Web Content Management Pilot call for participation
The following message was sent to Webserve account owners on Monday, June 23, 2008.
Colleagues,
This email is to inform you of the beginning of a pilot project for a new enterprise web content management system. We also would like to know of your interest in becoming involved or staying informed. Please see the end of this email for information about contacting us.
In summer 2007, a cross-section of IU staff drafted a content management strategy for IU. One of the conclusions of that report was that a system-wide web content management solution is needed by Indiana University. Web content management options should include systems that can be utilized by departments and schools both for public web sites and internal intranet sites. This should be viewed as a common good that no unit should go without regardless of its resources.
As a result of that report, 50 or so people comprising staff from UITS, various departments, schools, and campuses engaged in an investigative process to select a web content management system suitable for IU. In February, a formal Request For Proposal (RFP) was released to a selection of commercial and open source vendors of CMS solutions.
After much debate, many surveys, product demos, phone calls, hands-on sessions, and much investigation, Hannon Hill's product Cascade Server was selected.
Cascade Server uses a publishing process to create static HTML pages on the various web servers where the content will be rendered. This means that IU should be able to continue to leverage our substantial investments in our central web hosting environment as well as push content out to various other environments, but still manage the content effectively in a single repository and serve it very rapidly since the content is not dynamically rendered.
UITS will not be charging fees for usage of this service. In fact, we want to promote its use to help us maintain a great web presence for Indiana University and all of its units that are interested in leveraging WCMS technology.
We are now soliciting up to 5 or 6 divisions, departments, and or units to take part in and begin the pilot project. These departments will represent a wide range of web usage at IU with the goal of speeding easier adoption by the broader IU community. Upon selection, a memorandum of understanding and team operating agreement clarifying the goals, environment, expectations, and roles of both the pilot project core team and potential pilot project participants will be extended to potential participants for their review, feedback, and agreement.
If you are interested in participating in the pilot project and have not already done so, please email Amber Harmon indicating your interest. Amber is serving as the project lead for this important endeavor.
If you have already emailed Amber to indicate your interest, or if you are not interested in participating in the pilot project but still want to keep abreast of web content management system happenings at IU, please subscribe to the IU web content management system listserv (wcms-l).
To subscribe to wcms-l, send the following line in the body (not in the subject line) of a message addressed to listserv@indiana.edu
SUBSCRIBE WCMS-L
Best regards,
Brian McGough
Director, Enterprise Software
University Information Technology Services
