FarCry CMS

FarCry CMS is an enterprise level, open source content management system.

The Memphis Agency are one of the world's largest developers of FarCry CMS based websites and internet applications, providing custom installation, implementation solutions and FarCry CMS support.

So what is FarCry CMS?

FarCry CMS is a robust, enterprise level CMS that allows experts and non-experts alike to quickly and easily manage high quality websites and internet applications.

It has been employed across thousands of website development projects across the globe spanning the corporate arena, government and small business.

FarCry is an enterprise level CMS built entirely within Adobe ColdFusion. FarCry has been employed across hundreds of website development projects across the globe spanning enterprise, corporate, government and small business level organisations.

The use of ColdFusion provides significant benefits, not least the integration of the Java-based Solr search engine, plus its ability to run on a wide number of web and application server platforms, giving extensive flexibility. In use at 75 of the Fortune 100 companies and at more than 10,000 other companies worldwide, as well as nearly all major branches and agencies of the U.S. Federal government, ColdFusion is one of the most widely adopted web technologies. ColdFusion allows building and deployment of powerful web applications faster than any other web technology available on the market today.

The FarCry CMS is an open source solution and has no associated license fees. The FarCry CMS and its related core code libraries are distributed under the “GNU GPL License v3”.

The Memphis Agency has developed a number of proprietary application modules for use within the FarCry CMS. 

The FarCry CMS user-interface

Why FarCry?

The following is a list of reasons why FarCry CMS is the leading enterprise level CMS tool for advanced website solutions;

• The platform is a true enterprise level CMS, built on world’s best practice technology, ensuring longevity.
• Being an open source solution, the code base can be accessed, developed and managed by thousands of web developers around the globe, meaning you have true developer flexibility and are not locked in to having to use a specific agency’s proprietary system.
• Numerous web development firms exist in Australia utilising this technology. With so many websites being delivered on the FarCry platform, you have options with a choice of developers. FarCry really is a platform in which you can take your website and application functionality and move it to another vendor for continued development, maintenance and support.
• It also much more than just a CMS, providing a solid web application platform to build and deploy rich internet applications on.
• It has the required capabilities to scale to future needs.
• It is built from a users perspective - hence with proper training it is the easiest CMS on the market to use, whilst at the same time being one of the most powerful.
• FarCry CMS is a fully flexible and scalable enterprise-class CMS featuring a fully extensible application framework. Built entirely within Adobe ColdFusion, FarCry has been employed across hundreds of website development projects across the globe spanning enterprise, corporate, government and small business level organisations.
• FarCry’s enterprise level nature allows it to serve as a single, long term technology platform for all online business needs.

It is not a propriety system with limited growth, customers and developers; with FarCry you do have choice in service providers for both development, and support and maintenance. This is a smart choice for business and makes the FarCry platform low-risk.

Vendor choice

The FarCry platform is a leading website content management and application platform and is used the world over in many countries and business types (government, enterprise and SME). It is continuing to grow with each release as more and more developers and clients choose FarCry CMS.

FarCry CMS advantages;

1. Open source solution. FarCry CMS is as an open source product under the Common Public Licence. This means it is absolutely free to utilise!
2. FarCry CMS is built in Adobe ColdFusion. Such benefits include an ability to run on a wide number of web and application server platforms. Used by 75 of Fortune 100 companies, over 10,000 companies worldwide, and nearly all major branches of the U.S. federal government, ColdFusionMX allows creation of powerful web applications faster than any other web technology available. We are an Adobe Solutions Partner, recognised as one of the world's leading developers of website and Internet Applications through Adobe technologies.
3. Ability to integrate any visual web design solution. FarCry CMS easily integrates with unique interface design solutions (known as "webskins"). In the system, visual design elements and content objects are separated. This assists in conformity to web accessibility and usability guidelines.
4. Perfect platform for serious internet application development.
    

