Web App vs Portal Platform - convincing the customer

Question

We're evaluating a set of requirements for a customer who wants Liferay which mainly has AAA and Web CMS requirements, and allowing user to upload their own content. Also all inetgration is via web services.

However there is no need for other features such as actual "portlets", i18n, mashups, skins, themes, tagging, social presence, no collaboration etc

So we feel we can do this as a standard JEE web app and not use Liferay (or any other portal product) since these are overheads we dont need.

The customer feels the Web CMS requirements + user upload justify the "portal" product.

Can anyone help me with some points to convince the customer? Assuming our point of view is right.

Answer 1

you should check the requirements of your costumer now and in one year, depending on that, you should then know, if a CMS or a Portal, or a Portal with CMS integration best fits the costumer needs, now and in one year.

between CMS and Portal is a big difference. where CMS is just about Content Management, means there are just special users who are able to add end edit the content displayed on the website. each user will see the same content (maybe without rights a bit less)

a portal is something where users can login and either just use available content as they want. iGoogle as example is a portal. each user decide what content so see where.

a Portal with CMS is a portal, but now the users have the option to add and edit content to the portal which can be used by other users.

and also a benefit of good portal like Liferay is, it used portlets, so if you dont need some content / features you can remove this portlets.

and if a produkt brings such features like i18n or themes skins fro free, its not bad, you dont need to use it.

also why in that case you should prefer an existing solution over own development is: the existing solution is proven that it works for what your costumer need, your own doesn't.