Alfresco WCM Roadmap

The Alfresco tech team for Web Content Management (WCM) made a presentation on the Alfresco WCM 2010 Roadmap.

    Ben Hagan - WCM Product Manager
    Brian Remmington - WCM Architect

Here are some notes from the presentation.

Alfresco 3.2 included a number of improvements in the area of WCM:
    - Better page previews
    - Better page rendering
    - Better web page authoring in a clustered environment

Upcoming Alfresco WCM Release Schedule
February 15th - 3.2r release  [Records Management plus some new WCM functionality]
March, 2010 - 3.3 Community Release
May, 2010 - 3.3 Enterprise Release

Overall Vision and goals for Alfresco WCM

Common Content Services is a long-term goal.
     - Access to WCM and standard Alfresco DM should be consistent
           ie., unification of the two repositories

Web Content Production
     - Be able to quickly edit and modify pages 'in-context'
     - Better tools for managing the web page presentation
     - Website production tools

Infrastructure/Platform improvements
     - Use high productivity developer tools like Spring Surf
     - Modular, pluggable, extensible,...
     - Standards like CMIS and REST
     - Built on fast, scalable repository

All Releases
    - Performance Optimization
    - Changes to improve scalability
    - Removal of use of Hibernate for more control

Alfresco 3.2r  [February 15th]
     - Deployment of WCM AVM content to standard Alfresco DM repository
           This will enable Alfresco WCM to take advantage of standard Alfresco DM capabilities
                eg.  Transformations, clustering, content rules

Alfresco 3.3  [May 2010]
    - WCM Content Rendering Service API.  [Uses DM content, not AVM content]
           Render/generate a new content renditions [eg., different format, sizes, cropped, ...]
           Freemarker scripting can be used to specify the rendition operations
           New content is intended for use on the web page.
           Can chain renditions
           Maintains relation between the new rendition and the source content
           Renditions are searchable and can have access permissions

    - Alfresco Web Editor (AWE)
           Next-generation of Web Studio  [Web Studio is now in springsurf.  How is it related?...]
           Makes use of work done with Surf and Alfresco Forms Engine
           Compatible with Spring Surf
           Allow in-context editing
           Web Editor toolbar is extensible and pluggable using Javascript
           Includes a Template Editor
                Can design JSP / tag library pages.  Eventually can design other languages, like Freemarker

    - Alfresco to Alfresco Transfer - DM Deployment

    - Enable DM Content modeling for WCM
            Associations
            Aspects
            Properties

     - 3.3 release will be concurrent with the SpringSurf 1.0.0 Final release [May 2010]

Alfresco 3.4 or 4.x  [No Date has been set]
     - WCM integration with Alfresco Share -- "Web Producer"
            Create Share sites
      - Tools focused around WCM
             Content Library
             Template management
             Metadata management
             User roles and content permissions
       - Ability to deploy to other endpoints
             File System, Database, ...

Alfresco 4.x  [No Date has been set]
   - Work Packages [sounds like AVM sandboxes will be deprecated]
            Currently still being designed -- soliciting feedback
            Collaborative/shared workspace [AVM sandbox is for a single user only]
            People can be invited to work on 'an activity'
            'Activities' are isolated, can happen in parallel, and get merged when ready
            The complete Work Package can be versioned