>100,000 active stores</li>
<li>200,000 community members</li>
<li>The 2011 Barcamp has 1000 attendees</li>
<li>PrestaShop version 1.4 is launched</li>
</ul>
<h4>2012</h4>
<ul>
<li>PrestaShop software reaches 2 million downloads</li>
<li>The Barcamp goes international to NYC and Barcelona</li>
<li>PrestaShop version 1.5 is launched</li>
<li>PrestaShop development goes on Github for the first time</li>
</ul>
<h4>2013</h4>
<ul>
<li>PrestaShop software reaches 3 million downloads</li>
<li>The Barcamp has 1500 attendees from 15 countries</li>
</ul>
<h4>2014</h4>
<ul>
<li>Raised $9.4M in funding</li>
<li>PrestaShop version 1.6 is launched with 23k downloads in the first day</li>
</ul>
<h4>2015</h4>
<ul>
<li>PrestaShop hosts the largest community day ever with 2000 attendees</li>
<li>New offices opened in Miami and Paris</li>
<li>PrestaShop launches a global Ambassador Program</li>
<li>PrestaShop launches PrestaShop Cloud</li>
<li><a href="https://www.prestashop.com/blog/en/prestashop-launches-1000000-integration-fund-community/">PrestaShop announces $1M fund for developer</a></li>
</ul>
<h4>2016</h4>
<ul>
<li>The PrestaShop community surpasses 1M members</li>
<li>PrestaShop Days in Madrid, Paris and Milan have over 3000 attendees</li>
<li>PrestaShop 1.7 is announced</li>
</ul>
Looking for more detail? Check out <a href="http://weare1million.prestashop.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">PrestaShop's timeline</a>.
As you can see from the timeline above, PrestaShop’s eye for innovation was recognized by investors almost immediately. The core features of PrestaShop itself were always impressive, and that led the way for community members to help grow the platform in the first few years of its life.
Today, PrestaShop uses that solid foundation and rich history to welcome third-party plugin and theme development (as well as the sale thereof via the <a href="http://addons.prestashop.com/en/8057-advanced-marketplace.html">PrestaShop Marketplace</a>), roll out innovative projects like PrestaShop Cloud, and expand into new regions of the world.
Speaking of which…
<h2>Big Movements In Europe &amp; South America</h2>
Europe has always been the major hotspot for PrestaShop. It was born in France, and so neighbouring nations were the first to accept it in its early stages. Today, PrestaShop is considered to be the most popular eCommerce solution in a range of european countries.
But during my tour of PrestaShop’s headquarters, I was told about the platform’s recent growth across South America.
Here’s what Leah Anathan, PrestaShop’s CMO, has to say about that growth:
<blockquote>“We are very bullish about Latin America. Today we have over 15,000 active stores in the region and the growth rates are extremely positive. To give an example, we had a meetup recently in Buenos Aires, led by one of our Ambassadors, and several hundred people showed up. The interest in PrestaShop and market opportunity in Latin America is very exciting.”</blockquote>
<h2>A Localized Foundation, A Future In The Cloud?</h2>
PrestaShop has worked hard over the years to hone their core product and bolster their theme and module library – which is today their biggest driver of revenue. The impressive features of their downloadable product, plus the option for users to localize it through translations and adaptations, has led to its phenomenal growth across the globe over the last nine years.
I expect that growth to continue, with Latin America being the latest in a long line of regions that has accepted PrestaShop, along with all its flexibility, with open arms.
In terms of the future, the release of PrestaShop Cloud – a totally free and cloud-hosted eCommerce solution – was the moment that PrestaShop entered a new market, gave their platform a new dimension, and carved out a new route forwards.
Now that PrestaShop has an on-premise and cloud-hosted offering, the potential for its growth is nothing short of exciting.
To find out more about PrestaShop, and the upcoming PrestaShop 1.7 release, check out the <a href="https://www.prestashop.com/en/1.7">PrestaShop website</a>.
Also, be sure to stick around for more coverage of PrestaShop during this PrestaShop Featured Week.

