This open source CMS has a wide variety of uses, from small scale websites through to large, corporate sites and multifaceted, complex applications. It is used to build static sites with a few pages, e-commerce sites, corporate intranets, government portals and extranets.
This is a popular choice of CMS for individuals and large corporations. It is ideally suited to novice users and non-technical staff in businesses and corporations.
Mambo has generated several variations and forks which include Joomla and earlier versions of Mambo such as Aliro, Mia and ae8. But the two most popular variations are Mambo and Joomla.
Note: the word ‘forks’is a term used in software development: it is where a developer obtains a legal copy of a piece of source code, the Mambo CMS, and works with it to produce a separate software package. An example of this is the fork which was taken from the original Mambo CMS to create Joomla.
There is less uptake of Mambo as compared to Joomla but it still remains a popular choice of CMS for owners of small websites who do not want to upgrade their sites on a regular basis. Another added attraction is the fact that it is free as well. Mambo is more than 8 years old and is licensed for use under version 2 of the GNU/GPL Public Licence which means that it is freely available for download, modification and sharing.
About Mambo
Mambo is based upon a series of customisable templates, a strong API (application programming interface), a MySQL database and a default WYSIWYG editor.
This enables non-technical users to create, upload, edit and publish content without the need for programming skills and experience. This means that businesses can save time and money in terms of the best way of allocating staff resources in regard to the corporate website or intranet.
Mambo contains a range of features which are standard across many other systems and these include the choice of templates or themes (which can be customised), the support of a worldwide community and flexibility.
Flexibility is an important feature of any CMS as it enables the user to extend the functionality of the system as well as integrating it with other applications. This includes add-ons in the form of checkout processes, forums, blogs and image galleries.
Characteristics of Mambo
A big attraction of this CMS is its ease of use which makes it a good choice for novices as well as people looking to create small, personal websites.
As a result of this it is used by people in all corners of the globe although it appears to be less popular than Joomla.
Other features include:
- Stable, well established system which is easy to install and use.
- Supports a range of operating systems, e.g. Windows, Mac OS and Linux.
- Simple, intuitive interface which is suitable for all skill levels and experience. This can be used by users with little or no technical skills.
- Unlimited flexibility: Mambo comes with a vast array of plug-ins and add-ons such as forums, customisable templates, site maintenance, multimedia galleries and multiple language localisations.
- Search engine friendly URLs
- Automates a range of tasks which includes the indexing of web pages.
These are some of the many appealing features of the Mambo system.
Disadvantages of Mambo
There are a few disadvantages of the Mambo CMS which include a smaller community than those found with other systems; this can make it difficult to find answers to questions regarding Mambo.
Some people argue that Mambo is a difficult CMS to learn especially for a novice user although there is help and support available from the community.
Plus there are fewer new extensions than with most other types of CMS.