MySource Matrix Section Name

 Download the Matrix Basic Spec Sheet (.pdf format)

 Download the Matrix Features Overview Sheet (.pdf format)

 Download the Matrix Architecture Options Sheet (.pdf format)

MySource Matrix is an open source web content management system (CMS). Open source means it is free; free to download, free to use, free to copy and you are even free to change the software.

A free product does not mean feature poor. In fact, to the contrary, MySource Matrix is an extremely feature rich CMS and in many cases exceeds the functionality of traditionally licensed high-end CMS such as Interwoven, Vignette, Microsoft CMS or RedDot.

MySource Matrix is developed and maintained by Squiz, headquartered in Sydney, with a development, support and implementation office in London. MySource Matrix is the most widely used CMS in Australian Government. It’s also very popular in the private and education sectors with many large brand-name organisations using the product such as Future Publishing, Warner Music, Oxford University, the Royal College of Nursing and the National Health Service (NHS).  MySource Matrix is a perfect fit for organisations that need a web publishing solution that includes:

• A completely functional GUI cross-browser interface that does not require high-level IT skills to operate (no programming skills are needed to use any of the features of MySource Matrix)
  
  
• Rich content editing for users with little or no IT skills
  
  
• Comprehensive content versioning and audit trails
  
  
• Industry leading standards and web accessibility support
  
  
• Definable workflow
  
  
• Granular Permissions
  
  
• Content locking (check-out) to ensure editors can work collaboratively
  
  
• Flexible and enforceable metadata schema
  
  
• Link management (ie cannot delete items and cause broken links in a site)
  
  
• Ability to separate design templates from content for improved maintenance and to present content to different channels such as text-only or Blackberry
  
  
• Dynamic content personalisation and other portal style functions
  
  
• Internationalisation support
  
  
• Easily extensible architecture with plug-in modules such as calendars, discussion forums, search engine etc

MySource Matrix is different from most other open source content management systems such as Typo3 or Mambo. Many open source CMS follows a Lego style of development philosophy where you start with the core CMS then download and add (like Lego blocks) different bits and pieces (extensions) to build a fully functional site. By comparison, MySource Matrix achieved much of its functionality is in the core or in one of a handful of "super" extensions.

For example, if one wished to create an image library, a staff directory or a document database and one was using an extension style CMS, one would pick an appropriate module for each of those functions from the extension library and configure each to work in the way required.   Instead, MySource Matrix’s Asset Listing is capable of performing all three functions (and many more) and gives the user a much greater degree of flexibility to configure the way each behaves.  In MySource Matrix the Asset Listing tool can be used to aggregate different types of content across a system to make:

• A staff directory
  
  
• An image library
  
  
• A document library
  
  
• A single page that summarises the content of your site
  
  
• A harvest control list
  
  
• An RSS feed
  
  
• A product selection page for shopping

In other words much richness and functionality can be added to a site simply by configuring assets of the core system which greatly improves system maintainability. Of course you’re still free to create or add additional extensions if you so need.

MySource Matrix is ready to use "out-of-the-box"; it does not require users to program the system, rather all functionality can be configured through set up through graphical user interfaces. There are two interfaces for accessing and managing content. The first, known as the "Simple-edit" interface, is designed to be easy to learn and allow users with little or no training to create, edit, approve and publish content. The simple-edit interface provides a cut-down set of functions and forces users to adhere to the rules defined by the MySource Matrix Administrators.

MySource Matrix Administrators use the second interface, called the "Administration Interface". This interface allows users to define site rules such as design templates, information architecture, access rights, metadata schema and workflow. The administration interface is simple to learn, and Squiz provides fast track training to enable administrators to get up and running in days.

In addition to training, there are many support services available for MySource Matrix, such as the MySource Matrix web site, and the free web forums you will find there. MySource Matrix is also supported by a variety of professional services firms aside from Squiz.

MySource Matrix is designed to run on a Linux web server, running Apache, PHP and PostgreSQL (all open source software). Other platforms and databases (eg Oracle) are also supported.