A Timeline of The Global Growth of PrestaShop

During my <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/my-visit-to-prestashops-paris-hq/">tour of Prestashop’s Paris headquarters</a>, I got to lay my eyes on <a href="https://www.prestashop.com/en/1.7">Prestashop 1.7</a>, the eCommerce platform’s latest release.
The PrestaShop team are aiming to officially release 1.7 before the turn of 2017. Release candidate two already out there in the wild, <a href="https://www.prestashop.com/en/1.7">ready to be downloaded</a>.
But before it lands – and subsequently changes the way 250,000 merchants sell online – let’s take a look at what’s new.
<h2>What’s New With PrestaShop 1.7?</h2>
Let’s start with a video:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nl2-de2Q4cA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Built (in part) on the famous and robust Symfony framework, PrestaShop 1.7 is set to make a splash in the eCommerce industry. Let’s take a look at exactly how it plans to do that.
<h3>Easier Product Creation</h3>
<h3><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FhgAANRD8fq1EVzt-mV2F2km6myjwFSEw5FCw-9xqYURhDxgRbaw7-nviUSytfUi0PdsUpg6p3iSaP9II0dyLJYjbtuH7kmqsOTrkf-KrtaeU0JK0TsLnDdVEpXU1GcCKCjz5gtA" /></h3>
PrestaShop 1.7 brings about a brand new way to add products to your catalogue – and I have to say – it’s far better than the product creation process found on PrestaShop 1.6.
It has a refreshed interface, quick actions, shortcuts, automatic management for combinations and much more. The entire process has been revamped for the better.
<h3>A New Modules Page</h3>
<h3><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/UfVy7bP2wRomN_MAGE0KCSOAgglkguGA4fhu-kskDluR2OJfDfhfyF_rgpWA25MeHIUSRl_OREEIpczs2FFSv0GWgtzJ-aRXqG4CT9_svcSWLgU4IDwCkI3fnpRA_-gdAfoBrEY3" /></h3>
An overhauled modules page will also make it easier to add and manage your modules on a daily basis.
This new page boasts tabs to let you easily navigate between three new sections, making it easy to view your installed modules, manage the ones that require an action, and discover more that can be helpful for your business.
<h3>A New Default Theme and a Streamlined Checkout Process</h3>
<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/r8aRrFbMis5cNDjmOz6Add80-wmY5OL_STRSlHlqJLmOjwudQG8HbCbQV_5ld9aW62onvk_lRuqppNtMD4V-iSux3Mt-4VS_U-Wd3I1ZhbSDbL7v1LuDgYH4R4hn2oRLHQr8pOp1" />
The latest PrestaShop default theme is called “Classic” – and it looks classy.
This new template will bring a fresh and minimalist look to your store. But more notably, this new theme brings about a vastly improved checkout process. Just as PrestaShop impressed me with their new product creation page during my visit, they also wowed me with this redesigned checkout process.
The entire checkout process is split into sections, but is housed on a single page. If a customer leaves the page and comes back, their progress will be remembered. Plus, a landing page style template has been adopted to help keep customers focused on completing their checkout.
<h3>A Starter Theme For Developers and More</h3>
Free from any markups or custom style, PrestaShop has introduced a new starter theme for front-end developers. It acts as a skeleton for their projects, making it easier to build custom templates.
And of course, there’s a whole bunch of updates to be seen both under the hood and around the back-end of the platform.
<h2>“Code Better, Create Easier, Sell Faster”</h2>
The PrestaShop team are really running with this slogan that accompanies version 1.7. I heard it being used at least once <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/my-visit-to-prestashops-paris-hq/">during my PrestaShop office tour</a>.
It’s not rocket science; PrestaShop is trying to make it easier for developers to code, easier for marketers and merchants to create product pages, and easier for shoppers to buy. And from what I can see, they’ve done exactly that with PrestaShop 1.7.
I was a big fan of PrestaShop’s efforts with PrestaShop 1.6, and I have very high hopes for 1.7, too.
To find out more about PrestaShop 1.7, check out the <a href="https://www.prestashop.com/en/1.7">PrestaShop website</a>.
Also, be sure to stick around for more coverage of PrestaShop during this PrestaShop Featured Week.

A Preview of PrestaShop 1.7

As I stepped into the entrance of <a href="https://www.prestashop.com/en/">PrestaShop’s</a> Paris headquarters,I was greeted by a long timeline of the company’s impressive history, which stretched across the hallway leading to the elevator.
[[__Presta__]]
It was a humbling reminder of PrestaShop’s deep roots in both the eCommerce and open source industries.
When I got to the lobby, Leah Anathan, PrestaShop’s Chief Marketing Officer, welcomed me warmly with tea and biscuits (they had heard about my love for English tea), and we thus kicked off a very casual – yet highly informative – meeting and office tour.
<h2>A Chat With PrestaShop’s CMO &amp; Director of Product Management</h2>
The first thing I did was sit down with Leah Anathan and Sebastien Levaillant, PrestaShop’s Director of Product Management.
As we sipped on some well-brewed tea, we got to talking about <a href="/prestashop-cloud-review/" target="_blank">PrestaShop Cloud</a>, and efforts are being made in order to improve it.
Scalability was the word being thrown around more than any other, and I was told that an announcement regarding PrestaShop Cloud was coming relatively soon. Personally, I’m very excited to see what PrestaShop has in store for us (pun intended).
I even got to share the story of my own father’s business, a UK based training course company called The Learning Station, which is powered by PrestaShop Cloud. Leah and Sebastien were excited to ask me about my father’s experiences, and I was only too happy to tell them about his PrestaShop-powered journey.
They also told me about how much closer the PrestaShop team now is to the PrestaShop community. Their move to GitHub has made it easier for their community to submit code, and they now have at least one volunteer from the community who has been granted record levels of access and authority to the PrestaShop project.
<h2>A Peek at PrestaShop 1.7</h2>
I also got to sit through some short but extremely informative presentations given by various members of the PrestaShop development team.
I was given sneak peeks at PrestaShop’s 1.7 user interface, which has been totally re-worked in line with the feedback received from PrestaShop 1.6 users.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ps3388x0-is.png" />
Their development team had spent time with actual users in order to extract their biggest gripes with the PrestaShop 1.6 interface – and they are now working on fixing everything that was flagged up.
And to be fair, they have their plate full, because despite <a href="/hands-on-with-prestashop-1.6/" target="_blank">my adoration of PrestaShop 1.6</a>, the user interface had lots of room for improvement.
But with that in mind, I couldn’t help but compliment the newest interface when it was demonstrated in front of me. It really does look good, and you can be sure that I’ll be writing about it in more detail sooner rather than later.
If you want to learn more about PrestaShop 1.7, check out the <a href="https://www.prestashop.com/en/1.7">PrestaShop website</a>.
<h2>The Office Tour</h2>
After getting to grips with PrestaShop 1.7, it was time to explore the rest of PrestaShop’s impressive European headquarters.
Before I talk about the offices though, let me relay something interesting that Leah Anathan told me about the building itself. As she spoke of the building’s rich history, she directed me to a picture printed on the wall of the lobby, which had a French description.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/img_65642467x1649-cropx0y472-is577x0-is.jpg" /> To cut a long story short, a century ago, PrestaShop’s Paris headquarters was actually a popular marketplace. Today, it houses one of the world’s most popular online marketplace builders. I found that to be pretty amazing.
As for the tour, we started off in one of the three office areas that are dotted around the building.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/img_65583264x1858-cropx0y430-is678x0-is.jpg" />
Desks were lined with computers and laptops in typical fashion, and sticky notes with ideas covered a board in what seemed like a snap-meeting area.
This central working space overlooks a picturesque Parisian square, which PrestaShop’s employees get to gaze at (during their breaks, of course).
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ps2481x0-is.png" />
As I walked around the building, I noticed that the walls were decorated with quirky PrestaShop-themed art, with a surprising touch of Star Wars. It was a slightly odd combination – but it worked.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/img_6542515x0-is.jpg" />
A subtle amount of tongue-in-cheek banter was present all over the office, actually. For example, PrestaShop’s mascot – Preston the Puffin – could be found around the building in teddy form, in wall murals, and as part of some meme-inspired images.

