Migration Initiative: March 2006 Archives

With the start of "real" work on the LCMS v3 Implementation Initiative, any new subsite not critical to the success of the University or continuing function of the public Web site will need to be put on hold.

I understand the inconvenience this will cause and want to offer a short explanation:

• With the effort required of our team on the initiative, we will unfortunately not have the time or resources to commit to setting up new subsites on the public Web site. Our efforts and focus need to be fully devoted to implementing LCMS v3, an initiative of the same scope as the Web site redesign two years ago. In the end, this should result in a quicker migration to the new content management system and, as a result, a quicker path to getting new content on the public Web site.
• Any new content that we implement now will extend the duration of our implementation initiative. Because of our desparate need to move to the LCMS v3 product, we are doing everything possible to keep the duration of this initiative as short as possible.

It is important to note that we will consider implementing critical needs, and all current content can and should continue to be maintained. Additionally, we encourage you to submit content plans/requests. Doing so will ensure that you will be ready to go when new development is resumed; we will still be reviewing such submissions.

I appreciate your patience and understanding during this time. Please contact me if you have any concerns.

A frustration for many departments over the past two years (since the public site redesign) has been the inability to develop or maintain their own sites.

The reasons for this are many. (If you ever want the full story, please arrange a lunch meeting with me, and I'll be happy to explain.) But the short answer is that because of the state of our current software for managing the Web site and portal -- Luminis Content Management System v2 -- and the need to upgrade that software "soon", I and others involved with online communications felt it best to limit the number of people that could contribute content into LCMS.

After two years, this limitation is nearing the end. I am very happy to announce that Online Communications and Information Technology have started the "LCMS v3 Implementation Initiative." While planning has been happening in earnest since last fall, actual technical implementation of the new system has started with actual migration of content from the old system to the new system set to begin in just a few weeks.

What does this mean to you?