Announcement

To Frontier Server Web Site Providers

Information Services and UNL Communications are pleased to announce UNLcms, a new web host service, is available to you for your web site(s). UNLcms is a Content Management System (CMS) that for the content provider and/or web site manager provides additional tools for web site authoring, collaboration and administration, to provide dynamic web content with less of your time to develop and maintain.

UNLcms was developed as a collaborative team effort, led by Information Services and University Communications. Just as Frontier has been, UNLcms will be offered as a no fee service, available to UNL units, organizations and affiliates.

Some key advantages of using CMS instead of Frontier, a static web page host, include:

  • Easier editing
    • To edit you use a web browser, you do not need special application such as DreamWeaver.
    • You do not need to know HTML markup to create/maintain web pages. In fact you can develop an entire web site without using any HTML coding. However, if you do know HTML, you can still apply that skill.
    • Since all you need to edit is a web browser, you can add/update content from any where you have Internet access. You are not limited to just the computer(s) that have your web editor application and store your content.
  • Multiple content providers
    • Since there is much less effort to learn how to edit web site content and no costs for editor applications, it is easier and cost effective to have to more people maintain their own content and they can do so on their own schedule.
  • Account management
    • After your web site is created, the web site manager(s) is in direct control of who can manage that’s content.
    • Individuals log in with their My.UNL account, so no new account just for their web site(s).
  • UNL template upgrades are no longer your responsibility. In this web host environment, UNL Communications and Information Services Staff will handle that from behind the scenes.
  • Mobile device support.
  • Easier sharing of content among web sites.

There will be additional capabilities of UNLcms beyond the Frontier static web page host and we work will continue to implement them, however enough is already in place to offer this as a viable service. Another advantage of your using this service now, is that in your input will be used in setting of priorities of future feature implementations.

For more information, I would encourage you to go to the UNLcms web site at:
      unlcms.unl.edu
Two specific documents I would direct you to are:
Frequently Asked questions:     unlcms.unl.edu/faq   
UNLcms How-to Videos        mediahub.unl.edu/channels/163

We are in the process of scheduling of a few in person sessions on campus. This format of these is likely to be a short presentation by Todd Jensen of creating a simple web site with a wide open question and answer session following. More information will be sent to you soon with specifics.

While the new service is open to all of UNL, we will be primarily focused on helping with the migration of existing websites now on Frontier.

For additional questions or suggestions, please contact Todd Jensen at tjensen2@unl.edu or (402) 472-0979, or Alfred Stark at astark1@unl.edu or (402) 472-5615, both are with Information Services.