Environment America wanted to replace its current content management platform – which consisted of an ASP-based system of static HTML sites – with a more dynamic system that would allow non-IT personnel to update sites on their own, rather than piling updates into a backlog. Wes Morgan, internet organizer for Environment America, was part of a team designated the task of finding a comprehensive, robust CMS that could manage several websites at once while offering customizable functionality and an intuitive interface.
Environment America had crossed paths with WebGUI as early as 2004, when a consultant suggested utilizing the open source platform for the creation of a partner organization's voter registration and get-out-the-vote website. Now, Morgan and his team needed to find a CMS that would satisfy a long list of requirements they had assembled. WebGUI was a candidate, but could it pass the test?
“We needed to allow organization members across the country – many of whom had limited IT knowledge – to access and update a given website on their own,” said Morgan. “Additionally, our management and IT teams needed centralized control, monitoring and workflow approval for the entire system. Because our organization is a non-profit, finding a program that would accommodate so many members while maintaining cost-effectiveness were crucial components of the search.”
Environment America chose WebGUI to manage the network of websites. WebGUI’s open source platform gave Morgan and his team the potential to customize modules and processes. WebGUI’s low barrier to entry was a cost-effective way to evaluate the program before enlisting a support contract. WebGUI had the power to give IT teams centralized control over a large number of websites while allowing non-tech personnel monitored access to content updates.