Alfresco released a new web development tool called Alfesco Web Studio [1] this week that adds front-end editing and page creation capability to its core back-end content management system. The editing component is part of the larger release of Alfresco Labs 3, which  incorporates various bug fixes and pulls together some of the items that had been released throughout last year including a CMIS implementation, Alfresco Share, a new collaboration environment and integration with other open source tools like Joomla! and MediaWiki.

Michael Uzquiano, director of Alfresco Web Content Management, says up until this release, the company had concentrated on consolidating the functionality in the content repository, and let customers use whatever editor they chose. They heard from customers, however, that they wanted a built-in editor, which is especially useful for non-technical content contributors to make changes and even build pages with drag and drop components and forms-based editing tools. This approach enables users, once trained, to work independently of technical and creative staff.

CTO John Newton explained the development philosophy that lead them to develop the editor last. “Alfresco has always recognized the value of providing a solution combining both a Content Production System (CPS) and Presentation Management System (PMS).  Initially our focus was on implementing the CPS and now with the launch of Web Studio we are able to deliver PMS functionality to the Alfresco WCM platform.”

This release places Alfresco firmly in the ECM mainstream and marks a major milestone for the company, pulling together various pieces into a comprehensive ECM tool. It's an especially big step for an open source company, as it provides customers with a highly scalable, enterprise-class open source content management alternative.

For more information, see:
- Alfresco press release [2]
- John Newton's blog post [3]

Related Articles:
Alfresco news from FierceContentManagement [4]