Content Management System is simply a fancy term for being able to edit your own web site -- without knowing HTML or using programs such as FrontPage or Dreamweaver.
Although most commercial CMS software is extremely expensive, there are a growing number of well-designed programs that provide a low-end tool for small organizations to take control of their web site content, leaving the design elements intact.
Macromedia's Contribute provides an on-line web browser interface for this task, whereas Fog Creek's CityDesk offers a desktop solution that allows you to work off-line until you're ready to upload the revisions. Boomtown Webworks can build templates to integrate CMS into an existing site design or build a new CMS-based site from scratch.
When off-the-shelf programs can't provide the right solution, a custom-built CMS can tailor features especially for your organization. Boomtown builds its systems using Active Server Pages (ASP) and an Access database, an ideal approach for a small business that doesn't need the power -- and expense -- of a SQL database system. Browse the Boomtown web portfolio to see examples of custom CMS in action.
