CI4ALL - Content in the Portal

Many companies operate Web sites and intranets that have grown and developed over time based on classic Web content management systems (WCMS).

In the course of the advancement of company portals (e.g., on the basis of IBM WebSphere® Portal, Jetspeed®, SAP NetWeaver®), especially for the integration of business processes, the question arises as to how current content from the intranet or Web site can be conveyed to the new platform.

The possible acquisition of a new portal content management system is hereby associated with the corresponding expenses of licensing, customizing and implementing the new system, as well as of migrating existing content to it and training employees in its use.

With the CI4ALL (you@web Content Integrator) CONET has come up with a solution for connecting an available WCMS to different enterprise portal platforms via an integration component in such a way that existing content management processes take place as usual, while the publishing of content takes place on the enterprise portal platform.

Overview of Core Functions

• Content Presentation in Portal Layout
  The included content fits seamlessly into the provided portal layout.
• Links
  Link functionality is ensured across all portal pages.
• Multilingualism
  Presentation of multilingual content in the portal is possible.
• Integration in Portal Navigation
  Contents adapt to available portal navigation screen or extend navigation display dynamically.
• Integration in Portal Search
  Integration in portal search is ensured.
• Integration in Process Applications
  Other portal applications can access content via a defined interface.
• Portal Preview for Content Managers
  At the push of a button, content managers have the option of seeing a "real" portal preview of their content.
• Performance
  The presentation component is J2EE based and is scalable.
• Security/Personalization
  Contents are protected at content level and can be amended through attributes for personalization.

The CI4ALL architecture allows for a clear distribution of tasks between publishing content and presentation in the portal. The end result is a completely integrated content management process, from creating content to publishing it in the portal.

Work for processes such as content creation and processing and approval workflows takes place in the familiar CREATOR user interface. A prerequisite for the use of portal linking is utilization of the CREATOR browser graphical user interface.

Advantages for the Customer

The solution offers a number of advantages for existing CREATOR customers, some of the most noticeable of which are:

• Protection of Investment
  The existing infrastructure can continue to be used.
• Established Content Management Processes
  Existing content management processes are retained.
• Reduced Training Time and Expense
  Time and expense for instruction and training of employees is low.
• Support for Distributed Infrastructure
  CREATOR content management systems can also be operated remotely.
• Hybrid / Parallel Operation
  The portal mode is possible in parallel to the "normal" Web presentation under IBM Lotus Domino®.
• Successive Migration
  Thanks to the option of parallel operation, a gradual migration from IBM Lotus Domino® as Web server to the enterprise portal platform is possible.
• Media Asset Management Integration
  With OSCAR, CREATOR offers a media asset management extension, which includes moving image integration, that can also be used in the portal.
• High Performance/Scalability
  The presentation component is marked by its formidable performance on the IBM WebSphere® Portal, especially when compared with conventional portal content management solutions.
• Best of Breed
  The content management and the presentation solution are among the market leaders for the corresponding platform.
• Proven in Practical Application
  The solution described here is currently being used successfully by customers with high numbers of users.