2008 Content Management Survey: Antharia Kicks Butt!

Hey Folks,

I am writing with good news!  The results of the 2008 Content Management Systems
Satisfaction Survey by NTEN have been released and well, we kicked butt!  We out ranked everyone from the open source 3 (Drupal, Joomla, and Plone) and in in many happy bunny kitty pony ways also kicked Convio, Kintera, Blackbaud, iMIS, Wordpress, and CrownPeak to the edge.

Antharia's OnContent CMS received 3 A's and 2 B+'s.  The highest grading given to any organization.  Now in all fairness we tired a company in grading, I have never heard of them and I plan to do some research on them, but they represent a very small share of the market.  The company is called Ektron.  If you know of them, leave me a comment here in the blog.

Now for my usual rant of "evidence" on why this blog is called SHUT UP ALREADY.  I have to tell you I am again disappointed in NTEN and the push of Open Source on the nonprofit market.  If I did not know better I would swear the makers of Drupal, Joomla, and Plone were greasing the pockets of NTEN.  Oh wait, that is not possible, they are not "real companies" they are open source movements and "free".

Don't get me wrong.  I believe in open source.  We utilize open source programming and database languages behind our tools.  We get it.  But what we do not get, is the wool being pulled over the eyes of the nonprofit community.  Open source is great but I have some sad but shocking news... IT IS NOT FREE.

On the last page of the report, a report you would think is not biased, not going to say something or someon is better than another we have a page called "A Final Note: The Success of Open Source Content Management Systems"  It is written by or in collaboration with Michelle Murrain, the Coordinator of the Nonprofi t Open Source Initiative who states all these great reasons why nonprofits should move to Open Source products.  Here is Michelle's list:

• • No fees for acquisition
  • No maintenance fees if it is a low to medium traffi c site
  • Low hosting costs
  • Solid software: for most organizations, as good, or better than a system they would pay for
  • Active development and communities mean lots of improvements and new features, plus lots of help
  • Generally easy installation and maintenance
  • Very customizable - easy to add custom functionality

Now, lets add some reality checks.  I am after each of Michelle's reasons in all caps.

No fees for acquisition
[JORDAN} 100% TRUE.  YOU CAN GO TO ANY OF THE OPEN SOURCE WEBSITES AND ASSUMING YOU ARE NOT AN ACCIDENTAL TECHIE AND YOU SPEAK A FAIR AMOUNT OF GEEK YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE SYSTEMS FOR FREE.  NOTE THAT THIS SPEAKS ONLY TO ACQUSITION, YOU CAN ACQUIRE IT.... BUT CAN YOU INSTALL IT?  THAT MAY TAKE AN INTERNAL STAFF MEMBER (WHO SURPRISE, SURPRISE COSTS MONEY) OR AN OUTSIDE CONSULTANT (OHHH AGAIN WITH THAT MONEY THING)

No maintenance fees if it is a low to medium traffiic site
[JORDAN} A MAINTENANCE FEE CAN BE HOSTING SO ASSUME THAT IS FREE IS DUMB.  YOU ALSO NEED TO EITHER CONTINUE TO EMPLOY THE TECHIE FROM THE ITEM ABOVE OR YOU HAVE TO CALL YOU CONSULTANT EACH TIME YOU WANT ADD/EDIT/CHANGE ANYTHING.

Low hosting costs
[JORDAN} THIS IS TRUE OF MOST EVERY HOSTING PROVIDER ON THE MARKET.  NON MANAGED, NON SUPPORTED HOSTING RANGES FROM $1-$200 A MONTH SO YEA, LOW HOSTING COSTS.

Solid software: for most organizations, as good, or better than a system they would pay for
[JORDAN} ODDLY GONNA AGREE HERE.  IF YOU HAVE AN AMAZING STAFF MEMBER ON SITE OR A GOOD CONSULTING (BOTH COSTING MONEY) THE SYSTEMS ARE GOOD.  

Active development and communities mean lots of improvements and new features, plus lots of help
[JORDAN}  AGAIN, I AGREE A LARGE SUPPORT COMMUNITY BUT THAT SUPPORT COSTS MONEY.  YOU CAN GET SOME LIMITED FREE SUPPORT BUT NOW WE ARE BACK TO  THAT ON STAFF PERSON OR THAT CONSULTANT YOU HAVE HIRED.

Generally easy installation and maintenance
[JORDAN} HAHAHA, WE HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 15 YEARS THIS LAST MAY.  WE FIND THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR CLIENTS ARE ORGANIZATIONS WITH LITTLE TO NO TECH SKILLS, THEY ARE TRUE ACCIDENTAL TECHIES AND WELL, NO... IT IS NOT EASY TO INSTALL.  THEN AGAIN IT IS IF YOU HIRE THAT CONSULTANT.  BUT WAIT, THAT'S SPENDING MONEY AGAIN.

Very customizable - easy to add custom functionality
[JORDAN} I AGREE HERE, VERY EASY TO EXPAND ON.   AS LONG AS YOU HAVE THAT ON STAFF TECH GUY OR CONSULTANT.

 So there you have it.  I love open source.  It is a great and powerful community.  It is meant for people like me.  Someone that eats, breaths and sleeps technology.  My wife, my Mother, and in all love and respect the technical contact at at least 20 of the clients we work with could not install, manage or maintain an open source system.  So please do enjoy reading this survey.  We did kick butt and I am happy about  that, but again the person that did the writing was very skewed to their idea and their perspective.  Honestly, one of the biggest disappointments on this is that NTEN was one of the first places I learned about being truly "vendor independent".

I guess times are changing.  If you are really into the nity grity, you can see the survey results full and intack here.

Posted by Jordan Dossett on June 01, 2008 at 02:52 am EST

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