Last modified by Ecaterina Moraru (Valica) on 2017/10/05 16:18

<
From version < 3.2 >
edited by Ecaterina Moraru (Valica)
on 2016/05/13 15:42
To version < 4.1 >
edited by Vincent Massol
on 2016/05/13 15:48
>
Change comment: Fix wrong heading level + extra NLs

Summary

Details

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1 -xwiki:XWiki.evalica
1 +xwiki:XWiki.VincentMassol
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1 1  {{toc start='2'/}}
2 2  
3 -== What is a wiki? ==
3 += What is a wiki? =
4 4  
5 5  A wiki is classically presented as a set of editable web pages by all users with permissions. It allows the collaborative creation of content (including text, images, videos, etc.), as well as the creation of links between different sets of content.
6 6  
7 -
8 8  Wikis were made popular by the famous multilingual Wikipedia encyclopedia (created in 2001) that became one of the most visited websites in the world, with more than 17 million articles (beginning of 2011).
9 9  
10 -
11 11  Basic wiki features are:
12 12  
13 13  * Page creation
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20 20  
21 21  But some wikis, such as XWiki, go further by proposing additional features addressing professional needs.
22 22  
23 -== Two of the best known professional wikis: Confluence and XWiki ==
21 += Two of the best known professional wikis: Confluence and XWiki =
24 24  
25 -=== Confluence ===
23 +== Confluence ==
26 26  
27 27  Confluence is a team collaboration software. Written in Java and mainly used in corporate environments, it is developed and marketed by Atlassian, the Australian company best known for Jira, its issue tracking application. Confluence is sold as either on-premises software or as a hosted solution.
28 28  
29 -
30 30  Confluence is a business oriented professional wiki with advanced features. Compatible with many databases, Confluence is a proprietary software, but it also offers free licenses for developers or educational and non-profit organizations.
31 31  
32 -
33 33  Confluence is used by many companies around the world: Facebook, NASA, eBay, Adobe, etc.
34 34  In terms of business usage, Confluence is used by one or more teams to share, find and interact with information. Confluence is mainly used as an enterprise collaborative tool.
35 35  
36 -=== XWiki ===
32 +== XWiki ==
37 37  
38 38  XWiki is an open source project supported and developed by the [[XWiki community>>http://xwiki.org]] and by XWiki SAS. It is developed in Java and it's based on the principle of the collaborative wiki platform.
39 39  
40 -
41 41  XWiki distinguishes itself from the other wikis by offering **enterprise-oriented features** such as:
42 42  
43 43  * Office documents import (i.e. a Word document is transformed into a wiki page; XWiki retains the layout, images contained in the document and also the documents attached to the page)
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50 50  
51 51  Other strengths include **flexibility and scalability**. XWiki allows the creation of dedicated/specific applications (Meeting management application, Customer Relationship Management...).
52 52  
53 -
54 54  Extensions, applications and macros are available for free (extensions.xwiki.org) in addition to the features that are included by default in the XWiki Platform (platform.xwiki.org).
55 55  
56 -
57 57  Moreover XWiki is an Open Source software developed under the LGPL license. So you own your wiki and its data. To know more about our Open Source involvement, discover our **Open Source Manifesto**.
58 58  
59 -
60 60  In terms of business uses, XWiki is used by teams to create collaborative workspaces but also across the company as an intranet, extranet, website etc..
61 61  
62 -
63 63  XWiki counts amongst its clients big companies, such as: EDF, DCNS, EMC, EADS but also SMEs and associations.
64 64  
65 -== Comparison between XWiki and Confluence ==
56 += Comparison between XWiki and Confluence =
66 66  
67 -=== In terms of technology and features ===
58 +== In terms of technology and features ==
68 68  
69 69  |=\\|=XWiki|=Confluence
70 70  |Free software and Open Source|Yes|No, paid license, but free for open-source and non-profit projects
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135 135  * Blog: yes
136 136  * Ticket system: plugin
137 137  * Integration with LDAP: yes
138 -
139 -
140 140  )))
141 141  
142 142  *Data found in fixed fields in a folder or file. The relational databases and spreadsheets are examples of structured data. Although data in XML files are not fixed in a place like traditional database folders, they are still structured as data, are marked and can be identified accurately, in contrast with unstructured data.
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143 143  
144 144  Source: [[www.wikimatrix.org>>http://www.wikimatrix.org/]]
145 145  
146 -
147 147  **In terms of features and technologies, XWiki and Confluence look very similar in appearance.** Both are developed in Java and include many features by default. Extensions and plugins are available and they can extend other functionalities.
148 148  
149 -
150 150  **The major difference lies mainly in the capacity of customization and developments around the software. **While Confluence is a proprietary software that is rather rigid (i.e. standard solution for all clients / to take as is) and can be hosted by Atlassian or by itself, XWiki is a completely open development platform that could be adapted to any specific business need.
151 151  
152 -
153 153  NOTE: XWiki also supports the wiki syntax, while Confluence has been criticized for its latest versions, where wiki markup editor users are now forced to use the Confluence's WYSIWYG editor. It is no longer possible to edit, copy or see the wiki syntax because the content is no longer stored in the "wiki format".
154 154  ([[source>>url:https://confluence.atlassian.com/display/DOC/Confluence+4+Editor+-+What%27s+Changed+for+Wiki+Markup+Users#Confluence4Editor-What'sChangedforWikiMarkupUsers-Functionalitythatisnolongeravailable||rel="__blank"]])
155 155  
156 -=== In terms of market positioning ===
142 +== In terms of market positioning ==
157 157  
158 158  **XWiki and Confluence have opposite business models.** Confluence is a proprietary software. The purchase of licenses depends on the number of users. XWiki, on the contrary, is an Open Source software. You can freely use it and modify the code to customize the tool.
159 159  
160 -
161 161  **XWiki is aimed towards businesses**, work groups and developers that use it for their users, while **Confluence is aimed directly toward teams and developers.**
162 162  
163 -== Why use XWiki rather than Confluence? ==
148 += Why use XWiki rather than Confluence? =
164 164  
165 -
166 166  **An open model**
167 167  
168 -
169 169  **XWiki is a 100% Open Source software** (developed under the LGPL license), unlike **Confluence, a proprietary software**.
170 170  
171 -
172 172  This brings a number of **benefits**.
173 173  
174 174  * **From the innovation point of view. **At XWiki, we believe that innovation is led by transparency and free competition. With Open Source, the contributors are protected and they know that their investment will be maximized because it can be taken freely by other contributors who will improve it and give back to the community. Everyone enjoys contributions from others.
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184 184  
185 185  **A tool that can be used across your business**
186 186  
187 -
188 -
189 189  **Unlike Confluence, XWiki is extensible**. Specifically, it allows you to start using XWiki for a department's special needs within your company and see how it works. If the project "takes off" and the other departments want to use it, then XWiki can "evolve" and become a true corporate Intranet.
190 190  
191 -
192 192  **XWiki is the Open Source leader while Confluence is the proprietary software leader.**
193 193  
194 -== XWiki import services ==
173 += XWiki import services =
195 195  
196 196  If you are a Confluence user, [[it is possible to import your data into XWiki with our import modules>>extensions:Extension.Filter Confluence XML module||anchor="HTutorial"]].

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