Project Overview

Revamping a Legacy CMS Norwegian-based software firm, which realized in 2011 that its existing CMS had to be properly overhauled to remain competitive within a rapidly changing marketplace. Its CMS was Java based by origin but didn’t offer enough flexibility and dynamism for its user interface when compared with newer JavaScript and Ajax technologies. So the point was clear: develop a CMS that would let non-techy modern users easily administer a website without any deep technical knowledge.

Exploring Frameworks Partnered with EsparkBiz – developers known for web applications on the software end – on a complete redesign of their CMS solution. The first half of the project started by exploring different frameworks, and Vaadin was used at first on the server-side. Dev teams settled on Vaadin backend to enhance what was, at that time, still Java-based development. However, it soon turned out that the inflexible structure of Vaadin was not able to meet the more advanced and flexible features that the Norwegian-based software company had planned for their CMS.

Overcoming Development Challenges This soon brought upon several challenges to the project since the codebase began growing exponentially when the application transitioned to the Ext JS framework, thus making it cumbersome to further develop the system. This then called for an innovative move to build a totally new object-oriented framework based on Microsoft’s TypeScript. This new framework gave flexibility as well as scalability, which then provided a solid basis for a dynamic CMS to manage the complexity of modern business demands.

Delivering a User-Friendly CMS In two years, EsparkBiz designed a CMS solution that helped the Norwegian-based software company develop a responsive and intuitive platform in order to manage websites, intranets, and commerce solutions. It has been designed for non-technical users who can easily make content, update it, and maintain it without great programming skills.

The Problem

A Norwegian software house could not keep up with recent trends of web development using outdated and inflexible Java-based CMS. The client wants an efficient, user-friendly system, but the issue of using Vaadin/Ext JS was that this framework did not scale in practice, and it certainly lacks such important features for working as live editing and update real time.

Outdated CMS Platform

Norwegian-based software company’s existing Java-based CMS lacked flexibility and struggled to keep up with the fast-changing landscape of modern web development. This resulted in a limited user experience and reduced competitiveness in the market.

Complex User Interface

The client wanted to offer a smooth, dynamic user interface that would appeal to non-technical users. The interface needed to be intuitive and capable of managing multiple websites simultaneously without complex processes.

Scalability Issues:

The first framework choice, Vaadin, provided a server-side solution that didn’t scale well for the advanced features required, such as drag-and-drop elements, live editing, and real-time updates.

Limited Flexibility in Frameworks

After changing to Ext JS, which was initially promising, caused an enormous expansion of the codebase. It was not very easy to maintain the platform, and further development got slowed down.

User-Friendliness

The biggest challenge was to make content management accessible to people with little or no technical expertise. The client wanted a platform that could allow real-time editing, seamless content management, and a responsive admin UI.

The Solution

EsparkBiz helped a Norwegian software company by developing a custom TypeScript-based framework, offering scalability, stability, and flexibility without constant API updates. The solution included an intuitive interface, live editing, drag-and-drop features, real-time collaboration via WebSockets, and flexible permissions for secure access, especially for sensitive data.

New Object-Oriented Framework

EsparkBiz aided a Norwegian-based software firm in designing a customised object-oriented framework that helped the former overcome the limitations of Vaadin and Ext JS. This new framework is developed in TypeScript, hence helping deliver scalability, stability, and flexibility without necessitating frequent updates to the API.

Admin User Interface

The development team has designed an intuitive dynamic admin interface that will assist multiple administrators in managing websites from the single page. Responsive design eliminates distraction or page reload during its activities.

Live edit with drag-and-drop elements

EsparkBiz supports live editing, which enabled the user to change layouts of the page and templates without writing any single line of code. The features that facilitate drag-and-drop allowed unlimited options for customization of web pages and gave users more power over their web experience.

Real-Time Collaboration Using WebSockets

By using Microsoft WebSockets, real-time updates were enabled; thus, changes made by other users were instantly notified to all users, and the environment was smooth and collaborative. This eliminated delays in content synchronization that would have been experienced when collaborating on projects.

The Result

The Platform was an advanced CMS launched through the collaboration of EsparkBiz and a Norwegian-based software company. This meant that the users could create, update, and manage their websites without necessarily having to be technically expert. Thanks to its flexible architecture, responsive design, and real-time collaboration tools, the CMS became a scalable solution, enabling businesses to manage an unlimited number of websites and significantly reduce maintenance costs.

Empowering Businesses with Seamless Web Management and Advanced User Experience

CMS with Flexible Architecture and Intuitive Experience for Non-Technical Users

About The Project