What Content Services Platforms Are Right For Your Business?
Content services provide businesses with an indispensable niche in the global marketplace. They offer users access to a myriad range of content from a variety of sources and at a low cost. In fact, content services are fast becoming the most common business intermediary across different channels, such as publishing, search engine optimization (SEO), e-commerce, and social media. Web content services go beyond straightforward distribution of written content and encompass a wide range of web-based services, including data feeds, content enrichment, and content administration systems. Businesses that rely heavily on SEO or other content marketing tactics will reap benefits from this versatile content distribution. Meanwhile, companies that seek to promote their brands through a number of social media platforms will find great content management solutions to be a cost-effective content marketing solution.
A monolithic system is a single delivery platform that can be integrated with varied other tools. Content services, however, tend to fall into one of three categories, all of which have different strengths and limitations. These categories include microservices and capabilities, which are individually priced per project; a single service, such as a blog or a basic website that may be hosted on a server for a fixed monthly fee; or a comprehensive portfolio of web content services that are hosted and managed by a third-party. Each of these three options has its own strengths and limitations, as well as a variety of additional capabilities that may be beneficial to a business.
A single service or application package is typically price-gated to give companies more bang for their buck. This includes an entire suite of web content services, such as a blog engine, a content management system, and the ability to manage a large number of blogs through one centralized interface. A monolithic platform allows businesses to focus on developing and maintaining their individual applications instead of wasting time and money on maintaining the different pieces of a larger platform. This option is also typically less complicated than some other platforms, and may be easier to implement.
On the other hand, a complete, comprehensive portfolio of digital transformation tools is usually priced more expensive and serves a greater goal. When developing a digital transformation plan, a business should first evaluate what functionality they want to be able to deliver through their content services. Then, they should determine whether they would prefer to develop their own application, or if they would prefer to have a fully supported, integrated platform. A monolithic platform may be perfect for some business processes, but it may not be appropriate for all business processes, and may not be the right choice for all businesses.
Finally, there are third-party repository vendors. These vendors offer the functionality of both third-party application vendors and content services. They have established relationships with many different content providers and platforms, and have designed their product portfolio to integrate seamlessly with multiple different systems. However, third-party vendors have significantly less management and maintenance overhead than larger, more established companies. While some businesses may find that having an independent repository offers an increased level of functionality or ease of use, many others prefer to work with established content services companies, and may not be able to justify the costs of building their own repository.
It can be difficult determining which content services platforms and vendors are best for your business. Each vendor brings its own strengths and capabilities to the table. In general, content services companies should look for vendors that: have experience in both managing and supporting a wide variety of platforms and applications, have detailed documentation of their functionality and cost models, and offer high-quality software development. Any vendor chosen should be capable of supporting: GSM/GPRS, Wi-Fi, PCMCIA, USB, Bluetooth, and Video. Additionally, any vendor chosen should be able to support a wide range of business processes, including ERP, enterprise architecture, retail management, consumer electronics, and web solutions.