25 June 2009
Woburn, MA

Percussion Software, a provider of Web Content Management (WCM) software, solutions and services aimed at improving online business results, announced today the release of CM System 6.7. This release provides partners, enterprises, institutions and organizations the ability to package and deploy the CM System capabilities they create. Unlike development in other WCM communities, Percussion’s packaging tool is the first to offer an upgrade capability.

Companies today face rapid, uninterrupted changes in their marketplace and Web presence, placing pressure on the CMS to be both flexible and agile. Percussion CM System 6.7 helps organizations keep pace with these changes by making it possible to encapsulate custom CMS application functionality into modular, upgradeable packages, which can be configured and reused standalone or in concert with other packages, allowing a building-block approach to the web content management system.

Organizations cannot anticipate every future requirement so when unanticipated needs arise, packages can be easily updated and re-deployed with a click of a mouse. This extends the life of the development investment by allowing multiple, iterative changes to existing components.

“Without a doubt, we will use 6.7,” stated Ben Turner, Manager of Content Engineering at AutoTrader.com. “6.7 will allow us to dramatically simplify the management of our applications. And as we deploy new sites similar to AutoTraderClassics.com, implementation will be dramatically reduced."

Partner Value
“For the first time, partners can package their vertical domain expertise into a product offering, instead of one-off, custom code,” said Scott Durgin, EVP Products and Strategy. “Now partners can build once and sell many times using CM System 6.7, giving them a more scalable, higher-margin approach to deploy, personalize, and support their offerings. Percussion is the only WCM vendor that provides an upgrade capability, enabling partners to create new up-sell opportunities through extended product offerings.”

Enterprise, Institution and Organization Value
“CM System 6.7 allows application packages to be configured to match the needs of the business. This configuration capability eliminates or greatly reduces the technical skill required, freeing IT to focus on core strategic initiatives,” said Joe Wykes, President. “In March of this year, we released CM System 6.6 which allows business users to make quick content and presentation changes. When combined with the benefits of CM System 6.7, businesses will realize more freedom of movement as they pursue market opportunities.”

The Ecosystem
Percussion plans to sponsor an open exchange whereby customers and partners can swap, sell or buy application packages. The exchange leverages the open source model by bringing together the unbridled thinking of the Percussion community and the power of the Percussion CM System.

Webinar
Percussion will host a webinar on 16 July, covering both 6.6 and 6.7. To sign up for the webinar, visit http://www.percussion.com//Percussion-CMS-Webinar-July-09

Availability
CM System 6.7 is available for immediate delivery to new customers and available as an upgrade for existing customers. Contact sales@percussion.com or +1.781.438.9900.

About Percussion Software
Percussion is the provider of The Percussion Approach, a combination of our WCM, solutions and services that have a singular focus – driving business results through multiple online channels including websites, intranets, blogs, and mobile devices. Our Adaptive Architecture allows non-technical users to take control of content and presentation, provides a low-friction path to access and re-use 3rd party content, and allows a business to pursue new opportunities without being encumbered by legacy technology.

Percussion has been helping a broad cross-section of corporations, institutions and agencies generate online results, including Visit London, Hotwire.com, Alliance & Leicester, Kohl’s, U.S. Department of State, Vegas.com, The Washington Post, and the University of London.

More information can be found at www.percussion.com