Migration News

February 04, 2010

Hannon Hill Releases Upgraded Collage to Cascade Migration Tool

ATLANTA, GA -- Hannon Hill Corporation, makers of the Cascade Server web content management system, today announces the release of an upgraded migration tool and supplementary website for previous users of Serena® Collage®.

The Collage to Cascade Migration Tool automates the process of moving content and site architecture from websites previously managed in Serena Collage to Cascade Server. Specifically, the tool is a GUI wizard that walks users through mapping fields, content types and directory structure(s) from their legacy Collage instance into the Cascade Server web content management system. Instructions and best practices for use of the migration tool are documented on Hannon Hill's Collage to Cascade microsite.

The migration tool can be used by any user with Administrative access rights in Cascade Server and must be used with a version of Cascade Server 6.2.1 or newer. Hannon Hill also recommends that users carefully consider the mappings to be used by the tool before getting started. To adequately plan for use of the tool, Hannon Hill recommends that users create a spreadsheet outlining the asset types to be mapped from Collage to their respective content types in Cascade Server, including fields and new folder locations.

"Planning for the tool's use is really the only involved part of the process," adds Kat Liendgens, Professional Services Manager at Hannon Hill. "The tool itself migrates hundreds of assets in just a few minutes, with added time needed if running the tool's link checking functionality, which we also recommend."

Since the announcement of discontinued development on the Collage CMS product, ten organizations previously using Serena to manage their websites have already switched to Cascade Server. The development of the migration tool is aimed at making the process of switching web content management systems easier for users.

Step-by-step instructions and an example planning spreadsheet are provided via the migration tool's microsite located at http://collage.hannonhill.com. Users interested in more information on the migration process are encouraged to contact Hannon Hill.

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About the Company

Hannon Hill creates web marketing solutions that give people and organizations the freedom to manage their Internet, Intranet, Extranet and Portal content with ease. Our primary software solution, Cascade Server, is ideal for organizations in industries such education, healthcare, technology, government, and publishing. Designed for any network environment, Cascade Server is as easy as e-mail and gives IT departments much needed deployment flexibility, a zero-footprint client and fast implementation. Since 2001, Hannon Hill solutions have been utilized and trusted by organizations including Duke University, Carnegie Mellon University, MCG Health Systems, PGP Corporation, Reed College and SCOREGolf magazine. For more information about Hannon Hill and all of our products, please visit www.HannonHill.com or contact us directly at 800-407-3540.

July 31, 2009

New Client Case Study: Sarah Lawrence College

The content management market is both broad and complex. As a result, vendors are constantly trying to differentiate themselves and highlight key features that make their solutions different from the competition. For those researching a CMS solution though, it's often difficult to distinguish some of the finer points between vendors and their respective systems. Factors such as vendor rapport, system ease-of-use, and benefits afforded are often overlooked and/or difficult to identify. It's because of these factors that we value our customer case studies so highly.

Case studies give prospective organizations looking for a CMS a better understanding of how other organizations are truly using and benefiting from the use of a content management system. Furthermore, they often spark ideas for our current Cascade Server users about how they could potentially leverage their CMS system's power more effectively.This week, we've released a new case study focused on one of our client institutions, Sarah Lawrence College.

Like many institutions of higher education, Sarah Lawrence has conducted extensive research aimed at finding a content management solution that meets the diverse needs of their organization. In addition, the College also focused on finding a vendor that truly understands the content management needs of institutions of higher education, and is committed to meeting and exceeding these needs via top-notch customer service.

After initially beginning an implementation with Serena Collage, several factors led the Web Team at Sarah Lawrence to decide on making a switch to the Cascade Server CMS system. Check out our Sarah Lawrence College case study to learn more about their migration from a legacy CMS system and how the College is currently using Cascade Server to effectively manage its web presence.

March 24, 2009

Migrating from Collage to Cascade Server - What are your options?

Its been about a year since news first surfaced that Serena was putting their Collage product "out to pasture".  As one might imagine, this created a substantial opportunity in the installed-CMS market, as Collage users are realizing that they need to decide what is next.  During this past year, we've worked with many different organizations and institutions, discussing options for migrating from Collage to Cascade Server.  Even before the announcement was made, we were receiving inquiries from people interested in replacing their Collage CMS.  Over the past year and a half we've signed 7 new clients that previously worked with Collage, and we are seeing the potential for a lot more to come.

So, if you are considering a move to Cascade Server, what are your options?  Glad you asked.  Implementations are like snow flakes; no two are alike.  Of the six clients that we've signed, each of them has a different strategy:

  • Hannon Hill has a services team, which can assist in the migration from Collage into Cascade Server.  We've written a script, which automates the migration of Collage's "Contribution Types" into Cascade Server's "Asset Factories", as well as from WYSIWYG to WYSIWYG.  Some more information about this can be found in one of our previous blog posts.
  • Hannon Hill is not the only team that can assist in the migration from Collage to Cascade Server.  We're currently working with Duo Consulting on a migration for a mutual client.
  • Some of our clients have decided that they would prefer to perform the migration from Serena Collage to Cascade Server themselves.  In this case, Hannon Hill is able to provide the migration script at no charge.  We're happy to provide tips on what we've learned.
  • Making a CMS change does provide the opportunity to start completely over with a new system. Some of our clients are starting over with their content and design, with Cascade Server.

