Content Management Systems (CMS) are software systems (usually web based) that enable the creation
, management and delivery of information to audiences via web sites, portals, extranets or intranets. Content Management Systems in large organisations are often referred to as Enterprise Content Management Systems (ECMS). Web Content Management Systems are a subset of the Enterprise Content Management System.
A CMS enables content creation, reviewing and publishing to the web. With secure access through a web browser, editors and reviewers manage content that is stored or indexed in a web database. The look and feel of such a system will be familiar to most people in your organisation likely to be managing a web site.
In its simplest form, a user logs securely into the CMS through a web browser, creates and edits content use an in-browser editor, and may forward it to an authoriser to approve the content to be published in a live environment. All of this interaction is controlled through security, workflow and audit trails and all of this is stored and tracked in a database.