TypeRoom - A Simple Web CMS for the Non Technical

Simple Web CMS for Visual, Non-Technical Editors

Internet Simplicity (site), a Silicon Valley-based company who launched a visual web editor last year has just moved into the world of web content management systems with the launch of a suite offering, you guessed it, simplicity of use and ways to solve common content management problems.

The company describes the entire solution -- web editor and CMS -- as a user-friendly platform requiring no technical skills and comes in two versions: TypeRoom Lite and TypeRoom Professional.

A Little Background

TypeRoom was set up by Reilly Sweetland, the founder of sister company Internet Simplicity to develop TypeRoom Lite and Professional.

TypeRoom Lite is a free utility for visually editing and instantly publishing changes to html websites, while TypeRoom Pro is a complete CMS with easy set-up and integration features.

Internet Simplicity was started in 2003 as a one-man shop in Los Gatos, California. They have, for several years, offered full-service, end-to-end, design, development and marketing of websites.

TypeRoom Pro

Easy CMS Installation

How this morphed into TypeRoom is not clear, but the creation of the company corresponds with development of a method that automates the installation of TypeRoom CMS without having to go through the installation process, or the migration of hosting accounts.

With the promise to empower people with no technical skills to update their websites, these low-budget solutions appear to be targeting very small companies, who have neither the money, nor the inclination to update their websites.

TypeRoom Pro - Site Manager

The difference with this and other solutions for non-techies, is that the TypeRoom products allow users to import existing websites rather than simply create them from scratch based on templates.

Integrating Existing Sites

As its flagship, the recently launched TypeRoom Pro is described as a new way to offer content management, which includes hosted editing tools to keep websites updated, with web hosting left at the discretion of the client.

Launched as a product that will cut out the use of web developers and consultants, as well as their fees, Pro is designed to work with, and integrate, existing websites, allowing users to visually edit every aspect of their site and publish changes instantly.

TypeRoom Pro -Advanced Editor

While most sites will require some alterations before they can be integrated, TypeRoom is offering companies that take up Pro at an early stage, integration at no cost.

All that is required for integration is some basic HTML knowledge and a basic knowledge of CSS. TypeRoom built so that front-end programmers and designers could easily integrate a website into the system.

Easy to Use, But Not Free

While TypeRoom Lite is completely free, there is a scalable, if modest fee, for Pro.

Depending on usage, pages and storage prices range from US$ 24/month for sites with 50 pages and 250MB of storage with two users, to the Premium versions which comes in at US$ 149 for 1000 pages, with 5GB of storage and 15 users.

TypeRoom also comes with a manifesto that basically says CMS should be customizable, easy to use, cheap and extensible.

Learning Opportunities

Webinar