<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/img_6598314x0-is.jpg" />

Towards the end of the tour, I was then shown three rooms that were dedicated to the relaxation and recuperation of PrestaShop’s workforce.
The first room was a small, featureless one, with a large couch, some chairs, and a comfortable looking carpet. It’s intended for those who want some silence or some private time. I remember thinking to myself that – in such a busy working environment – this quiet room was a nice touch.
Opposite that room was another, this time with a bunk bed and shower area. Obviously, pulling all-nighters is part-and-parcel of working for PrestaShop.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ps1411x0-is.png" />
The third room, which can be found along the same corridor, is the designated relaxation room.
As the name suggests, this room was set aside for PrestaShop’s employees to simply chill in.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/relax_room_aka_bungalow5179x2765-cropx0y687-is723x0-is.jpeg" />
It was a spacious room with couches, bean bags, a wide-screen, and a foosetable. There was a beach theme going on too, with surfboards and sun lounges lined up on the left-hand side. The walls were once again full of color, but this time, the murals gave off a feeling of warmth and serenity – which is no coincidence, I’m sure.
All in all, the PrestaShop office felt incredibly homely and yet intensely energized. It was everything a modern software vendor HQ should be, and then some.
A big thank you goes out to Leah Anathan and the wider PrestaShop team for their fantastic hospitality!
Stick around for more PrestaShop coverage through this PrestaShop featured week.

Reflecting on My Visit to PrestaShop’s Paris HQ

Yesterday, LeakedSource reported that <a href="https://www.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Weebly</a>, the world-renowned website builder, had suffered a data breach back in February 2016.
As a result, forty-three million records were stolen, including customer names, email addresses, and IP addresses.
However, LeakedSource, a reliable hacking news source, spoke of their relief when it came to reaching out to the <a href="https://www.weebly.com/">Weebly</a> team about their data breach:
<blockquote>
“Unlike nearly every other hack, the Co-founder and CTO of <a href="https://www.weebly.com/">Weebly</a> <a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/person/chris-fanini" target="new">Chris Fanini</a> fortunately did not have his head burried deeply in the sand and actually responded to our communication requests. We have been working with them to ensure the security of their users meaning password resets as well as notification emails are now being sent out.
This mega breach affects not only tens of millions of users but tens of millions of websites and with Weebly being one of the most <a href="http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/weebly.com" target="new">popular</a> hosting platforms in the world, this breach could have been far more disastrous in the wrong hands had they not strongly hashed passwords.”
</blockquote>
So, kudos to Weebly for cooperating with the LeakedSource team (instead of shunning them, like Twitter once did), and also for safeguarding passwords with a relatively high level of encryption.
<h2>Customer Payment Information Remains Secure</h2>
Thankfully, Weebly also confirmed in an email to customers that they don't believe any of their hosted websites were improperly accessed. They also made it clear that they don't store credit card information, so their customers are safe on that front.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/weebly1164x0-is.png" />
LeakedSource also claimed that password resets were being issued by Weebly – but if you’re a Weebly user and you haven't changed your password since February, I strongly suggest changing it right away.
To follow this news as it develops, <a href="https://twitter.com/BigSecurityNews" target="_blank">LeakedSource's official Twitter page</a> seems to be the place to be. So far, they have reported details on the data breaches at Yahoo, LinkedIn, and DropBox.
And of course, we'll keep you updated here on CMS Critic if any other hacks or critical human errors occur at the expense of business software vendors – just like we did with <a href="/123-reg-deletes-customer-websites/" target="_blank">the 123Reg disaster.</a>
Have you had any security issues with Weebly over the last few months? Let us know in the comments section below.

Weebly Hacked: 43 Million Customer Records Stolen

Shopify - The global commerce platform

Build your business with Shopify to sell online, offline, and everywhere in between.

