Cloud content management

Cloud content management means a CMS that runs on cloud infrastructure rather than on the organization’s own servers. Part of the technical operation (servers, backups, updates, monitoring) then moves to a provider, under a split of responsibilities that the contract sets out.

Definition and how it works

In multi-tenant SaaS the vendor runs a single version for all its customers and decides on updates. In dedicated managed hosting the vendor or a managed service provider runs an instance specific to the organization, which keeps control over when upgrades happen within the vendor’s version support policy. In self-hosting on a public cloud the organization operates its content management system itself. Jahia, for instance, offers Jahia Cloud, a managed service where every environment is dedicated to a single customer, or installation on the organization’s own servers.

The models and how they differ from an on-premise CMS are covered in our article What is cloud content management?

Cloud content management vs headless CMS: the differences

Cloud describes where the system runs and who operates it. A headless CMS describes how content reaches the interface. The two axes are independent.

What each term describes
Notion	What distinguishes it
Headless CMS	The separation between content management and presentation. Says nothing about hosting.
On-premise vs cloud hosting	Running the CMS in-house or at a provider, with its effects on control, cost and compliance.
SaaS	A single version run by the vendor for all customers. One form of cloud, not the only one.

Frequently asked questions

Does moving to cloud content management mean revisiting the content model?

No, hosting does not structure content. Migrating a poorly designed model to the cloud moves the problem without solving it. Migration can be the moment to clean up the model, if it is run as a separate workstream with its own budget.

How should we compare a SaaS CMS with a managed-hosting CMS?

On three points. The update schedule is imposed in SaaS, chosen by the organization on a dedicated instance. Development freedom is limited in SaaS, with retesting at every imposed update. Then there is reversibility, meaning what you get back, in which format and how quickly.