Alfresco continues to blaze the trail when it comes to real-world implementations of the proposed Content Management Interoperability Services (CMIS) standard. Its latest step forward was the release this week of a module that allows integration between Alfresco and Joomla systems.The module, built using the draft CMIS specification and developed in conjunction with Joomlatools, will allow organizations using both Alfresco's content repository and Joomla's content management system to link them together, more or less seamlessly.

Larry Cannell makes a number of good points on the Burton Group blog:

What is most interesting to think about is the flexibility this might enable. Either Joomla or Alfresco could be replaced: The Alfresco back-end could be replaced with another CMIS-compliant ECM (without changing code on the Joomla site). The Joomla front-end could be replaced with another CMIS-compliant application or website (without changing code on the Alfresco site).

From its initial announcement, Alfresco has been demonstrating a commitment to CMIS. It was the first company to release a working implementation of the CMIS specification, and just last month it introduced a CMIS developer toolbox which delivered the working prototype, sample code, and a bundle of CMIS documentation.

Ultimately, the release of the Alfresco/Joomla integration module serves equally as a tribute to the ingenuity of the Joomlatools and Alfresco teams, as well as a proof of concept for the potential of CMIS. There's little doubt that CMIS is going to be a game changer, and by positioning itself at the forefront of the wave, Alfresco ensures itself a seat at the table and the ability to help shape the discussion in the coming months and years.

For additional information and to download the integration module, visit alfresco.com/products/platform/try/.