The global commerce platform

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If you run a school, university, or training company, you'll want to adopt an LMS (Learning Management System) to help you manage your educational material and keep tabs on all the students who access it.
A learning management system is also an excellent way to expand the reach of your institution by allowing students to access and study course content from anywhere in the world.
But before we discuss anything else, let's take a brief look at what an LMS actually is.
<h2>What is a Learning Management System?</h2>
<h2><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/computer-768696_12801280x629-cropx0y0-is786x0-is.jpg" /></h2>
A learning management system – also known as e-learning software or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) – is a software application designed to help companies deliver educational material through a website, app, or both. A well equipped LMS also has features for tracking student progress, managing multiple courses, storing student information, and so forth.
The LMS space is packed with software solutions, but only a select few truly deliver when it comes to quality. To help you avoid the lesser systems out there, here are my top learning management system recommendations.
<h2>1. <a href="https://moodle.org/" target="_blank">Moodle</a></h2>
Moodle is perhaps the biggest name in the LMS space, and for good reason.
It's a free and open source e-learning software platform that can be configured to manage many types of learning environments for education, training, and staff development. Features include highly customizable design, personalized dashboards, calendars, file managment, user roles, bulk course creation, and more. Plus, Moodle has hundreds of native plugins to help bolster the platform's functionality.
<h2>2. <a href="https://www.neolms.com" target="_blank">NEO LMS</a></h2>
NEO is a simple, powerful, cloud-hosted LMS that has been designed for individual teachers, schools, and universities. It is a freemium product, with a rich set of features in its free plan and additional “power” features in its low-cost premium plans. It boasts mobile apps, portals, built-in gamification, learning paths, lots of integration, and a stunning user interface.
They also offer a platform called <a href="https://www.matrixlms.com/" target="_blank">Matrix LMS</a> – which is for businesses and private institutions. Matrix LMS dishes out the same features, but it's priced a little differently.
<h2>3. <a href="https://www.learnupon.com/" target="_blank">LearnUpon</a></h2>
LearnUpon is a renowned cloud-based Learning Management System, meaning that you can sign up and begin offering courses within a matter of hours.
Their SaaS (Software as a Service) learning management solution is secure and scalable, and comes with award-winning 24/7 customer support. Features include a wide range of course importation options, Salesforce integration, exams, certifications, built-in student reports, eCommerce functionality, and much more.
<h2>4. <a href="https://www.absorblms.com/learning-management-system" target="_blank">Absorb LMS</a></h2>
With a visually superb interface, Absorb LMS has seduced big brands like Sony, Nikon, and Getty Images. The cloud-based platform is ideal for large companies looking to train their staff, but it's also suitable for course selling and educational institutes.
Its features include instructor-led training, the ability to embed web content like YouTube into courses, eCommerce, reports, bulk purchasing, and contests. Also, Absorb LMS Integrates with SCORM, GoToMeeting, Cisco, Adobe Connect, and more.
<h2>5. <a href="http://www.talentlms.com/" target="_blank">TalentLMS</a></h2>
TalentLMS is a free LMS, but it also brand itself as being able to handle enterprise-grade environments.
With features like single-sign on, course building, website customization, learning paths, eCommerce, and gamification. TalentLMS is geared towards brand looking to train staff first and foremost, but it has the features to help companies sell courses to the public, too.
<h2>6. <a href="https://elearning247.com/" target="_blank">Nimble LMS</a></h2>
Brought to you by eLearning247, NimbleLMS is a cloud-hosted platform with a solid range of features. The pricing is somewhat unique, as you can either pay-as-you-go, or pay for an annual license with far less restrictions.
NimbleLMS has features such as automatic course backups, progress tracking, eCommerce, bulk CSV importing, certificates and lots more.
<h2>7. <a href="http://omniupdate.com/products/oucampus/" target="_blank">OU Campus</a></h2>
OU Campus is a learning management system developed by OmniUpdate. It can be accessed via the cloud or deployed on-site, and is marketed towards higher education institutions.
The OU Campus team boast that their platform is backed by top-rated customer support that is customized for the higher education market. Plus, modules and user-friendly editing makes it easy to create course content.
<h2>8. <a href="http://www.oracle.com/us/products/applications/ebusiness/human-capital-management/053815.html" target="_blank">Oracle Learning Management</a></h2>
OLM is an enterprise-grade learning management system (LMS) that lets organizations manage, deliver, and track training participation in online or classroom-based staff training environments.
Learners can find the content they need, and carry out their learning activities in the most appropriate delivery mode (in a classroom, virtual classroom, or via e-learning). Instructors can manage their own schedules, classes, and rosters, while executives can measure the effectiveness of learning activities and ensure alignment with organizational objectives.
If your company is relatively small, this solution isn't for you. But if your brand requires a hard-hitting LMS from one of the world's most prolific software vendors, then I suggest digging deeper into how OLM can help.
<h2>9. <a href="http://www.ispringsolutions.com/ispring-learn" target="_blank">iSpring Learn</a></h2>
iSpring Learn LMS is an on-premise LMS solution featuring an easy-to-use Power Point-integrated authoring tool. Plus, it has relatively stellar CMS functions that help administrators to produce and manage website content.
Key features include progress tracking, single-sign on, eCommerce, certificates, portals, and a native mobile app. The pricing is pretty heavy, so I wouldn't recommend it as a solution for newbies.
<h2>10. <a href="http://www.edubrite.com/oltpublish/site/cms.do" target="_blank">EduBrite</a></h2>
EduBrite helps organizations produce and manage their educational content with enterprise-grade efficiency.
With EduBrite, you can make use of eCommerce functionality, micro-sites, mobile apps, courses, tests, surveys, and all the other fundamentals that a good LMS invariably has. Plus, it can integrate with loads of third party platforms like Salesforce, GoToMeeting, and Lynda.
<h2>11. <a href="https://www.canvasvle.co.uk/" target="_blank">Canvas</a></h2>
Canvas is cloud-based, scalable, and geared towards educational institutes.
It serves up hundreds of add-ons, automated tasks, a mobile apps, integrated media, a fast marking system, and much more. They deal almost exclusively with universities, so if you aren't part of such an institution, I'd look elsewhere.
<h2>12. <a href="https://www.joomlalms.com/" target="_blank">JoomlaLMS</a></h2>
Joomla is one of the most popular content management systems in the world, and their LMS arm isn't too shabby either.
It delivers features such as online course building, quizzes, surveys, progress tracking, reports, and monetization. It's not the prettiest or most feature-rich platform on the list, but if your website runs on Joomla, then using JoomlaLMS is a no brainer.
<h2>13. <a href="http://www.uscreen.tv/" target="_blank">UScreen</a></h2>
If you're looking to offer your students video-based educational material, you'll want to hear about UScreen.
It's a video hosting platform that can cater for Subscription businesses, online training course providers, course selling, staff training, and pretty much anything else that involves hosting and delivering videos to people. It's technically not an LMS is and of itself, but it has features like quizzes, course tracks, certificates, and more.
<h2>14. <a href="http://www.docebo.com/" target="_blank">Docebo</a></h2>
Docebo offers a cloud-based SaaS (Software as a Service) Learning Management System.
They have over ten years of experience in the LMS industry, serving up solutions for midsized organizations all the way up to enterprise. Docebo sets itself apart by offering third party integrations (via API), 24/7 support, eCommerce features, gamification, and a range of extensions.
<h2>15. <a href="http://learncore.com/" target="_blank">LearnCore</a></h2>
LearnCore is a learning management system built to provide a user-friendly experience for both administrators and learners. It is primarily used for companies looking to train their staff.
LearnCore has a charming user interface, personalization features, collaborative tools for administrators, light gamification elements, and a range of integration options.
<h2>16. <a href="http://www.litmos.com/" target="_blank">Litmos</a></h2>
Litmos is an award-winning LMS that packs a punch for small, medium, and enterprise-grade companies.
You can use it as an online course builder and an eCommerce solution, plus, it has features like instructor-led training, messages, notifications, gamification, surveys, quizzes, reports, and pretty much everything else an LMS needs. It's a serious player in the LMS space, and their free trial is well worth checking out.
<h2>17. <a href="http://www.elcomcms.com/en-au/solutions/your-requirement/learning-management" target="_blank">ElcomLMS</a></h2>
elcomCMS is a super functional content management system that can also handle your staff training projects. For example, car manufacturers Volkswagen and Kia already make use of elcomCMS to manage all of their dealership training programs
The platform features a simple visual user interface for mapping training programs, reports for employee progress, user profiles, to-do lists, visual qualification pathways, and more. Also, elcomCMS bridges the gap between its solutions by enabling organizations to offer their training courses through their elcomCMS intranets or portals.
<h2>An LMS Worth Keeping</h2>
Switching softwares is difficult at the best of time, but switching LMS? I wouldn't wish that on anybody, particularly because migrating content and courses between one LMS to another is no easy task. In fact, it's almost impossible unless you start from scratch.
So, do yourself a favour and stay within the confines of the list above – because each of them are worth sticking around for.
Have you used a learning management system before? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below!

