NOTE This is a guest blog post by Nataliya Komarova of Fuzzle-CMS.com

Just recently the group of Russian developers has released its promising Fuzzle CMS to the English-speaking markets and launched Fuzzle-CMS.com. The system is claimed to be an extra easy way to create Flash websites at rather low cost.

Advantages of Flash and HTML in one system

A content management system (CMS) is a set of tools that lets you create and maintain your website’s content without knowing anything about programming. Fuzzle is a CMS for creating and managing Flash web sites that differs from regular HTML sites mainly by their presentational abilities: Flash technology allows incorporating complex animations and reach multimedia content. However, Flash sites are considered to have such disadvantages as longer time of development (therefore more cost), harder updating, bad search engines ranking.

WYSIWYG site maintenance and other Fuzzle features

At the moment a stable version 2.6 of Fuzzle CMS is issued. It has the following main features:

• multilingual interface
• simple management (convenient visual editing is based on block placement )
• design integration from a draft within 5 minutes (Flash knowledge is not required)
• SEO support (HTML version auto generation, Deep Linking support)
• continuously replenished Widget Store availability
• availability of an open simple API for external developers

Fuzzle Flash CMS is an attempt to convince everybody that well-indexed and fast loading Flash site can be created easily and at a relatively low expense. The unique feature of the system is the possibility to create a high-level Flash site without having special knowledge of Flash programming language. The system basis is visual blocks moving on site pages and it ensures site creation in WYSIWYG mode. Default block types are limited to scrollable text areas, images, image links, flash movies, PDF documents and contact forms. Additionally, you can add a customizable photo gallery or mp3 button using Fuzzle extensions, or widgets. Note, the “Simple MP3 Player” and “MP3 Button” widgets are provided on a free basis. On the demo site, which is available for administration for everyone, you can create new page or edit existing ones, change site menu and drag and drop blocks. The simple rule: to edit a block just make a double click on it. You can adjust block’s content animation effects and its decoration.

Flash sites and SEO – is there a challenge?

At this moment Fuzzle Flash CMS allows you to build SEO-friendly sites: for each page you can add a Title and Description meta-tags and generate a well-indexed HTML version automatically using special Fuzzle module. The designers have also implemented support for Google Analytics and other web analytics products.

Freedom for web designers

Fuzzle can be a real escape for web site designers, as they can create online business card for their clients without web programmers. Special Fuzzle’s feature, “Design integration in 5 minutes”, allows integrating page design from a JPEG, PNG or SWF prototype file. You just mark the areas on a picture and bring them in correspondence with flash blocks. So you can quickly evaluate the user-friendliness and convenience of the created design.

Open API for third-party developers

Due to Fuzzle’s separable architecture, third party developers can make their own widgets. The client side is a Flash (Flex) file, interacting with several JavaScript libraries. The server side is based on Wacko Wiki Quick Start CMS (HTML-based PHP CMS). Optionally, developers can use POST or GET HTTP requests.

Third-party developer can write a widget either for a private or general use. In latter case, the developer will get revenue from each widget’s purchase.

Fuzzle CMS cost and trial possibilities

Today the cost of the Fuzzle CMS base version license is 475€. Each add-in has its certain price, varying from 49€ to 125€. However, anyone who is interested in trying Fuzzle Flash CMS can get all the necessary documentation for system installation, design and API integration as well as a user’s manual at http://docs.fuzzle-cms.com/. In addition, the designers provide multiple types of a trial:

• open type for demo-site edition (http://endemo.fuzzle-cms.com/)
• downloaded version which fully operates in a local device
• 15 days valid free license for any domain name

Summary

Fuzzle CMS can be really helpful for small or medium sized businesses. The main advantages of this Flash CMS are drag and drop simplicity and SEO friendliness. Due to Fuzzle’s module architecture, new widgets can be added to the site at any time. Fuzzle’s open API allows third-party developers to design new modules by themselves. The last 2.6 version of the Fuzzle CMS is available for € 475.00.

Tags: Flash CMS, Flash CMSs, Flash content management system, Flash content management systems, Fuzzle CMS

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 at 5:06 am and is filed under Flash CMS Providers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.