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Christos Drogidis
Christos Drogidis

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What is a Content Management System (CMS)

Theoretical Approach, Historical Evolution and Modern Architectures

1. Introduction

Digital content management is one of the most important areas of modern information technology.

From the first static websites of the 1990s to today's multi-channel ecosystems, the need for organized, secure, and scalable information management has led to the development of Content Management Systems (CMS).

CMS have evolved from simple website updating tools into comprehensive knowledge management platforms, now serving as critical infrastructure for businesses, organizations, and public sector entities.

Their evolution is directly linked to the development of the internet, the increasing complexity of information systems, and the need for automation in content creation and delivery processes.

2. Definition and Theoretical Framework

A Content Management System is defined as software that enables the creation, organization, editing, storage, and publication of digital content without requiring specialized programming knowledge. Its core principle is the separation of content from presentation. Content is stored in a structured format, independent of how it will be displayed, allowing reuse across multiple environments and devices.

The theoretical foundation of CMS is connected to information science, knowledge management, and database theory. The concept of β€œcontent” is not limited to text but includes multimedia, metadata, structured entities, relationships, and semantic connections. Modern literature treats content as an information asset with value that must be organized, classified, and distributed in a way that maximizes its usefulness (Dublin Core Metadata Initiative, 2020).

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