Top 17 Learning Management Systems

Although document management system (DMS) execution requires an understanding of the <a href="http://www.efilecabinet.com/what-is-a-document-management-system/">solution’s features</a> and the impact of their benefits, a strategy involves myriad components: organizing content in an intuitive way, creating a buy-in to follow the strategies, and incentivizing this buy-in from the top down.
Although DMS improves content and information strategies, it can have the opposite effect if the organization’s strategy has too many unregulated components. For instance, focusing on the two most important content management goals of the organization is more important than organizing DMS around fifteen goals.
Even if the two aforementioned goals have subsections that could in and of themselves be construed as independent goals, creating a strategic umbrella will effectively guide employees within the organizaation.
<h2>Document Management Strategy Should Make Processes Transparent</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/woman-typing-writing-windows_1579x0-is.jpg" />
Whether through phased implementation and deployment, all-at-once implementation and deployment, or localized vs. dispersed deployment, all employees, not just executives, should understand the roadmaps, strategies, and processes surrounding the installation and use of a DMS solution. Otherwise, DMS will not be fully potentiated and generate less ROI.
<h3>Rerouting the Content Revolution: Cloud Technology’s Impact</h3>
DMS is one of the enterprise technologies most responsible for introducing organizations to the cost-efficiency, security, and other benefits of <a href="http://www.efilecabinet.com/efilecabinet-online/">cloud-based document management</a> technologies. If hybrid solutions do not supplant the cloud vs. on-premise distinction, the cloud will continue to garner a greater market share of DMS users.
So much so, in fact, that the International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates in its <a href="http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS40846815">Worldwide Content Collaboration Forecast</a> for 2015–2019 that the cloud for this market will grow 23.1% annually over this four-year period, whereas on-premise solutions will stagnate, growing 0.9% annually over this four-year period.
<h3>Resolving Information Overload in Knowledge Workers During DMS Deployment</h3>
DMS benefits both knowledge and process workers, but in two different ways. The knowledge worker will require a different deployment road map to adhere to than the process worker.
Knowledge workers’ biggest challenge in DMS deployment will entail identifying and making use of the insight relevant content will provide. For instance, financial professionals will need to determine which documents and content matter to their business objectives by virtue of this content’s information.
Although DMS vendors are steadily gearing features and product development toward knowledge workers, the process worker benefits more from going paperless via DMS than any other worker demographic.
<h3>Workflow and the Paper Free Document Management Process During Deployment</h3>
The process worker, as stated above, is affected most immediately by the paperless component of DMS, relieving them of burdens involving printers, fax machines, and paper filing.
For the process worker outside the office, these benefits can be made most immediate through DMS vendors’ mobile applications. Additionally, if deploying a DMS for an organization comprised of process workers, such as a construction company, going paperless can eliminate the need to bring blueprints to construction sites, keeping important plans safe from decay and weathering.
<h3>Ensuring Document Management System Throughput Continuity</h3>
As mentioned earlier, throughput measures a scanner’s automated ability to upload a certain number of documents and content to a DMS. A common error post-deployment, however, is forgetting to continue the throughput process.
Doing so duplicates information, attenuates the ROI of DMS, and confuses employees. Although roughly 70% of content worldwide is already digital, the content not uploaded to the DMS can compound quickly. Therefore, post-installation throughput to the DMS is important as mail or other paper documents arrive at physical office locations.
However, bringing throughput continuity to its fruition will require understanding how the digital space can be just as disorganized as filing cabinets and other physical storage spaces—particularly if DMS is not utilized correctly.
Ensuring the relevant use of Zonal OCR, file versioning, metadata, and other DMS functions can prevent digital data from being stored outside the DMS system. Digital information can be stored in many, many different places—making it arguably more disorganized and unstructured than even traditional paper-based office processes.
Developing a protocol for uploading all content to the DMS can preclude this issue. Generally speaking, most vendors provide solutions designed to harness an organization’s content in its entirety. Thus, choosing to not upload all information to the DMS prevents the system from being utilized to its fullest potential.

