RE: Difference between a Knowledge Base and a CMS?

[Fred Ridder <docudoc -at- hotmail -dot- com>]

Sylvia Braunstein wrote:
 
> What is the difference between a Knowledge Base and a Content Management
> System, if any? Note that Linux support is important.
> 
> I am looking at a CMS (Alfresco - based on Documentum -
> http://www.alfresco.com/ ) which was highly recommended to me and for which
> I read a lot of positive feedback.
> 
> Somebody else in my company was talking about a Knowledge Base (Talisma:
> http://www.talisma.com/tal_products/knowledgebase.aspx which is apparently a
> software created in part by Salesforce which is already used in the company)
> 
> Is there a difference between KM and CMS? Can somebody tell me the
> difference between the two or send me a pointer where I can compare
> (provided that I am not comparing apples and oranges)?
 
Gene already provided one good answer.
 
But another way of looking at it is this:
A KM system is designed to manage and make available "articles"--self-contained, 
consistently structured chunks of information that discuss a single issue or topic. 
A CMS is designed to provide access to documents--which may be any size
and degree of complexity, an usually cover multiple topics--and in some cases 
to manage the components that are used to assemble the more complex
documents. Some CMSs even allow deliverables to be constructed and rendered 
for users "on the fly" according to a query or other user-specific information.
 
And where in the world did you get the information that Alfresco is "based on
Documentum"?  Alfresco is an open-source solution while Documentum is very 
much a proprietary system.
 
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