CMS stands for Content Management System. It is a piece of software that allows website owners and content producers to quickly manage digital content without the need for in-depth technical knowledge or expertise. Users can create, modify, and share digital content, such as articles, images, videos, and other multimedia elements, using the CMS platform.

The Content Management Application (CMA) and the Content Delivery Application are usually the two main parts of a CMS. Content producers can manage and distribute digital content using the CMA's user-friendly interface without having to be knowledgeable in the underlying technical nuances. The CDA, on the other hand, is in charge of providing the content to the user, usually through a web server.

When websites first became popular in the early 1990s, CMS was first developed. The majority of websites at the time were static HTML pages, which were difficult to build and maintain. However, as the popularity of the internet and the number of websites grew, it became obvious that a better method for managing digital material was required.

In 1995, the CNET Content Management System, the first CMS, was released. It was a simple system that made managing digital content simple for content producers without requiring them to have in-depth technical expertise. But CMS didn't take off until the first decade of the new age.