How to Align a Document Management System Strategy and Execution

<a href="https://jetpack.com/" target="_blank">Jetpack for WordPress</a>, a plugin by Automattic – the company behind WordPress itself – has just undergone a user interface makeover.
The total visual redesign of the Jetpack user interface and a front-end has been built entirely in React, which is the same JavaScript library currently powering WordPress.com.
Automattic has said that:
<blockquote>
“This [Jetpack] version has been a year in the making and is based on feedback from more than 8,000 active Jetpack users around the globe.”
</blockquote>
Here's a breakdown of what's new.
<h3>A Sexy New Interface</h3>
<h3> </h3>
<h3><img alt="featured-img-4-3-release-tall" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/featured-img-4-3-release-tall.png" /></h3>
Jetpack's new ‘At a Glance' dashboard view is nothing short of sexy.
It's a page that gives you a neat bird’s-eye view of how your site is doing. It shows you things like:
<ul>
<li>Traffic (including a link to the old stats view),</li>
<li>security information,</li>
<li>CDN status.</li>
<li>Spam comments blocked</li>
<li>Pending plugin updates</li>
</ul>
It will also flag up any security threats and prompt you to update plugins when necessary.
<h3>Faster Feature Management &amp; Better Integration</h3>
Automattic has claimed that Jetpack's speed will have been improved along with this new release.
Turning features on and off is now instant, and doesn't require the page to refresh. Plus, you can also make use of a new search bar to quickly find the feature you’re looking for.
Also, many features can now be configured by simply expanding the feature card, which means you don't have to load a new page.
You will also notice two new pages called ‘Apps' and ‘Plans‘. These newly introdced pages make it easier for you to manage your site using the <a href="https://jetpack.com/features/">advanced features</a> on WordPress.com by directly linking you to the pages you need to manage plugin updates, manage paid plans, and so forth.
I've always been a fan of the Jetpack plugin. It adds a tonne of features to any WordPress site, and beefs up security and speed at the same time. It's usually the first plugin I install when I set up a WordPress site, and as far as I can see, Automattic have only improved it with this update.
If you’d like to learn more about these releases and the other changes brought to Jetpack, you can check the full <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/jetpack/changelog/">changelog here</a>.
To try Jetpack out, <a href="https://wordpress.com/jetpack/connect/install">install it on your site</a> or upgrade your current version today from your WordPress backend.

Jetpack for WordPress Gets User Interface Update

<a href="https://www.progress.com/" target="_blank">Progress</a>, the company behind the enterprise-grade CMS Sitefinity, has been working away at their award-winning software ever since they <a href="http://www.telerik.com/about/press-releases/2014/12/02/progress-completes-acquisition-of-telerik-and-expands-executive-management-team" target="_blank">purchased it as part of Telerik</a> for over $260M back in 2014.
They <a href="/progress-unites-telerik-sitefinity-cms-telerik-sitefinity-digital-experience-cloud/" target="_blank">united Sitefinity CMS and the Telerk Digital Experience Cloud</a>, helped churn out a <a href="/telerik-sitefinity-gets-enhanced-multi-site-synchronization-translation-analytics-features/" target="_blank">range of new features</a> over the last year or so, and have of course injected extra funds into the operation.
Recently, I got a chance to chat with Tom Berger, Progress' VP of Digital Marketing.
<h2>Who is Tom Berger?</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/aaeaaqaaaaaaaansaaaajdfmm2e0zme0ltgyngetngrjoc1imwfllthmotdlzjrlm2vlyq300x0-is.jpg" />Tom’s primary goal as a senior level digital marketing professional is to develop core inbound digital marketing strategies which drive a high volume of qualified sales leads by increasing engagement and optimizing conversion opportunities.
Tom has proven experience in building the teams, infrastructure and methodologies that are needed to lead a successful digital marketing organization while at the same time ensuring all activities are rooted in one core principle – a positive brand experience for customers.
You can learn more about Tom Berger on his <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tberger?authType=NAME_SEARCH&amp;authToken=cVU2&amp;locale=en_US&amp;trk=tyah&amp;trkInfo=clickedVertical%3Amynetwork%2CclickedEntityId%3A7775631%2CauthType%3ANAME_SEARCH%2Cidx%3A1-2-2%2CtarId%3A1476786191402%2Ctas%3Atom%20berger" target="_blank">LinkedIn page</a>.
<h2>The Interview</h2>
KI: What do you deem to be the biggest obstacle facing enterprise-level marketers at the moment?
TB: Marketers are faced with a landscape that is changing more rapidly then it ever has before. New devices, new channels and new tactics are emerging almost daily. Figuring out how to compete for a user's attention when it's so fragmented is extremely challenging.
Given this, marketers need to transition from the notion of developing single experiences—such as a website or campaign—to thinking about creating holistic experiences. These holistic experiences include websites, web apps and mobile apps across many synchronized touchpoints or channels.
Additionally, marketers need access to actionable customer insights so they are not paralyzed by disparate data. Investing in a platform with a clear path to achieve this will be a priority for many marketers.
KI: Many software vendors are – for better or worse – blurring the lines between CMS. CRM, analytics, and marketing by attempting to combine the best bits of all four into one platform. As time goes on, do you think we'll see more vendors trying to build this all-in-one super software?
TB: Combining complimentary technologies into a single platform will continue to be a trend. Obviously this works best when the technologies share common objectives. The Swiss Army Knife is a great invention, but it's not a useful tool for a carpenter building a fine piece of furniture. Putting these tools together actually diminishes their individual functionality rather than strengthening it. Seriously, what could that tiny saw be used for?
Contrary to the Swiss Army Knife, DigitalFactory is a platform comprised of multiple products that all fundamentally share the same common objective of building and delivering engaging customer experiences. Each solution individually is best-in-class, but when integrated as a platform, they become more powerful because the purpose and functionality of each is enhanced.
For marketers considering “all-in-one” software, it shouldn't be about checking off functionality boxes. It's more about understanding if the benefits of the combined products in a single platform are strengthened or compromised.
KI: How “big” should a company be before it considers adopting marketing software? Should smaller companies stick to free solutions, or is the investment always worth it?
TB: Investment in marketing software is always worth it if it meets the following conditions:
<ul>
<li>
Clearly defined the business need,
</li>
<li>
Ensure the software will grow with your business
</li>
<li>
Engage and educate the proper team to maximize the software’s return on the investment
</li>
</ul>
Whether you are a small business or a large enterprise, the software is only as good as the team using it. For example, your sales numbers will not magically go up just because you purchased a CRM.
The nice thing is that, today, many marketing solutions are SaaS-based, do not require huge investments and can grow with you. A business may just need a website today, yet realize they will need mobile and web apps in the future to stay competitive. So it's best to ensure the software chosen can support you both now and in the future.
KI: Can you tell us a little more about DigitalFactory? How will Sitefinity customers benefit?
TB: Developing a few websites or mobile apps is not a tremendous burden for most companies today, especially when using our developer tools or Sitefinity. The challenge comes when enterprises need to do this at scale with the same efficiency, speed, governance and security without neglecting the customer experience. DigitalFactory is a cloud-based platform that provides management of content, code, websites and mobile apps combined with advanced customer analytics for delivering optimal experience at scale.
Sitefinity customers are already successful in creating engaging and personalized websites. DigitalFactory extends this to the creation, management and governance of all digital properties. What were traditionally web content marketing efforts can now include content driven mobile app experiences as well. Teams can now easily reuse code, components and content across multiple sites.
KI: Other than DigitalFactory, what else can Sitefinity customers expect in the months and years to come?
TB: Progress is very committed to Sitefinity CMS. The technology itself today allows us to innovate quicker than ever, and we can’t wait to show what we are currently working on behind the scenes. For example, we are continually making improvements to our already award-winning User Interface. With it, we are not just allowing users to learn the system well quickly, but also speed up their day-to-day operations. Productivity and speed are deeply involved in the design thinking for out new user interface and backend that we are going to show soon.
Also, it’s important that, as the software and ecosystem mature, the number of all third party applications to which the WCMs must connect today constantly increases. The information required by users to get their jobs done is in almost always disperse and living in multiple systems. With Sitefinity, we want to contextualize the most important information and only the one that makes sense. Users should not waste time digging into multiple systems to get critical business insights. With the Sitefinity Digital Experience Cloud business will have real-time access to the right data and analytics.
Last but not least, as the WCM is always strategic choice of every company (believe it or not), Sitefinity and DEC will even be more adaptable to changing business requirements and teams, operating the web sites. Users can expect much more agile workflow systems. For system administrators and technical decision makers, Sitefinity will offer some great and new hosting and storage options, all made possible with the most recent technology advancements.
To find out more about Sitefinity, check out their website.

