Printer Friendly Version

More than a Web content management system, Octigon President James Smith calls Octane8 a deployment platform. What exactly can you deploy with Octane8? To name a few: public Internet sites, private intranet and extranet sites; sites for the group you'll be collaborating with for the next two weeks; sites with pages that sell; and sites with pages that inform.

Like most of the latest Web content management tools, Octane8 resides on your Web server where it can be accessed by anyone, anywhere, through their Web browser assuming they have a user name and password. There is no software installation on the client side (assuming a browser is present) and no FTP access required.

Octane8's administration interface is called its Webtop. Like comparable applications, administrators can edit and publish pages to which they have access. Once you enter the Webtop, a site map, which expands and collapses in traditional Windows-style, appears on the left side similar to the Search or Favorites box in Internet Explorer. Pages are locked when edited to ensure that no other users are getting in the way, and a mouse-over the "locked" icon tells you who is editing the file.

The Webtop interface of Octigon's Octane8 will remind some users of HomeSite and other users of Word. Here it's showing pages from Octigon's own Web site.

Content Editing
The actual content editing is done within the browser in an interface as simple as Word, but with the functionality of HomeSite. One feature certain to bring back memories for HomeSite veterans is the tab that allows you to edit or add content either in Normal (WYSIWYG) or actual HTML code mode. Octane8 can show the code because it produces clear, clean code with no software-specific codeing.

Page design is a matter of choosing a layout from the design templates, but before you scream "cookie-cutter solution," it's worth noting that you can create a template in DreamWeaver, FrontPage, on your own, or any other way you see fit and upload it as a template. You can also use the templates Octigon provides (the company creates two or three new designs each month) as they are, or tweak them for your own use.

Images work in the same way. The Image Directory contains preloaded images such as arrows and buttons that can be dragged and dropped onto a page. From there you can wrap text and add borders or spacing. A simple Browse tool allows users to find images on their local drive and add them to the directory.

Octane8 features workflow and approval routing, which means users can assign workgroups for each page, it will e-mail the group when content needs approval, and automatically publish the content when everyone has approved it. Content can be set to publish at a certain time and expire, which removes it completely from the site. Old content is archived by Octane8.

So Octane8 is easy to use, intuitive for anyone who has used Word, and features the same security and workgroup features found in most content management systems. How does it distinguish itself? Smith said Octane8 stands out because it has its own applications that add functionality to its convenience.