Which CMS?

[Heather Harpell]

We are currently using a homebrewed CMS right now (which I can't wait to get away from), and are starting to look into other options. However many of the popular CMSs out there aren't an option as I need to be able to connect to an SQL Server. Any suggestions?

[Chris Wiegman]

What are you trying to connect to the MS(?) SQL Server for? Many CMS applications can be molded to connect to other data sources for various functions other than their core.

[Heather Harpell]

Our IS department keeps all our programs, classes, etc in an MS SQL Server db. Which is data I want access to for our site. I didn't realize that I could have the core in one data source, and then access this other data from our SQL Server db.

[Zac Vineyard]

I use Typo3, an open source PHP CMS that runs on a MySQL database. Check it out: http://typo3.org.

[Darren Ladner]

Heather, check out Sitefinity CMS. It is written on the .NET framework and uses SQL Server database. Very, very reasonable priced compare to other Higher Ed CMS. They have a community, user support, nice documentation, etc..

www.sitefinity.com

[Michael Fienen]

We use dotCMS. It's free, open source, has (paid) enterprise support, is basically database agnostic, has a shallow learning curve, and allows for setting up other SQL data sources (like your class data).

[Courtney Sullivan]

We use Ingenuix and have connected to an SQL server.

[Mark Van Tilburg]

We are in the process of implementing ContentM (http://higheredcms.info) from AllofE (www.allofe.com) university-wide. I have been involved in a number of CMS implementations over the last five years or so. The level of Web 2.0 integration and empowerment of the non technical end user is unlike anything I have seen before. This is a very R&D oriented firm and they tend to be quite selective about their projects, so I am not sure if this is going to be the right fit for you. They do support SQL server and will work very closely to adapt to any unique needs such as integrating external data sources. I don't think that they are inexpensive but we have been very satisfied with the overall value. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you need additional information.

[David Shipley]

We use Hannon Hill's Cascade Server and have had a very positive experience so far.

D.

[Riley Wills]

Might be a little late to ask questions; however, what is the preferred language of the internal developers? Several great CMS solutions are available but it really comes down to the familiarity of internal developers with the language that must be used to expand the CMS. Does "cuwebd" have a page for CMS breakdown/comparison similar to the pages found on Wikipedia breaking down Open Source CMSs.

[Mark Greenfield]

The conversation and information on CMS solutions is splintered on our site. Some of it is here in the main forum and some is in the CMS group. I would love to see us create a breakdown comparison somewhere on this site since it is one of the most popular topics.

[Mark Van Tilburg]

I noticed that too. Great idea; I hope it can be done.

[Edgar Riley]

We've recently helped a few schools (Ball State University, University of Alberta, Colorado Technical University, Sheridan College) move from legacy systems to Sitecore CMS. It's well designed and compatible with MS SQL. If you are considering a commercial solution then they are well worth looking at. This whitepaper - Sitecore best practices - looks at proven deployment techniques and Successful Web Content Management for Higher Education looks at the specific challenges of higher education and web content management. I hope this is helpful