CMS Critic Interviews Tom Berger, VP of Digital Marketing at Progress

Have you ever had an idea so exciting that you can't wait to secure its place online?
Well, Squarespace has just given you a quick way to kickstart any idea, with Squarespace Start.
Squarespace Start is an app that lets you secure a domain and create a one-page Squarespace website directly from your mobile device, so you can launch your project the second it pops into your mind.
This eighteen second video shows you everything you need to see – which is impressive in and of itself.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7YCmRDsrKlE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Squarespace Start From iOS &amp; Android</h2>
The Squarespace Start app – which is available on the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/squarespace-start/id1039520905?ls=1&amp;mt=8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">App Store</a> and the <a href="http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.squarespace.android.coverpages&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google Play store</a> – is now probably the fastest way to set your next projct in motion. And I've got to admit, I'm impressed.
It's perfect for quickly announcing new products, services, projects, events, or entire businesses.
Realistically, you aren't going to be launching any long-term websites using Squarespace Start, but you can use it to set up a stunning holding page until you’re ready to build a more robust website.
<h2>Speedy Squarespace</h2>
In recent months, Squarespace has focused heavily on speeding up the time it takes for users to start a website.
First, they launched <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/squarespace-domains/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Squarespace Domains</a> to make domain purchasing easier. Then more recently, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/squarespace-starter-layouts/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Squarespace Layouts</a> was unveiled to help add and modify templates faster. Squarespace Start is just another way for Squarespace users to launch websites quickly and easily.
To download Squarespace Start today, visit the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/squarespace-start/id1039520905?ls=1&amp;mt=8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">App Store</a> or <a href="http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.squarespace.android.coverpages&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google Play Store</a>.

