Definition of CMS

• The acronym CMS stands for content management system. It refers to the idea of a collection of software and interfaces -- usually password-protected Web pages -- that is used by administrators to add, edit and delete content on a website. Many CMS systems cost money, and large businesses usually have a custom-built CMS for managing their Web presence. WordPress can be used as a CMS, although it was not originally built for that purpose.
  
  

WordPress' Origins

• WordPress was originally created as an open-source project for maintaining blogs. The original version could be a called a CMS, because it allowed its owner to manage the content on his blog, but it was limited in scope. WordPress users found it to be a useful way to maintain their blogs due to the ease of editing and the ability to add features as needed via the plugin architecture. With this in place, it was inevitable that people would start working to use it as a CMS for non-blog websites.
  
  

WordPress as a CMS

• Over time, WordPress changed from purely a blogging platform to accommodating a greater range of content management features. Initially it did this by including "pages," which are posts that WordPress treats as standalone pages. From there, plugins were created by third parties to accommodate the page-oriented style of content management. Through this, WordPress became a viable platform for maintaining a variety of website types, not just blogs. Many of the functions of these plugins have been incorporated into the core software.
  
  

Considerations

• WordPress is often lauded for ease of installation, editing, upgrade and customization through plugins. It is also open source, and therefore free of charge. These facts make it an attractive choice for individuals and companies interested in finding a CMS. Its origins as a blogging platform, however, provoke some caveats. WordPress is still firstly for blogging. To set it up as a full CMS requires changing configurations and installing appropriate plugins. WordPress as a CMS contains pointers and links to assist you in doing this.