What is Content Management?
See Content Management page.

Why does the SMC requires a "license" when some of the other content management systems do not?
While you cannot purchase the SMC service off the shelf in a box, it is still a piece of software.  As with most SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions (i.e. Salesforce.com, Net Suite, Windows Live, etc.), there is a huge development cost invested upfront that is re-couped in the form of a license, initiation, subscription, set-up, etc. fee.  Some pass this on and try to make it up with higher monthly fees, whereas we try to do a combination of the two.

What if I already have a designer?
You can use the SMC independent of who designs your web site.  If you know you are going to use the SMC before your design is complete, it can be beneficial to contact a SMC representative to take a look at your mock-up to ensure you won't hit any functionality road blocks.

How long has the SMC been around?
The SMC was built in 1997 as a management system for the Aspen.com portal.  Since then the SMC has seen several upgrades and new features, and extreme attention to detail and quality assurance has gone into each and every release.  With the SMC, you are working with a content management system that has proven its reliability for over 10 years. 

Do I have access to use the already built plug-ins such as the calendar, discussion forums, surveys, etc.?
Yes.  You will have access to use all the standard plug-ins that have already been built.  The only cost to you would be if the plug-in has to be customized to your SMC site.  For example, if the styles, colors, fonts, etc. have to be changed to reflect your site design.  Please note that advanced plug-ins such as e-commerce do not fall into standard plug-ins.