Monday, January 28, 2013

Open Source Web Content Management Trends to Watch for in 2013

The amount of change is breathtaking when Open Source Web Content Management Trends to Watch for in 2013 are considered. Users are getting used to touch screens and not only on mobile devices. With the release of Windows 8, Microsoft uses the same OS across a variety of devices, from mobile phone and tablets to desktop devices. Enhancements in Open Source CMS take into account not only mobile but tactile experiences. These facts, coupled with increased consumer behavior buying trends set the bar high and pave the way for the surprises 2013 has for the Open Source world. A list of trends is presented next:


1) Responsive Web Design Made Easier.

Many great changes in Open Source CMS are happening on the front end. A strong trend is standardizing the use of responsive web design. This trend arises from the pressing need for a website to look good on a variety of screen devices. Many core changes, add ons and APIs will be created to make this design shift easier. The most common resolution used to be 1024x768 pixels, now 320x480, 480x320, 768x1024, 1024x768 and 1680x1050 are the most usual, hence the need for integrating it directly into the system capabilities to make the transition smoother. If this trends comes to fruition it's a win/win situation because designers and developers have better tools and their reach makes consumers have a better experience therefore achieving business results faster.


2) Improved default Social Media Interaction.

Among the Open Source Web Content Management Trends to Watch for in 2013 is the growing popularity of open source itself. Coupling this fact with the gigantic social media growth it makes sense to standardize ways for developers and designers to add social media specs to websites and apps. This is made possible by making it easier to embed content from these social hubs. Extra support for Instagram, oEmbed, Tumblr, SoundCloud, Slideshare and other players, new and established, follows the internet bias of making information accessible at an exponential rate, therefore it is a strong trend.


3) Dramatic Publishing Improvements.

The amount of content published on the web per minute is astonishing. Printed content is also being repurposed to appear online and since Open Source CMS fuels much of the digital revolution, content publishing is always a pressing need for developers to improve. Among the Open Source Web Content Management Trends to Watch for in 2013 many improvements will be found in the areas of workflow and collaboration with the use of social not only for content consumers but for content creators. Multi-language capabilities out of the box will change the reach of informational and persuasive written communications. These technological advancements in Open Source CMS are driving major changes for the world at large due to increased preference by the general population for digital media instead of other channels.


These trends are strong and not only fads because they connect with the digital issues influencing the world right now. Although Open Source is driven by software improvements, these improvements themselves are influenced by hardware innovations and shifting consumer preferences. The rate of change increases exponentially for the Open Source world, all that is needed to test this assumption is comparing the specs from a few years ago to what is possible now. No doubt the near future will bring more surprises.

No comments:

Post a Comment