To gain more control over content, most communicators are changing their content management system (CMS), according to our new poll
 
Tired of the content management system (CMS) powering your company’s intranet or Web site? You’re not alone.

A poll conducted by Ragan Communications and PollStream found around 70 percent of respondents plan to change their CMS in the near future or have recently adopted a new system. Communicators want software that easily allows them to control how and when content is posted to their intranet or Web site, the poll showed.

“Your poll … fits with just about every client I've ever worked with,” said Chris Clark, vice president of v-Fluence, a Web-centered marketing and public relations firm. Most of his clients want their systems to be more user-friendly, Clark added.

In many organizations communicators are responsible for creating content, while someone else—usually a Web or IT specialist—puts it online. However, communicators increasingly are charged with posting content themselves and in need of user-friendly software.

That newfound responsibility has communicators adopting or eyeing enterprise software like Microsoft SharePoint as their CMS, despite some warnings that SharePoint is difficult to master.

Why the need to change?

Thirty-six percent of respondents said they are planning to change their CMS soon and 35 percent indicated they made a switch in the last year. Sixteen percent of respondents said they do not have a CMS; 13 percent are happy with their current system.

Among communicators planning to soon switch to a different CMS, one-half said they wanted one that’s easier to update and maintain, while 47 percent indicated their current system is outdated and clunky.

Thirty-seven percent are making the change to incorporate social media tools and 22 percent said IT controls when the CMS is changed.

Results were similar among respondents who already changed systems: 39 percent wanted an easier system and 37 percent indicated their old one was clunky. About one-quarter said IT made the decision about changing systems and 21 percent wanted more social media tools.

What CMS do communicators use?

Of communicators who changed systems or created their first CMS in the last 12 months, 30 percent chose Microsoft’s SharePoint while 4 percent went with Wordpress. The majority of respondents—55 percent—were scattered on their choice of CMS.

For instance, numerous respondents listed enterprise software such as Ektron, Red Dot and Confluence as their current CMS. Several others mentioned custom-built systems or open source programs such as Joomla and Drupal, which allow programmers to open the software’s backend and make changes to it. Unlike enterprise software, open source is free and downloadable on the Web.

Two Web developers Ragan interviewed said they’re seeing more custom-built and open source systems than in past years.

“One of the trends I have seen over the last year in the technical world is that it’s becoming easier and easier to build a customized CMS,” said Peat Bakke, a Web developer in Portland, Ore. “It’s not drag-and-drop easy (you still need a developer), but it certainly costs less and takes less time to do than it did three years ago.”

Amanda Steinberg, CEO of Soapbxx, a Web solutions consulting firm, similarly noted that three years ago the landscape was different for open source.

“Open source CMSs (like Drupal and Joomla) are … rapidly emerging as a ‘must be considered’ … even more so in large corporations than ever before,” she explained. “This is very different from three years ago.”

Communicators share views on SharePoint

The data suggests SharePoint is gaining popularity.

“No one ever got fired for deploying Microsoft,” Steinberg quipped.

Among respondents planning to change their CMS, 56 percent said they will select SharePoint. Forty-two percent listed other programs or indicated they had yet to choose a CMS.

Only 10 percent of respondents planning on switching said they currently use SharePoint, while 3 percent use Wordpress. The remaining 83 percent of respondents listed a variety of different systems, including several communicators who mentioned Vignette.

Clark has mixed feelings about SharePoint.

“I don't feel comfortable saying SharePoint is a bad setup,” he told Ragan.com. “I think it's just very complicated and best left to heavily trained and supported IT-capable people.”
 
What about the happy few?

Despite warnings about SharePoint’s usability, 30 percent of communicators who are happy with their current CMS are using it. Twelve percent of satisfied users mentioned the IBM platform Websphere and 2 percent indicated Wordpress.

Both Clark and Jack Leblond, a former Web developer, recommended Wordpress due to its relative ease of use. “Wordpress is ideal, especially for small businesses,” Leblond said.

The 55 percent of respondents who said they do not use SharePoint, Websphere or Wordpress listed a variety of enterprise, open source and custom-built programs.

Two-thirds of these respondents said they’re happy with their current CMS because it’s easy for them to update and maintain; 41 percent indicated their system meets IT security standards; 21 percent said it incorporates social media tools; and 19 percent cited its intuitive navigation and design. Respondents were asked to check all answers that apply.

When asked “Why are you happy with your current CMS,” a few communicators suggested they are resigned to it. For example, one respondent, echoing the comments of two others, said, “Not necessarily happy, but it's what we have for now.”

PollStream has partnered with Ragan to create POLL-arized, a series of polls about corporate communications. PollStream is a leading provider of interactive engagement and community building solutions for Fortune 1000 organizations. Its proprietary poll, quiz, commenting, rating and The Hive solutions engage, educate and inform customers and employees online. For more information, please visit: www.pollstream.com.