The answer is that the cost savings come when you are dealing with complexity. Customers only looking for web content management for their website will find Drupal can be a great, cost effective answer. In that case, there is no need to do anything else.

Many of our customers are dealing with much more complex situations. They have one or more websites in multiple languages, with thousand of pictures or videos that makes heavy use of social media. The work to maintain these web properties is often spread across departments and managed by a central web team. Marketing is looking for an easy way to publish new deals. Another business unit needs to track license rights to the images on the website. A third team is responsible for the video or PDF library. A fourth team is lookin to provide a mobile version of the site.

Each of these groups has a way they are accustomed to working. Many of them have no interest in web content management and are easily confused or frustrated by typical web content management features. These people want simple applications that meet their specific needs. A lot of time and money is spent creating customizations within the WCM application. IT is forced to work around a framework that in some cases gets in the way of what the business wants to do.

Using a platform like MarkLogic removes much of the complexity. Small applications can be created quickly. These tools are simple and meet the business needs allowing the central web team to delegate more of the content management functions. All of this leads to cost savings across the organization.

Does that answer your question?