CMS? ECM? What do these terms really mean?

What differentiates a CMS from an ECM? I'm curious if these terms (along with a few others) are well understood, specifically within the content management industry.

I suspect there are many people in our industry that use these terms within their daily professional lives but aren't clear on their meaning. One indication is the notes found at the top of each page within wikipedia on this topic. Almost every page has a quality standards warning saying the article makes vague or superficial statements and focuses excessively on Web CMS.

As an aside, I'm using wikipedia as my source because it is written by the online community and is a reflection of our collective understanding of these terms. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the complex systems we are trying to define have given birth to terminology that is still unclear. Terms such ECM are less than a decade old and are being used by marketing departments across the net, often out of context, to sell software.

So what does it take to be a CMS or an ECM? Let's start by looking at the definition of CMS.

Wikipedia defines a content management system (CMS) as

a program used to create a framework for the content of a Web site.

In this case it seems the warning at the top of the page is right. Not only is this definition fairly vague, it also implies that every CMS deals with only web based content. If this were true the wikipedia wouldn't define a Web content management system as

a CMS with additional features to ease the tasks required to publish Web content to Web sites.

If we assume for a minute that we are talking about a web content management system and focus on the tie that binds, then the next question is about the word content. What is meant by the word content in the context of a CMS?

In media production and publishing, content is information and experiences that may provide value for an end-user/audience. Content may be delivered via any medium such as the internet, television, and audio CDs, as well as live events such as conferences and stage performances.

My initial reaction to this definition is to limit the discussion to content that is only delivered via the web to a browser. This limitation seems a poor choice however if we consider that more and more web content is being consumed via other devices such as cell phones and hand held devices like the Black Berry. Given this trend, shouldn't a Web CMS be able to manage content that may be delivered via any medium?

The definition of content brings to light another discussion that I find extremely interesting as well. Content can be an experience. So if wikipedia is right, a web CMS manages not only information, but also experiences. I'm not sure what qualifies as an experience but try for a minute to view a CMS as a tool for managing an experience. How does one define an experience?

I'll leave you with one more thought. Even if we had a clear definition of content, what is meant by the word management?

Comments?

Wow, I have never read such a detailed analysis of this term based on the sum of its pieces. Individually or as one term it does seem to fit, and yes, even the experiences part of the word 'Content.' I believe with the explosion of Blogs, Wiki, YouTube, social networking, customer driven knowledge bases, etc., and everything else that allows us to interact with and experience the information we encounter the CMS is truly a management system for all content.

As for the difference between ECM (Enterprise Content Management) and CMS (Content Management System) there may not be one. Companies that develop CMS applications like Abortext and Bluestream for corporations do so to help them management all information in electronic format within their enterprise (e.g. specifications, design documents, CAD drawings, training materials, HR documents, end-user manuals, administration, business and financial reports, etc.).

I think the term ECM is a more valid term for this use because it cannot be confused with a CMS used to specifically manage web content. Although an ECM tracks content relationship, versioning, project management, audit trails, and some publishing abilities it does not manage the experience of the user like a CMS does for websites.

anonymous Fri, May 9, 5:07 PM

In addition to my anonymous post above I wanted to add that there is an association that "is a collaborative community of practice advancing the field of content management. Its members reflect the cross-disciplinary nature of the field, and share a passion for managing content effectively." I'm a part of this community called Content Management Professionals (www.cmprofessionals.org) and there really is a very diverse use of this technology and practice.