Focusing on core competencies
The turnkey implementation minimized the impact on Ultrak's internal IT department, enabling them to focus on core business, according to Schwartz. The hosted solution came bundled with development, implementation, and support services. This kept the strain on Ultrak's internal team very low. Because Ultrak continued to own its own servers and Web site, no changes to existing hardware, software, or network environments were required.

The need for speed
When enterprises need a CMS solution in a crunch, hosted solutions can often help reduce the time to market. CrownPeak delivered the live CMS solution, including training, to Ultrak in less than four weeks. According to Howard, this is four to five times faster than typical packaged solution deployment. The rapid time to implementation saved Ultrak countless hours spent creating its intranet and updating its new, extensive public site to enable multiple languages.

Tips for choosing the right vendor
Every CMS implementation is complex, and if you don't work hard with your vendor to plan well, you won't solve all of your business problems.

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Before you select a hosted solution, be clear about what problems you're solving. Feature sets can vary widely among solutions, so make sure the solution you're considering really solves your stated problems. By going through the ROI analysis process, you can prioritize cost savings and efficiency measures.

Look for evidence of a well-run operation with a real software product.

"Too many development shops claim to have a hosted product, but all they really have is a code base that they use to deliver custom solutions to their customers," said Howard. "And these companies also are likely to stick you with a big bill for customization over time--remember, your Web site changes."

CIOs need to answer these questions in choosing the right solution approach:

• How much will it cost to adjust the CMS to match with our new site if it's a custom implementation?
• What happens if the person who wrote that system leaves the development shop?

"Spend time with your vendor. Spend time with the prototype the vendor delivers," advised Howard. "A hosted solution is typically easier to set up and configure, so even large changes to the initial prototype are usually easy to make during the development process."

A good way to tell if a vendor has a good product is to review the product documentation, the documentation for the API, the company's SLA and back-up and disaster recovery plans, and the help system.

"If those elements don't exist, be wary," said Howard.

Looking at actual client implementations and talking with the clients using the tools is often the best evaluation method. Demos can look great but aren't always representative of actual implementations and service levels. And most importantly, the solution should not hold your data hostage.

"Developers outside of the hosted software firm should have multiple methods to access your data," said Howard.

CIOs should select a hosted solution that comes with a template language that is easy for internal staff to manage and update. It should be standards-based and not proprietary or based on an arcane language. Input template configuration is critical, because you have to consider what content is being controlled and by whom, and where it's going to go.

"Remember that a good CMS doesn't just update pages, it controls site navigation, navigational expansion, and look and feel elements as well," explained Howard.

Once the system is up and running, don't forget to keep in touch with the users. Howard recommends querying the system's users after three to four months, to see if it needs to be fine-tuned. "Again, it's usually easy to modify, and for a few hours of work, you can ensure that system users are satisfied," he said.

What CMS product do you use, and how did you evaluate it before buying? TalkBack below or e-mail us.
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