Open-source or proprietary?
We’re often approached by clients who ask specifically for a website that’s developed on a particular open-source platform. Whether that’s a blogging platform like WordPress or an e-commerce platform like Magento, we always stand back and ask a simple question… “Why?”
It’s not that we’ve got anything against open-source…
When used on the right project there’s no better development route than using something which already ticks 99% of all the boxes.
Afterall, why re-invent the wheel?
The reason we start to ask questions and push back a
little is to make sure that open-source is definitely the best solution going forward. We want to do right by our clients, so anything we produce needs to be the right fit, not only for their immediate requirements but as a viable long-term, scaleable solution.
Open-source
Open-source platforms are great for certain types of websites. Take WordPress for example, it’s a great platform for blogs and small, basic websites that are largely content based and are updated on a regular basis with new posts.
WordPress also has a whole army of developers that continually develop low-cost plug-ins that can let your website do more, from polls to social media integration.
It’s also completely free which means, in terms of development costs, you’ll only need to pay to have the system installed and customised.
Native have developed several websites using WordPress, all of which have been largely news/content based websites.
Proprietary
Proprietary (or bespoke) content management systems come into their own when there is a requirement for something that isn’t specifically catered for within one of the major open-source platforms.
Whether that’s something like a customer login area that needs to interface with your own data services or a third-party API, specific requirements need to be handled in an environment where we, as developes, have more control.
The obvious downside to a proprietary system is that both development costs and the time in which a project can be delivered both tend to increase.
In summary
More often than not, the true requirements and deciding factors for choosing between an open-source platform or a proprietary system arise during the initial project scoping meetings.
Native always look at each of the available options on their own merits and make an informed decision based on the requirements of the project.
Looking for a simple content managed website? Then yes, let’s look at WordPress to drive the thing. Operating in a niche market and want to develop an online ordering facility for a complex product range? Let’s build something that fits your business needs.
FrontBurner
Native’s own modular content management system, FrontBurner, has been continually developed over several years and has been used on a multitude of different websites to date.
It provides the framework for the websites we develop and handles paging, navigation and templating.
Through the addition of specific modules that allow you to manage pages, posts, galleries, files and a whole host of other aspects of your website, it forms a truly customised content management system that is able to fit your requirements.
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