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Web Site Support

Overview

Two Website Content Management Systems (CMS), Wix and WordPress, are available to facilitate departments in setting up their websites.

Departments can also apply for web servers by filling in CF106 if they wish to set up their websites using other development tools and platforms. Staff and students can apply for an account for hosting individual website on web.hku.hk by filling in CF149.

Upgrade of Departmental Web Servers new

Wix

A cloud-based CMS developed by Wix with subscription coordinated through ITS.

Features

  • An easy to use website CMS, mainly by drag and drop
  • Provide over 500 templates of website design and over 250 add-on features
  • Artificial Design editor Intelligent (ADI) can set up a website for you by answering a few questions
  • Mobile friendly (without additional efforts)
  • Secure with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS), ISO 27001 & ISO 27018 compliance

Key Benefits

  • Short lead time in setup
  • Easy to set up and maintain that requires little or no programming skills
  • Nice templates and layouts readily available
  • Cloud-based solution requires
    • No server set up
    • No server maintenance/update effort
    • Security compliance

Application

To apply for this service, please sign up a Wix account and a Wix site by following the procedures at https://www.cms.its.hku.hk/sign-up. After a Wix site is set up, please fill in CF83 - Application for Cloud-based Website Content Management System (CMS) and WordPress CMS.

Each department is provisioned with a number of CMS websites through central cost according to the following calculation:

No. of CMS website provision = (No. of professoriate staff in a department/3 + No. of professoriate staff in a department/20) or 3, whichever is larger

*Additional websites can be requested at the cost of HK$600/website on a yearly basis.

Training Materials

Wix Training Site developed by ITS

Training powerpoint of the workshop

Wix website


WordPress

WordPress CMS is built using OpenShift technology hosting on in-house servers supported by ITS. It is preinstalled with WordPress and some commonly used plugins. Departments can also install other plugins and themes on the CMS whatever they consider appropriate.

Features

The current version on WordPress CMS for HKU is WordPress 5.3.2 with PHP 7.3, and MariaDB 10.2. For the preinstalled themes and plugins, please click here.

Every website is provisioned with 10GB disk space.

Key Benefits

  • Manpower savings in setting up and maintaining the WordPress CMS and its plugins
  • Improved security as ITS will ensure the version of WordPress is kept up-to-date with security patches and fixed applied
  • Supporting webpages with access control for use by HKU staff and students and authentication through Single Sign-On using HKU Portal UID/PIN is enabled
  • Theme templates and plugins are available for use and customization by departments
  • Little restriction in customization and departments with the necessary programming knowledge can tailor make a feature-rich and unique website on their own
  • Websites are hosting on ITS servers

Application

To apply for this service, please fill in CF83 - Application for Cloud-based Website Content Management System (CMS) and WordPress CMS.

Each department is provisioned with a number of WordPress CMS through central cost according to the following calculation:

No. of WordPress CMS website provision = (No. of professoriate staff in a department/3 + No. of professoriate staff in a department/20) or 10, whichever is larger.

*Additional websites can be requested at the cost of HK$600/website on a yearly basis.

Training Materials

WordPress Training Site developed by ITS

Hands-on Training Workshop Presentation Powerpoint


Comparison between Wix and WordPress CMS

Platform

Pros

Cons

Best for

Wix
  • Short lead time in setup
  • Easy to set up and maintain that requires little or no programming skills
  • Nice templates and layouts readily available
  • Cloud-based solution requires
    • No server set up
    • No server maintenance/update effort
    • Security compliance
  • Mainly out-of-the-box features and restrictive in customization
  • Do not support webpages with access control
  • Web designers who are having no or little programming knowledge
  • Websites without complicated feature requirements
  • Departments looking for quick wins and a fast website implementation

WordPress 
  • Manpower savings in setting up and maintaining the WordPress CMS and its plugins
  • Improved security as ITS will ensure the version of WordPress is kept up-to-date with security patches and fixed applied
  • Supporting webpages with access control for use by HKU staff and students and authentication through Single Sign-On using HKU Portal UID/PIN is enabled
  • Theme templates and plugins are available for use and customization by departments
  • Little restriction in customization and departments with the necessary programming knowledge can tailor make a feature-rich and unique website on their own
  • Websites are hosting on ITS servers
  • Relatively long learning curve if one does not have relevant programming knowledge
  • An open-source software without official support, and support relies on the online user guides and community forum.

 
  • Web designers with programming knowledge
  • Websites that require customized and more complicated features

 

Pages Related To This Service

Available To

Departments, staff and students (for individual account on web.hku.hk only)

Service Request and Support

service_category: 
Web Site Support