An enterprise portal, also known as an enterprise information portal (EIP) or corporate portal, is a framework for integrating information, people and processes for individuals within an organization. Enterprise portals provide a single point of entry and access, often in the form of a web-based user interface, and are designed to aggregate and personalize information through application-specific portlets. Portals typically combine a content management system, access to commonly used applications and tools, and links to related information sources.
Portals also contain a number of different features that enhance security and usability, including single sign-on, access control, data and application integration, content federation, enterprise search, customization and personalization. Single sign-on capabilities allow users to access other applications and databases with only one authentication. Data and application integration provides direct access to databases using components, portlets, and web parts. Access control specifies the types of content and services that users may see and edit. Content federation integrates content from other portals, typically through the use of WSRP or similar technologies. Enterprise search allows user to search the content from one or more enterprise-type sources from within the portal. Customization and personalization allow the users to edit and design their own portal user interface, prioritize content based on the attributes of the user and the metadata of the available content.
Portals provide numerous sources of business value. Their primary purpose is to provide convenient, 24/7 access to information. This value can be increased when the portal supports customization and personalization for the user, as then the user can have information pushed to them, rather than having to search. When core business applications are integrated with the portal, companies can realize significant reductions in costs and process cycle times, and employees can have access to multiple applications at once enabling higher quality work. When combined with the tools of enterprise social media, the portal can become a meeting ground for information exchanges between groups in disparate locations.
Content intensive websites are powerful tools of communication with customers and external stakeholders. The value comes from the ease of information being shared, and so these websites need to be built with solid taxonomies, search functionality, and content management solutions. With the introduction of a large number of open source solutions, the cost of building content intensive and interactive websites has gone down considerably.
Iknow has deep experience with all aspects of managing an enterprise portal project, from initial requirements gathering, to creating user groups, to integration with other applications and databases, to roll out and adoption. The power of an enterprise portal is its integration with other systems and data sources; Iknow’s experience in the fields of taxonomy, ontology, and data cleansing allow us to ensure that the information given by these applications, including enterprise search, business intelligence, and business process management, are of the highest quality.
Iknow also has deep expertise in building external websites upon web content management systems. Iknow primarily works using Drupal to create and develop world-class websites. Iknow uses Drupal to integrate content intensive solutions such as customized search engines, external document management systems, and integrated with access to enterprise portals, as well as other internal databases.
Product Landscape
The web content management product landscape is complex and includes the following products. Iknow can help you evaluate and select the right software product to help you achieve your business objectives.