If you’ve ever worked in large enterprises, you’ve probably heard people say:
“Our website runs on AEM.”
But what exactly is AEM?
And what’s the difference between AEM On-Prem and AEM as a Cloud Service?
Let’s break it down — no heavy jargon, just how things actually work.
So, What is AEM?
Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) is a platform that helps companies:
- Build websites
- Manage content
- Create forms
- Store and reuse digital assets
- Deliver consistent experiences across channels
Think of AEM as:
A powerful content engine that sits between business users and developers.
Where Do Companies Use AEM?
AEM is usually chosen when:
- Websites are large and complex
- Multiple teams update content
- Performance and security really matter
- Content needs to be reused across brands or regions
You’ll commonly see AEM in:
- Banking & Finance
- Retail
- Healthcare
- Media companies
- Government portals
AEM On-Prem vs AEM Cloud – Let’s Talk Reality
AEM On-Prem (Traditional Way)
With On-Prem, you own almost everything:
- Servers
- Scaling
- Patching
- Upgrades
- Availability
It gives control, but also responsibility.
AEM Cloud (Modern Way)
With AEM as a Cloud Service:
- Adobe manages infrastructure
- Scaling happens automatically
- Updates are continuous
- CI/CD is built in
You focus on content and code, not servers.
High-Level Comparison (Quick View)
Core AEM Building Blocks (Common Everywhere)
No matter where AEM runs, the core ideas stay the same.
AEM Sites – Where Pages Are Built
AEM Sites is what marketing teams live in.
It allows:
- Drag-and-drop components
- Editable templates
- Multi-language support
- Multi-site management
In simple terms:
Developers build components.
Authors assemble pages.
AEM Forms – When Data Matters
AEM Forms is used when you need more than just content.
Typical examples:
- Bank application forms
- Insurance claims
- Government submissions
It supports:
- Adaptive forms
- Validation
- Workflows
- Secure data handling
AEM Content & Assets – One Central Content Hub
AEM isn’t just pages.
It’s also about content reuse.
With AEM Assets (DAM):
- Images, videos, PDFs live in one place
- Metadata & tagging help discovery
- Assets can be reused across sites
Apache Sling – How URLs Talk to Content
This is where AEM gets interesting.
Apache Sling maps URLs directly to content stored in AEM.
Instead of thinking:
URL → Controller → View
AEM thinks:
URL → Content → Script
Jackrabbit JCR – The Content Brain
Behind the scenes, AEM stores everything in a JCR (Java Content Repository).
What goes into JCR?
- Pages
- Components
- Templates
- Configurations
- User permissions
It’s not a traditional database.
Think of it as:
A tree-structured content store optimized for content, not tables.
Root --> Content --> Site --> Page --> Component
Apache Felix – Why AEM Is Modular
AEM runs on Apache Felix (OSGi).
This means:
- Everything is a bundle
- Services can be updated independently
- No full server restart needed
Developers love this because:
You deploy features, not monoliths.
On-Prem vs Cloud – Operational View
So… Which One Should You Choose?
-
Choose AEM On-Prem if:
- You need full infra control
- You have legacy dependencies
- Compliance restricts cloud usage
-
Choose AEM Cloud if:
- You want faster releases
- You prefer less operational work
- You’re building modern digital experiences
Final Thoughts
AEM is not just a CMS.
It’s a content platform powered by:
- Apache Sling
- JCR
- OSGi
- Enterprise workflows
And while On-Prem still exists, AEM Cloud is clearly the future.
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