As makers of proprietary installed CMS software, we constantly run into prospects looking for the content management system that's right for their organization. However, oftentimes these prospects are unsure as to whether to go with an open-source or proprietary system. While there are some similarities between the two, there are also stark differences between an open-source and installed CMS system that should be considered in the CMS selection process. As is the case with most substantial business-investments, one factor that must always be considered is business risk mitigation and how your organization can avoid taking on unnecessary risks.

Flexibility & Cost

One of the 'pros' when utilizing an open source CMS system is that you are provided with extreme flexibility. This is because open-source systems provide the framework for you to build your entire CMS structure as you see fit.

However, along these same lines, this requires both extensive technical knowledge and a complete reliance on individuals from within your organization (or those to whom you outsource your work) to complete. Because open-source solutions are license-fee free, many organizations searching for a CMS are drawn to the low-cost option afforded to them with use of an open-source system. However, there are many "hidden" costs associated with this decision, because although the system is essentially free, the amount of human labor and energy needed to build and customize it is substantial. As costs of technology and hardware continue to diminish over time, costs of labor are perpetually rising. This is something to fully consider before going the open source route.

In addition, although the cost of purchasing proprietary software is higher than that of its open source counterpart, remember -- you are paying for something. Proprietary CMS software comes with a plethora of default and customizable options already set up in the system. This means creating new pages, templates, folders, dynamic navigation and the like is much simpler, as the default and standard structure needed to do so is already in place. If you'd like to accomplish the same with an open source system, (most of which lack comprehensive defaults and examples 'out of the box'), it requires starting from scratch and building out your entire CMS structure.

Should your developers one day find that they aren't able to build and/or customize your instance as anticipated, the next major issue to think about is product support.

Support

Imagine you decided to select an open source CMS. Although you may be aware of the risk of using an open source system, you're pretty confident your developers can make it happen. One day though, something in the system goes terribly wrong and needs immediate attention. Who do you call? Unfortunately, I can't answer that question for you. (In fact, take a look at the results when I searched the word 'support' on Joomla's site).

When you make a commitment to an open source system, realize that you are choosing to forfeit the immediate access to a support staff that you'd be getting with a proprietary investment. Maintenance and support are almost always included when purchasing an installed CMS license. This will typically include direct access (via phone or email) to a dedicated support team, in addition to access to an automated support (and/or 'ticket') system, user's forum, and listserv. Because use and maintenance of a CMS is always complex, the intangibles, like knowing you have someone to immediately contact for help, are crucial.  

Additional Nice-To-Haves

Search Engine Optimization

Many CMS systems in general, whether open source or proprietary, leave much to be desired when it comes to SEO endeavors. Open source systems in particular, usually fail to provide the ability to create search engine friendly urls. In addition, to ensure ease of use for content contributors within your organization, utilizing a system that provides page level control over things like titles and metadata is crucial.

Accessibility Compliance

Where with many proprietary CMS systems, functionality such as accessibility checker(s) that ensure valid site HTML/XML is included, this same feature set is not available with open source options. More recently, web accessibility has become even more relevant with ground-breaking litigation and legal precedents being set for those who are not compliant with accessibility standards. The risk of maintaining a non-accessible site is now legally significant; for this reason, if using an open source system (or a proprietary one that doesn't ensure web accessibility), making sure that you have extremely accessibility-saavy developers will be important.