FrontPage is still a very popular design software program. Therefore, you should have no problem finding a web host that supports it. However, in 2006, Microsoft decided to discontinue the development of FrontPage, essentially forcing webmasters and designers to seek different options. The first alternative many take a look at is CMS (content management system) software. There are currently a number of CMS programs on the market. Some are commercial products that require a one-time fee, some are hosted services, and others are completely free to use. Commercial Software Commercial CMS products are generally designed for enterprise applications and functionality required by large companies. These programs usually offer the best overall quality because they are well tested and come with premium support and regular updates for as long as the product is under license. The major downside is that they can be very expensive, some costing thousands of dollars for a single license. Hosted Software Hosted CMS solutions make a great alternative for smaller companies. This type of software is typically offered in the SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) cloud computing environment. Normally subscription-based, these solutions allow you to enjoy a robust CMS with many of the same features geared towards large companies. The big drawback to a hosted CMS is that the software cannot be customized to suit your personal needs. It could also turn out be more expensive depending on how long you end up paying for the service. Free Alternatives Free CMS software is a popular choice among users of all sorts, businesses included. Some of the most widely used programs in this category include Joomla, Drupal and Mambo. These applications are usually open-source, meaning they can be freely distributed and modified. The best open-source CMS products are backed by active communities that continuously work to enhance the platform. Many of these programs have come a long way and received dramatic improvement over the years, making them useful for a wide range of purposes. The most significant benefit of open-source software is that is can be customized to suit your preference through plugins, themes and flexible APIs. However, because there is generally no official form of support, you may have a difficult time obtaining help when encountering problems. Conclusion It has become clear to see that FrontPage and many other desktop HTML editors are quickly being phased out by their more powerful and capable web-based counterparts. This is what you will get with almost any CMS solution. When you take a look at how fast technology evolves, the FrontPage client can be considered a dinosaur compared to some of the other web design tools on the market. While support can still be found on the market, web hosting providers are increasingly removing FrontPage extensions from their feature list due to that fact that Microsoft no longer backs it. With a good CMS, you can enjoy a reliable alternative that provides you with the same capabilities of FrontPgae and a lot more. |
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