We're really excited about the customer-driven innovation that continues to propel a disruptive rethink of Web Content Management here at Stantive. While the traditional approach has been to build a CMS as a standalone system, with little to no native integration with core business systems, OrchestraCMS is 100% native to the number one business platform in the Cloud - Salesforce.  In fact, we're the only 100% native CMS on the Salesforce App Cloud.

Traditional legacy Web CMS applications need a plethora of plugins, gadgets, widgets, custom coding and middleware to connect to the business with each adding complexity, requiring updates, patching and even redevelopment each time there is a change in the CMS or a back office application.  Worse, Marketing is handcuffed by the need to consult IT each time a new integration is required to create new site functionality.

Even SiteForce (formerly SiteMasher) is built on a separate infrastructure and requires 'data services' to integrate.  Marketing is left at the whim of IT to deliver new site functionality or deal with an endless stream of development of widgets and gadgets.  And API access is usually a subset of native functionality.

A CMS will never have the kind of functionality found in a back office system, nor will it be easily integrated without a lot of time, systems integration consulting and money.  This is the status quo today.  We think it's an anachronism.

Here's what native looks like - business process automation, powerful analytics, new data tables, new applications, new platform innovations, instantly discovered and incorporated by OrchestraCMS, and instantly available to the web through portals, intranets, public websites and mobile applications.  Why build a publishing workflow capability into a CMS, when a much more powerful one is available on the business platform?

Native vs. Integratable
OrchestraCMS is 100% native on Salesforce.  What does that mean? The CMS user is in control. Data is always visible, and with drag and drop ease a business user can build native forms or native data listings with details, all stylized to the most rigorous branding standards.  If a new data object is created or new fields added to an existing object, OrchestraCMS sees it immediately.  If a new data validation rule is implemented, OrchestraCMS enforces it. OrchestraCMS even invokes native Salesforce de-duplication functionality on forms with a simple check box.  This can't be done in simple 'web to lead' html snippet embedded in a web page.  And the 'snippet' can't be developed by a business user.

So, if you create a new object to capture events registration, the Marketing CMS user can see it immediately and build a form and landing page with drag and drop in minutes, with no assistance required from IT.

Speed and Simplicity
Because we're empowering business users to create and manage content, we're always looking for ways to eliminate complexity and speed the cycle time from content creation to published. One of our innovations is the ability to eliminate the traditional staging environment needed to test new content and functionality.  With OrchestraCMS' Trueview Preview, pages and content are fully functional - including business systems integration(s) - before they're published.  We take 'pixel perfect' and elevate it to 'business perfect'.

And because we have full version control on all elements in the system, our Time Travel feature allows users to move backwards and forward in time to see what the site looked like at any minute from go live, to the future date and time when new content will publish. For customers in highly regulated industries, this also provides an easy way to audit a site, without expensive data dumps and external analysis.

Business Process Automation
Most CMSs are focused on publishing processes, that may or may not incorporate a broader business process.  In OrchestraCMS, we're natively integrated with Salesforce.com's powerful approvals workflow engine.  A publishing process can be simple, of part of a larger, more complex process that involves more than just web content. No problem. The OrchestraCMS user is involved in just their portion of the process and is notified and manages their portion of the process from Salesforce or in OrchestraCMS.

Analytics
CMS platforms are focused on web analytics because that's pretty much all they do.  OrchestraCMS is natively integrated into Salesforce's analytics and dashboards.  So we can track much more than clicks on the web or in a portal.  Those can be combined with sales call logs, marketing campaigns, customer preferences, past purchases and other back office information to provide a true 360 degree view of all aspects of the customer relationship.  Watch for a series of 'recipes', based on actual customer implementations, to provide concrete examples of the kinds of solutions our customers are using.

Innovation Multiplier
Salesforce.com typically upgrades their platform three times per year.  Because we're native, we deliver innovation on two levels - within OrchestraCMS and on top of Salesforce.com.  In Spring 12, Salesforce.com will introduce "Analytics Edition".  This will provide an incredible boost to their current analytics capability.  Because we're native, we'll have instant access to the new functionality and our customers will be able to incorporate it into all aspects of their business, including their website, portal and intranet powered by OrchestraCMS without modification or upgardes or patches.

This is a small snapshot of what happens when something is rethought.  OrchestraCMS was launched on the AppExchange in January 2010. Today, we're announcing Version 4.0.  We can also point to over 5,000,000 customers of our customers accessing portals hosted on OrchestraCMS on Salesforce.com.  Our application is used by 115 economists at a large bank to author, publish and email all of the bank's economics research to investors in 20+ countries, while another is engaging Sales Agents worldwide to manage and facilitate the rental and sale of over $100 million in real estate.

All of this functionality, integration and power is managed by business users, with little or no IT required.  Our focus from the start has been the liberation of "Content Creators" from the tirany of complexity and the reliance on others to get their content to the Intranet, Web Sites and Portals that service their customers and partners.  We believe that ultimately, this liberates the intellectual capital of every customer we serve, enabling them to engage their customers and partners in incredibly innovative new ways.  And our customers are doing just that.

With a relentless focus on ease of use, deep integration with Salesforce.com and multiple channels to reach your customers - portals, intranets, mobile and public sites, OrchestraCMS represents the next generation customer engagement platform on the web.  Connect with us and let us help you realize the complete vision of the Social Enterprise!