CrownPeak Research Finds Need for Change in Current Content Management Approaches

Ability to Make More Web Content Changes Necessary to Better Support Business; Users of Hosted Content Management Systems Cited as Most Satisfied With Their CMS Solution

Los Angeles, CA. (September 1, 2006) — 

CrownPeak, the company defining the future of content management, today announced the results of a study conducted with King Research, a leading marketing research and consulting company. Based on a September 2006 survey of the current state of content management for large Web sites, the CrownPeak-sponsored research examines approaches and preferences for Web content management as well as common issues with existing processes for implementing content changes.

The study found that significant improvements are needed in content management approaches for large Web sites; most notably, 73 percent of participants believe in order to better support their business, an increase in their ability to make changes to Web content is essential. While the benefits of using a Content Management System (CMS) were widely embraced, respondents that use a hosted content management system were more satisfied with their content management systems than any other participant category. The overall research findings provide organizations with a strategic road map for planning their Web content management initiatives.

As for who's responsible for implementing changes to the Web site, the study found that the only consistency was that there was none. Most cited "marketing" as the group responsible for implementing changes, but the wide range of responses points to the lack of a centralized web management function within most organizations. Instead, what exists in 2006 is still a hodgepodge of IT, marketing and other functional departments. Consequently, and perhaps unsurprisingly, what most organizations do have in common is the significant time it takes to implement changes on their site. Seventy-eight percent of participants reported needing more than a day to post any new web page, and almost half of all participants reported that it typically took a week or more to post a new page.

"Creating, editing and publishing Web site content is an ongoing challenge for any organization trying to make the most of limited budgets and resources. Our survey showed that defining and implementing a process that enables content providers -- no matter what their technical savvy -- to quickly and efficiently manage content has proven very problematic to marketing, IT and other groups with ownership of dynamically changing Web sites," said Diane Hagglund of King Research.

When asked what approach to content management they would take if starting from scratch, 96 percent indicated they would use a content management system but only 11 percent would choose to build their own in-house. Ease-of-use topped the list of considerations by both IT and marketing when evaluating a content management system. The groups were also aligned in their ranking of the additional CMS purchase considerations, citing ease of implementation/integration, product features and cost as key determinants. Participants who currently use a hosted content management system to manage their Web site content were significantly happier with their content management solution. Sadly, only 54 percent of participants said they were happy with their existing approach to content management, compared to 79 percent of participants who used hosted content management solutions.

"It is not surprising that organizations continue to look for ways to streamline their approach to Web content management in order to better support their business. But with so many Web content management system options available in the marketplace -- not just in terms of products, but delivery methods as well -- the choice of which is right for your organization is often a challenge," said Jim Howard, CEO of CrownPeak. "We find the results of the King Research study extremely encouraging, as they point to the customer benefits and competitive differentiation of CrownPeak's product offering and software-as-a-service delivery model."

An executive summary of the full study including its methodology isavailable for download in the InfoCenter.

About CrownPeak 
CrownPeak is defining the future of content management with its cost-effective, easy-to-implement software services for enterprise-level Web content management and site search. As the only solution to offer best-of-breed integration with ExactTarget, salesforce.com and WebTrends, CrownPeak's 360° Site Management gives Web site managers complete control over the critical functions involved in delivering a successful, revenue-driving Web site.

Enterprises and vertical organizations such as Crain Communications, Trek Bicycles, Hyundai Motors, the State of Virginia and the University of Southern California have realized the value in CrownPeak's 24x7 customer support and guaranteed response times. CrownPeak has been named to EContent's 100 most influential companies list, has won eWeek's prestigious Analysts Choice Award and InfoWorld's Product of the Year Award and has been named an SIIA Codie Award finalist for Best Content Management System every year since 2003.

About King Research 
King Research provides marketing research and consulting services in the high-tech and enterprise computing markets using proven research methodology combined with in-depth technical expertise. Our projects result in our clients gaining a clear understanding of opportunities, priorities, perceptions, motivations & requirements in markets in which they wish to build their business. For more information see www.kingres.com.

Brian Gendron
SHIFT Communications
(415) 591-8403
bgendron@shiftcomm.com

About CrownPeak

CrownPeak, the market leader in Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Web Content Management and Optimization solutions, offers online marketers the easiest way to manage, target, publish, and analyze web content on their web sites, micro-sites, mobile media, or landing pages. CrownPeak's enterprise-grade SaaS operates on any web server or platform, and seamlessly integrates with other ECM systems.

Hundreds of organizations, such as Skype, Nissan, Alico, Defenders of Wildlife, EMI Music and the State of Virginia, have realized the value in CrownPeak's renowned ease-of-use, its 24x7 customer support, and guaranteed response times. CrownPeak has been named to EContent’s 100 most influential companies list, has won eWeek’s prestigious Analysts Choice Award and InfoWorld’s Product of the Year Award, and has been named a finalist for Best Customer Service from the American Business "Stevie" Awards for the last three years.

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