In addition to digital strategy, I regularly talk to client partners and potential clients about different Content Management Systems. For this two-part blog, I have compiled a list of questions I have heard from client partners and potential clients regarding Ektron’s newest version, Ektron 9.0. In this blog we will tackle questions pertaining to Ektron 9.0 mobile and search features.
Mobile
Q: Does responsive design require a rebuild of templates?
A: The short answer: Maybe, based on the how your templates have been deployed.
The longer answer: Responsive design is implemented using CSS3 / HTML 5 specific concepts. Furthermore, many organizations adopt responsive specific frameworks (Twitter bootstrap, skeleton, foundation, etc.), which would drive behavior through their own specific HTML attributes. Not all these frameworks will work in Ektron 9.0 without some amount of tweaking and this also may mean some amount of rework for existing templates. That said, you may not have to modify all of your pages to benefit from responsive design on some of them.
WSOL has developed our own take on implementing responsive design in Ektron which works very well, and we have been doing it since before Ektron 7.6 (yes, before Ektron’s mobile module).
Q: Do you need PageBuilder to use some of the mobile specific features in Ektron 9.0?
A: No. For features like mobile preview, adaptive images, or swapping images based on breakpoint you do not need to use PageBuilder.
Q: Does the targeted content capability refer only to PageBuilder pages?
A: Yes. The feature of showing or hiding content based on device type, persona, or Digital Experience Hub (DxH) variable is a PageBuilder feature.
Q: Is there a way to substitute a different image for a specific breakpoint?
A: Yes. Once you set your breakpoints, a content author can choose the image and a breakpoint and swap out the image for a different one.
Q: Will Ektron automatically crop uploaded images to the specific breakpoints upon upload into the CMS?
A: No, the Ektron responsive image resizing tool only resizes images and does not crop them. However, the Aloha editor offers an inline image cropping that can be utilized after the images are in the library.
Q: Is the mobile devices preview independent of the Ektron functionality on responsive design? In other words, if I implemented responsive design through CSS3 / HTML5 only, will the preview still work?
A: Yes, mobile preview does not presume any specific technology. For example, you can preview pages even if they are not based on responsive design technologies. At the highest level, think of mobile preview as your browser telling the CMS that it is being viewed with a specific device/breakpoint. However, it does not emulate actual device features or functionality, only device resolution.
Search
Q: If we use Microsoft Search Server Express, can we continue to use it for Ektron 9.0? Or is there an issue with not switching to SOLR ?
A: You can continue to use Microsoft Search Server Express as you always have. There is no requirement to switch to SOLR. However, SOLR does provide Ektron customers with more tools to create a richer search experience.
Q: Does the SOLR search run on the same web server as my site?
A: The WSOL and Ektron best practice is to run it on a separate web server.
Q: Is SOLR deployed on Linux or can it be installed on a Windows Server?
A: The Ektron SOLR package has been developed to run natively on a Windows Server.
Q: Is the SOLR search engine completely independent from SharePoint Search Server?
A: Yes. You can use either.
These are just some of the questions pertaining to the new Ektron 9.0 CMS. If you have any other questions regarding the new Ektron 9.0 Content Management System get in touch with a WSOL Solution Engineer today. Stay tuned for part two of this blog when I will address questions regarding the persona management feature, user experience, upgrading, and much more.
