Even though I love open source software, there are some examples where proprietary or closed source niche CMS systems are a fantastic choice and save you lots of time and money. If you have industry-specific needs and there is a niche CMS designed specifically to fill that need, then that may be a good choice for your website, but be sure to research the available open source alternatives first. The marketing and sales literature for a proprietary CMS systems will almost always make it seem like the only choice or that there are unique features that cannot be found elsewhere. Many times this is entirely untrue and better choices already exist in the open source world, just with less marketing to get them out there. You’ll see this most often in the software as a service model where you pay per month to use the website ASP (application service provider).
One example of this ‘proprietary software’ paradox is customer relationship management software (CRM). You can get open source CRM software for your website – Drupal supports lots of CRM modules including the totally awesome CIVICRM for non-profits. Depending on your industry, there may be some great ‘closed source’ or ‘proprietary’ CRM software that may support the inventory, credit agencies, and application processes that your business is using (car dealerships are an example). There may be a HUGE list of specific features and if the open source developers have not implemented them yet, it may be a nightmare to get an efficient system ready to go, bug-free with open-source software. There are lots of wonderful proprietary CMS systems that target very specific niche industries.
If they reach critical mass, proprietary CRM systems have a good profit model based on software as a service, so you can pay monthly and they offer great support – but just be sure to research the alternatives. Lots of proprietary CMS systems are not produced by fully funded companies and may cease to exist or stop innovating once their private investment capital is used up. Often the software platform they are built on is outdated (many real estate MLS and IDX systems, for example, are very outdated). If the proprietary software provider is competing with a free open-source version that is anywhere near as good, they are probably going to have a hard time competing. Unless it is a major advantage that the proprietary vendor offers (usually it is not, in fact it is usually considerably more expensive) we recommend an open source solution.
If you're still looking for a good team to take your project to the next level, the authors of the 2010 Rothman Guide to Building Successful Websites are available for free, no obligation, creative consultations that you will not forget! Call 1-866-945-1113 or e-mail your contact info to info@socialmediasystems.