Why not an open source CMS?
There are many quality open source CMS products, and in many cases they may be the way to go. Dictator CMS does not directly compete with any open source CMS systems, so if we think your needs will be better served by an open source CMS then we will tell you.
At this point in time, we feel that there are excellent open source CMS products for blogging, portals, and forums. Rather than implement these features into Dictator CMS, we often recommend open source products for these solutions. There are also good products for corporate web site use, and it is up to you to choose what you think best suits your needs.
There are reasons for and against using an open source CMS on a corporate web site. Clients choose Dictator CMS over an open source solution for many reasons which may or may not be applicable to your needs.
As a company that is currently developing open source CMS solutions, we feel that we have an even perspective on this issue. We often come across the opinion that everything should be open source. We feel that there are many reasons why a non-open source solution may be preferable in some instances, and this page attempts to address a few of them.
Security
Dictator CMS clients do not want to be targeted for the exploits common to open source CMS products. Not because they are open-source, but because they are in use on a large scale and the code is visible to those that would like to seek vulnerabilities. This has become a large problem. One that requires you to be very proactive if running an open source cms.
Running an open source CMS means you take on a larger liability and commitment internally than you would with a product like Dictator. Of course, using closed source doesn’t eliminate this problem as Microsoft is a testament to. But in the case of Dictator, the code has been written by one person with an eye for security, and the distribution of the product is very focused. The code is not available to those for vulnerabilities nor is it in wide enough usage to warrant large scale automated exploits.
Customizability
Dictator is designed for custom installations in contrast to the one fits all approach needed for mass distribution of open source cms products. Products like Typo3 have a comparable level of customizability but with significantly more complexity. To be successful, open source CMS products have to devise systems approachable to the masses, at the cost of limiting customizability. This is a blessing and a curse, depending on the situation. But for Dictator’s target client, it’s customizability is a key decision maker. You can’t do many things with open source CMSs (in a timely manner) that you can with Dictator. Many of which may be directly applicable to your needs.
Design
Dictator’s clients typically don’t want to fall into the traditional layouts demanded by many open source CMS platforms. Many of which may need to be skinned rather than designed for. Dictator doesn’t “dictate” (pardon the pun) anything about the design. For these reasons, several design firms resell Dictator to their clients. They can focus their design on pleasing the client without the CMS making the design decisions. Of course, the more one considers smart design in a usability sense, the more successful the implementation will be with Dictator.
Support
Clients want a product that is backed and supported by a company that knows the product, can install it fully and completely, provide knowledgeable consulting, can install updates, training, and fix things if need be. They don’t want to hire a separate employee to maintain, keep up to date with, and support an open source CMS. Nor do they want to pay someone to learn a new system on their dime.
Cost
It’s true that open source software is licensed for free, but that’s deceiving when you consider the cost of implementation. Dictator’s license and implementation fees are competitive with—if not lower than—many open source CMS products. The cost from Ryan Cramer Design, LLC is always the same whether you are big or small. And when taking a large scale project as a whole, Dictator is a cost saver over an open source CMS in almost all situations in it’s target market.
Timeline
Dictator can be implemented much more rapidly than any open source system for two reasons 1) it’s designed specifically for the needs of corporate web sites (not portals, blogs, forums), and 2) having written the product we know how to implement it rapidly. You may get this same benefit if you hire the developer of any open source CMS and use their product. But the only product we can provide this benefit to you with is Dictator.
Upgrades
Upgrades, security updates, and bug fixes are installed to your site automatically during the warranty period (if you would like them to be).
Dictator’s unique ‘core’ system makes it easy for us to drop in upgrades at any time without worries of affecting items specific to your site. We don’t know of any open source CMS that offers this advantage. In fact, when you customize an open source CMS by editing it’s source code, you are then locked into that version of the software in many ways. This means upgrades become extremely difficult to do, as you potentially destroy customizations specific to your site.
Documentation
Because Dictator is not developed by a team of people across the globe, there is a central location from which all aspects of the software are documented and set in stone. We have an advantage in offering a well documented software that is well planned out, with an always consistent user interface that is easy to use an learn. Comprehensive documentation aside, we are also here to assist and train our clients to use the software effectively at every step.
Summary
These are just some of the reasons why client’s choose Dictator CMS over an open source solution. We encourage you to contact us if you have questions, we’ll be happy to help. And if we think an open source solution is in your best interest, then we will tell you.
More information about open source CMS products can be found at opensourcecms.com
