What is Content as a Service (CaaS)?
Content-as-a-Service is a model that makes structured content easily available for other apps, websites and IoT devices to consume. It separates content, layout, and structure so content is no longer published in a pre-defined channel but can simply be consumed by any channel’s front end on demand. CaaS is the simplest way to deliver content with the speed and consistency needed to satisfy customers on their channel of choice, at any time.
Benefits of Content as a Service
The CaaS model has several benefits that you won’t find with a traditional CMS system. With greater flexibility overall, users can personalize content as they see fit and send it to any touchpoint with ease.
Use Cases for Content as a Service
Here are just some that we have seen.
- Multi-Channel Publishing. With FirstSpirit, instantly call content to go where it’s needed, whether its channels, sites, devices, apps, IoT, other software, and more. Third parties can also easily access the CaaS API and pull the content wherever needed. Complex, global websites can be assured brand consistency is maintained and the distribution of worldwide content is fast and efficient.
- Voice Assistants & Chatbots. Competitive companies ensure relevant content available is available to customers both linguistically and through terminal devices without displays. CaaS is a great solution as it enables content to be consumed in a completely format-neutral manner, making voice assistants not only possible but incredibly easy to implement.
- UX Flexibility. While traditional CMS has imposed strong design restrictions, CaaS allows for the utmost flexibility and designers are essentially free to build any UX they can imagine.
- Mobile Content Management. With CaaS, businesses can update app content continuously instead of having to resubmit the apps to marketplaces every time a change is made.
- Lighter IT Infrastructure. CaaS is a great alternative to running an enterprise portal software for your global Intranet. Instead of using a more different and complex portal, use a lightweight front-end framework that pulls content directly from the CaaS server.
- Generate Sales While Using White Label Content. Whether you are a media publisher or content marketer who makes content available for a fee, monetize easier with CaaS. Customers can pull any kind of content without design or template restrictions for the desired channels.
Why CaaS?
With CaaS there is a separation of content, layout, and structure. No longer is content published from the CMS in a pre-defined channel (push principle) – instead, it can easily be consumed by any channel’s front end on demand (pull principle).
Headless vs. Hybrid.
- Headless CMS is another way to refer to Content-as-a-Service where any content can be retrieved via an interface regardless of format and integrated into apps, e-commerce shops, IoT devices, portals, and websites. It gives you the flexibility you need to deliver content to any channel.
- Hybrid CMS enables its use as a traditional CMS, decoupled CMS, and headless CMS. It can support any type of situation or customer, today, or in the future, allowing for greater flexibility and faster time to market.
Is Content as a Service right for you?
More and more, marketers/business users and developers are finding a need for CaaS. It fulfills the need of wanting content to reach as many channels and platforms as possible, all while increasing revenue. It’s also a great alternative to more expensive portal software.
- Developers. Whether it is mobile app developers who need a backend to feed their apps with content or front-end developers who expect to interact with an API, CaaS technology fulfills many different development needs.
- Enterprise Business Users. Business and content owners want their content to reach as many platforms and channels as possible but find it too expensive to have a separate solution for every channel. With a single editorial team and single software platform for all channels, developers can be more productive and revenue increases.
