Open Source
Content Management
Nate Aune, Jazkarta
Panel Discussion at Gilbane Conference
December 4, 2008
Boston, MA

Informed customers
• Downloadable and point-n-click installers
• Many published books
• Plethora of online documentation
• Mailing lists and IRC to ask pre-RFP questions

Easy to install
• Cross-platform installers
• Point-n-click install
• No dependencies

Books and online docs
plone.org/documentation

Greater adoption of OSS
• More mature, more stable, better supported
• The 'political and cultural' shift
• often much cheaper
• it enables doing things systematically

Participation is key
• code that isn't contributed gets bitrot
• contributed code builds momentum
• attendance at OSS conferences and sprints
• being active in IRC and mailing lists

Socialized innovation
• OSS developers like to \"scratch an itch\"
• Motivated by recognition = meritocracy
• \"Coolness\" factor > market demands
• Individuals innovate without the constraints
of company budgets or product managers

Plone innovations
• supports 35+ languages incl. right-to-left
• link integrity checker
• drag-n-drop adding of content
• built-in wiki

Plone is standards compliant
• Section 508 / WAI-AA
• XHTML/CSS
• pervasive RSS feed support
• microformats
• iCal / vCal
• OpenID

OSS is cost effective
• Perception that OSS is free needs to die
• Do not incur costly licensing fees
• Still must pay for consulting, support, hosting

Enterprise CMS Cost Comparison
Custom Theme, Content
Licenses Server License +
100 Client Licenses
Annual
License Fees
No License Fees
7 November 2008 21

Don't underestimate Community

Questions?
natea (at) jazkarta (dot) com
www.jazkarta.com

More info about Plone
• plone.org (official site of Plone)
• plone.net (vendors, case studies)
• plonebook.info (free eBook)
• plone.tv (screencasts, podcasts)