Rhythmyx Web Content Management 5.6

With the release of Rhythmyx Content Management version 5.6, Percussion Software extends its leadership position in the WCM market while continuing to offer customers the right balance between out-of-the-box functionality vs. customization requirements. Rhythmyx 5.6 is tailored for organizations that require seamless support for multiple Web properties, with a strong emphasis on reusing content and building engaging Web sites. This release also strengthens Rhythmyx’s ECM foundation with numerous enhancements for implementers and administrators.

The following new functionality is included in Rhythmyx 5.6:

• new multi-site WCM capabilities
• new accessibility support for content contributors
• broader support for heterogeneous IT environments
• enhancements to enable easier implementation and administration

New Multi-Site Capabilities

Version 5.6, introduces comprehensive multi-site management capabilities for building engaging Web sites, targeted for organizations with a large Web presence. Multi-site capabilities include:

• Cloning capabilities enable the creation of new Web sites or site sections through the use of wizards to copy the structure, navigation and content of existing sites or site sections. Associated workflows and communities can also be cloned to ensure adherence to existing approval and editorial processes.
• Global Templates  enable the centralization of site branding through a few common templates, making it quick and easy to update the entire look and feel for each managed site.
• Site Folder Publishing  allows publishing to be set up for a new site by simply creating new folders. Once a folder structure is created and content is placed in a target folder, the content is published at the next publishing run without requiring any additional configuration.
• Managed Navigation  provides site owners with control over all site navigation, including dynamic menus, section pages, breadcrumbs and sitemaps. Site navigation is controlled via a simple drag-and-drop interface that requires no technical skills, allowing site owners to update navigation levels and labels as business needs evolve. Managed Navigation supports navigation text as well as image rollovers and permits an unlimited number of navigation levels.
• Cross-Site Linking  allows users to link content from one Rhythmyx-managed Web site to another. Rhythmyx eliminates the possibility of broken links by automatically managing the relationships between all linked content.

Each of the multi-site enhancements takes advantage of, and is built on, Rhythmyx’s FastForward for WCM capabilities. First introduced in Rhythmyx 5.5, FastForward enables customers to rapidly bring their initial sites under management, without sacrificing Rhythmyx’s leading multi-site, multi-channel features. Based on initial customer input, Rhythmyx 5.6 also includes a series of minor updates to FastForward.

New Accessibility Support for Content Contributors

Rhythmyx 5.6 also adds accessibility support to the product’s content contributor interfaces. Users can enter, edit, review, approve and publish content with Freedom Scientific’s JAWS Screen Reader Version 6. In addition, Rhythmyx fully conforms to a wide variety of international standards that requiring compliant tagging throughout the user interface (e.g., US Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the UK eGovernment Interoperability Framework (e-GIF), and the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) standards). Examples of compliance include providing accelerator keys, adding titles to frames, and including alt tags for images. These accessibility enhancements add to Rhythmyx’s longstanding support for publishing compliant content.

Broader support for heterogeneous IT environments

Rhythmyx 5.6 extends its support for heterogeneous IT environments by including certification for Mozilla Firefox 1.0. Rhythmyx users benefit from enhanced security by choosing Firefox, which is less vulnerable to spyware and mailware attacks than other browsers. Rhythmyx now supports all major browsers available today.

Easier administration and implementation

The following enhancements save time and simplify Rhythmyx administration and implementation:

• Easier Operation – Rhythmyx 5.6 includes a number of improved operation features to Multi-Server Manager, WebDAV and full-text search.
• Usability Enhancements – The Rhythmyx 5.6 user interface and user documentation include several usability enhancements.