Cascade Server certainly isn't the only option that is out there when it comes to replacing your Serena Collage CMS system.  It is, however, a similar content management product.  What does this mean for Collage customers?  Thought you'd never ask:

  • Cascade Server's architecture and publishing model is very similar to that of Collage.  Replacing Collage with Cascade Server would allow you to use the training that you've already received inside of the CMS.
  • The user interface (UI) for the end user of Cascade Server is very similar to that of Serena Collage's.  This means that organizations do not have to spend the extra time and money in intensive end-user training on a new system.
  • We utilize similar technology to Collage.  Cascade Server is also built in Java, and uses XSLT within the system.  We've also taken it a step further, introducing Velocity templates to the system
  • There are a few key differences to note between the two systems--Collage's interface is Java applet-based, whereas Cascade Server has a HTML standards-based interface. This means there is no requirement to install the Java Virtual Machine or any proprietary software on machines used to access Cascade Server. Cascade Server works anywhere you have a web browser.
  • We're creating a community of previous Collage users.  Customers that have already gone through migrations can certainly provide some "best practices" advice.
  • We have an annual user conference held every September, and a very active (and quickly growing) user community.
  • Cascade Server is upgraded on a regular basis.  In 2008, for example, Cascade Server had 4 major upgrades.  We're dedicated to our clients, and making Cascade Server a better product.

Hannon Hill encourages you to take a "test drive" of the system as a part of your evaluation process.  Further, we encourage you to have Cascade Server downloaded into your own environment.  We're happy to help you get Cascade Server trial for your evaluation, and we'll provide you with all the necessary documentation. 

Are you interested in downloading Cascade Server?  Let us know.

March 18, 2008

Hannon Hill Redefining "Best Practices" for CMS Vendors

ATLANTA, GA – March 18, 2008 –As a leader in the Web Content Management industry, Hannon Hill is committed to excellence in providing Web Content Management solutions to organizations across a multitude of industries. With more than 65 university and college clients using Cascade Server as their CMS of choice, institutions of Higher Education have continued to be a priority for Hannon Hill.

"As more and more universities choose Cascade Server, its position as the premier CMS in the market continues to grow," says Hannon Hill Founder and CEO, David Cummings. "Cascade remains the ideal WCMS solution for universities looking to create and manage the diverse and complex web content they seek to share with the public."

"Cascade Server, our company's true commitment to the satisfaction of our clients, and our ability to adapt and change with industry trends are the fundamental forces that have kept us so successful in the industry of Higher Education."

Cummings should know, after only seven years in the business, he has taken Hannon Hill from an idea originating in his dorm room at Duke University, to a multimillion-dollar company and a leading CMS vendor in the industry. He notes, “Web Content Management is more than just software. It’s about the people and the process too. It’s about being comfortable with your vendor, and that’s where we at Hannon Hill excel.”

In light of several recent events in the WCMS industry, being comfortable with your vendor is often a task easier said, than done. On March 12, 2008, CMSWatch.com broke the story about Serena deciding to discontinue development of its content management product, Serena Collage. Prior to this decision, Serena Collage was one of only a handful of CMS systems on the market with a stake in the Higher Education industry. While Cascade Server has by and large been the CMS of choice amongst the nation's leading colleges and universities, for those operating their websites with Serena Collage, this decision has left many academic institutions with their feathers ruffled.

As Blaine Herman, Director of Strategic Accounts with Hannon Hill confirms, "making a commitment to a CMS system is a big decision for many organizations. Deciding to put that kind of time and energy toward any one investment takes time, patience, and trust. We believe we would do ourselves and prospective clients a terrible disservice by not being completely upfront about what the process entails; it is hard work, but we are committed to sticking with it from your start date, to your finish date, not ours."

California State University-Chico, a current client of Hannon Hill and Cascade Server, had originally chosen Serena Collage as its CMS of choice. However, after a difficult time with deployment, and subsequently, trouble convincing end-users at Chico that the system was as easy to use as they first suspected, Chico decided to make the switch. "Cascade dealt with our decentralized model much better than other products," notes Patrick Berry, Web Application Development Coordinator at Cal-State Chico; "this would be especially important for larger schools that are broken-up not only into many departments, but into multiple colleges as well."

Oftentimes, it is not just Cascade's ability to handle a decentralized web content structure that appeals to university and college prospects. As Berry notes, when prospecting Cascade Server, "We especially like the fact that there is an independent community in higher-education around the product. It's a passionate group that's growing and there is a lot of technical wealth there."

In fact, during Chico's product testing or "sandbox" phase as they refer to it, when it came time to finding help on LDAP configuration, Berry decided to contact the Cascade Server Higher Education email listserv instead of contacting the Hannon Hill support team. "I intentionally didn't contact support during the sandbox time, because I wanted to see how much help I could get from the community; and it went very well. I find that Higher Ed technical people are very willing to share what they have. One of the colleges on the listserv sent me their LDAP config, and that got me where I needed to be on integrating with our LDAP servers. That was something we never got working with Collage."

The Hannon Hill community is more than just a word referring to the company's body of employees and clients. The individuals and organizations involved with Hannon Hill's content management system, Cascade Server, are passionate about the product and passionate about creating and managing web content with ease. Sharing their knowledge and best practices over outlets such as Hannon Hill's Higher Ed listserv and user's forum have brought not only users from Higher Education together, but also have allowed this niche to interact with the larger Cascade Server and Web 2.0 communities as a whole.

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About the Company

Hannon Hill creates web marketing solutions that give people and organizations the freedom to manage their Internet, Intranet, Extranet and Portal content with ease. Our primary software solution, Cascade Server, is ideal for organizations in industries such education, healthcare, technology, government, and publishing. Designed for any network environment, Cascade Server is as easy as e-mail and gives IT departments much needed deployment flexibility, a zero-footprint client and fast implementation. Since 2001, Hannon Hill solutions have been utilized and trusted by organizations including Duke University, Carnegie Mellon University, MCG Health Systems, PGP Corporation, Reed College and SCOREGolf magazine. For more information about Hannon Hill and all of our products, please visit www.HannonHill.com or contact us directly at 800-407-3540.