Want to edit pages directly from your live browser view?  It's easy with FarCry CMS

Standards-based Development

The FarCry platform is built from the ground up to support leading internet and website standards such as:

• 128-bit security
• Windows and Linux hardware platforms
• Oracle, SQL Server and MySQL (the three leading enterprise-web database technologies)
• Web 2.0 technologies such as XHTML, JavaScript, CSS and RSS
• Rich Internet Application technologies such as HTML 5, Flex, Flash, PDF and Video
• RSS for easy sharing and distribution of data
• W3C Accessibility - which is a mandatory requirement for website publishing
• Advanced Java-based search technology from Apache

Supporting web standards has many benefits such as standards-based websites are accepted and will work for more people in more conditions, both now and into the future. Web standards also ensure websites are accessible which is actually a requirement of law when releasing a website within Australia.

Some of the features of the FarCry CMS platform include:

• Role based security featuring direct integration with Active Directory (Microsoft’s Windows role based security platform)
• Administrative webtop to provide easy management of website content and application data and functionality
• Friendly URL’s which makes the website easily indexed by Google and other leading search engines to provide the capability for Search Engine Marketing (Google Adwords) and Search Engine Optimisation (making sure you appear high in the rankings)
• Caching & performance infrastructure that allows the website to scale in all faces including content, data, users and visitors and making most of the hardware infrastructure for as long as possible
• Rapid application development featuring a rich library of user interfaces, database interaction, automated search integration to make building sophisticated applications fast
• Supports web services for easy integration with other remote systems and database. Excellent for importing and exporting data
• Plug-in architecture for creating reusable functionality and applications that can be easily distributed

Plug-in functionality

The FarCry platform has a sophisticated plug-in architecture. This allows you to take a specific module, for example an ecommerce application, and integrate it into multiple websites all from the same core module. If an improvement is made to the core module all websites that integrate the plug-in can receive the benefits with little work.

The plug-in architecture also allows for a layer of customisation providing the ability to accommodate slight variations for each plug-in.  Take for example an ecommerce application; two different websites could use this plug-in which by default it has its own interface to define products (including description, images, sizes, variations, etc). We could however routinely import a list of products from an offline database for one website, and on-demand import products from a CSV file for the other website, all without any degradation or link between the core module itself.

This unique architecture allows for a really advanced reuse of website and application functionality, making it ideal for any evolving website presence that needs to run as a tangible business tool.

The plug-in functionality also reduces the costs for maintenance and upgrades. If something needs to be changed or upgraded, it only needs to be changed in one (or fewer) locations as opposed to making a change to each specific website that uses the functionality.

Wide choice of database platforms, web server & operating systems;

• Database platform options;
  my sql, ms sql, postgress, oracle
• Web server and operating system options;
  IIS & Apache web serversWindows, OSX and Linux operating systems

 
Website Statistics

FarCry CMS dynamically links directly into Google Analytics allowing advanced website statistical analysis, goal setting and report generation.

Advantages of open source

FarCry CMS is an open-source solution, meaning it provides distinct advantages over other CMS solutions.

These include;

• Free user license;  (the core CMS features are completely free providing great ROI from the outset). You can add as many users as required with incurring extra fees.
• Developer flexibility;  as an open source solution, FarCry CMS can be utilised by thousands of developers across Australia and Internationally. This allows you the ability to work with multiple web development firms/agencies should it please, and not be locked into working with one web development firm/agency that uses a proprietary system.
• System is constantly improving;  as the system is used and further developed world wide through its open source model.

Choosing a CMS

When selecting a CMS, the core issue is not what programming language it is built on (e.g. ColdFusion vs PHP vs .NET), but rather whether the system is open-source or proprietary.
Open-source solutions allow true developer flexibility and control of code and IP - whilst proprietary solutions mean you are locked into using that single supplier and have rights or access to the CMS code or IP.
This means with an open-source CMS you have control over your website and can take the system to other developers, yet with proprietary systems you have no control - so if you want to leave your development firm you will need to start your website again and incur massive costs.

Open source community

FarCry is an open source (community and sponsor developed) platform that has been delivering high-end websites for over ten years. FarCry is an ideal choice for developing leading edge, multi-web-property sites due to its unique plug-in architecture. This allows multiple websites to take advantage of one code base, yet reuse functionality from the various web properties in isolation of each other providing security, data integrity and maximum ROI through reduced support and maintenance.

Looking for a world class, scalable CMS (that's easy to use) to drive your website?

Contact us today for more information on how we can develop advanced web solutions using the FarCry CMS.