Squarespace Start Lets You Launch a Website In Seconds

If you are running XFCE, LXDE, MATE or other desktop environments that are not running a compositor such as Compton and you have a reasonably new NVIDIA card, you are likely pulling your hair out trying to get rid of the awful screen tearing you are experiencing. This screen tearing typically occurs when you are running a proprietary NVIDIA driver under Linux and have one of the aforementioned (or any non-composited) desktop environments. Fortunately for all of us, there is a fix and I'm going to walk you through how to make that nasty NVIDIA screen tearing go away.
I'm not going to get into the specifics as to why this happens because frankly, I have no idea and I'm more interested in how to make it go away (although if someone DOES know why, please let us know in the comments because I'm always eager to learn).
For me, the tearing is very obvious when moving windows back and forth or scrolling in Firefox.. to the point that it drives me (and I'm sure you as well or you wouldn't be here) absolutely nuts. So why suffer any longer? Let's get rid of it shall we?
To test out and see if the fix works properly for you, open up a terminal and execute the following command (just copy it from here and paste it in):
<pre><code>nvidia-settings --assign CurrentMetaMode="nvidia-auto-select +0+0 { ForceCompositionPipeline = On }"</code></pre>
Your screen may flicker for a second and you should then see a drastic improvement. Test out Firefox and moving windows. Did the fix work for you? If so, we'll need to make it permanent as this is just a temporary fix for now but don't worry, I'll show you how. If it didn't work for you, you can try changing the line slightly to this:
<pre><code>nvidia-settings --assign CurrentMetaMode="nvidia-auto-select +0+0 { ForceFullCompositionPipeline = On }"</code></pre>
Note that in the line above, we just changed the ForceCompositionPipeline to ForeFullCompositionPipeline.
Once you've determined that this does indeed fix your issue, we'll need to make sure it's permanent. If it didn't work or caused an issue, simply reboot and you'll be back to your normal desktop.
Now that we've determined that our fix works, to resolve screen tearing once and for all, it's time to make the changes stick. First, we need to make sure you have an xorg.conf present in the /etc/X11 directory. To find out, type the following command into a terminal and hit enter:
<pre><code>ls /etc/X11</code></pre>
If you see an xorg.conf file listed like below, proceed.
<img alt="screen tearing nvidia" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/nvidia_screen_tearing_fix.png" />
If not, skip this next part but keep reading, I've got you covered further down under “What to do if you can't find an /etc/X11/xorg.conf“
For those with an xorg.conf listed, in the same terminal window, make a back-up of the file by typing the following command and hitting enter:
<pre><code>cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.backup</code></pre>
Now open the file with your favorite text editor (I'm a fan of nano myself) as root and enter the following command:
<pre><code>sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf</code></pre>
This will open up your editor, you will then want to add a line below based on which one worked for you under <code>Section "Screen" </code>so it ends up looking similar to this:
<pre><code>Section "Screen" Identifier "Screen1" Device "Device1" Monitor "Monitor1" DefaultDepth 24 Option "Stereo" "0" Option "metamodes" "nvidia-auto-select +0+0 { ForceFullCompositionPipeline = On }" SubSection "Display" Depth 24 EndSubSectionEndSection</code></pre>
So, if of the two nvidia-settings lines above we tested, the one with <code>ForceFullCompositionPipeline</code> worked, use the example above, if <code>ForceCompositionPipeline</code> worked, simply use that instead in the example above.
Some of you may already have an <code>Option "metamodes" </code>in your /etc/X11/xorg.conf, like in the example below for dual monitor setup:
<pre><code>Option "metamodes" "VGA-0: 1152x864_60 +0+0, DVI-D-0: 1680x1050_60 +0+864"</code></pre>
If this is the case, simply change the line so that it look like this:
<pre><code>Option "metamodes" "VGA-0: 1152x864_60 +0+0, DVI-D-0: 1680x1050_60 +0+864 { ForceCompositionPipeline = On }"</code></pre>
Reboot and your tearing should be gone!
<h2>What do do if you can't find an /etc/X11/xorg.conf</h2>
Now, for those of you who, like me, did not have an /etc/X11/xorg.conf (most people running Ubuntu, for instance), you may be panicking thinking that you won't be able to apply this fix. Not to worry, I had the same issue and I won't leave you hanging.
On my main machine, I'm running Linux Mint 18 but this should work with any distribution, I suspect. I did not have an xorg.conf so what I did was launch the nvidia-settings tool and generated a new one by going to the <code>X Server Display Configuration </code>section and under file name enter /etc/X11/xorg.conf (uncheck merge with existing if it's checked as this is only useful in the instance of where you have one) and then click Save to X Configuration File.
<img alt="screen tearing nvidia" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_tearing_nvidia_fix.png" />
This should generate one for you which you can then modify using the steps above.
If this doesn't work or you have other tips that may help users, please leave them in the comments below. There are also plenty of other fixes that can be used such as switching to compton for window management, etc but I personally have found this one to be the most efficient and consistent.
Best of luck, I hope this helps!

How to Fix NVIDIA Screen Tearing in XFCE, MATE, KDE, LXDE and others

As per usual, CMS Critic has had a presence at a number of major business software events throughout 2016. But we're not done yet.
We plan to attend the <a href="https://web.liferay.com/solutionsforum-uk" target="_blank">Liferay Digital Solutions Forum</a> in London on November 3rd 2016, and we want to bring ten of our readers along with us – for free.
<h2>The Liferay Digital Solutions Forum: What's The Deal?</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen_shot_2016-10-14_at_22_49_371191x410-cropx197y266-is.png" />
<a href="https://www.liferay.com" target="_blank">Liferay</a>, the world renowned digital experience platform, hosts the Liferay Digital Solutions Forum on an annual basis from England's capital.
Over the years, it has attracted marketers, IT specialists, professionals from the public sector, software consultants, and everyone in between. This year, there's a focus on digital transformation and digital strategy, with Liferay and a number of major brands chiming in.
Here's a quick look at some of the stand-out presentations from the agenda:
<ul>
<li>The Essence of Digital Transformation</li>
<li>Building an Online Community for The World's Most Followed Football Team (How We Did It)</li>
<li>Hubspot's Simple Guide to Digital Strategy in 2017</li>
</ul>
<h2>10 Free Tickets With No Catch (Just Sign Up Quickly!)</h2>
There's no competition or quiz that you need to win in order to claim your free ticket. All you have to do is <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/liferay-digital-solutions-forum-2016-uk-registration-21209461069?discount=CMSCRITIC" target="_blank">head over to the LDSF website and register using the ‘CMSCRITIC‘ code</a> – and you'll get a 100% discount. No questions asked.
<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/liferay-digital-solutions-forum-2016-uk-registration-21209461069?discount=CMSCRITIC" target="_blank">Click Here To Sign Up</a>.
But be aware, only the first ten registrants to use our code will have their tickets discounted, so whatever you do, don't delay.
Are you coming to the LDSF in London? Did you grab a free ticket with our discount code? Let's talk in the comments section below – I'd love to grab a coffee with you at the event!

CMS Critic to Attend Liferay Digital Solutions Forum in London (Plus, 10 Free Tickets)

Weglot - The easiest way to translate a website

The easiest way to translate a website

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