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Enterprise content management (ECM) is the technologies used to capture, store, preserve and deliver content and documents and content related to organizational processes. In media production and publishing content is Information and experiences that may provide value for an End-user / Audience. ECM tools and strategies allow the management of an organization's unstructured information, wherever that information exists. [1]



Contents

Definition

The "official" definition of enterprise content management was created by AIIM (Association for Information and Image Management) International, the worldwide association for enterprise content management in the year 2000. The Association for Information and Image Management or AIIM (pronounced aim) is an international industry association focused on Enterprise content management The abbreviation ECM has been reinterpreted and redefined many times [2].

In autumn 2005 AIIM defined ECM as follows:

Enterprise Content Management is the technologies used to Capture, Manage, Store, Preserve, and Deliver content and documents related to organizational processes.

In winter 2006 AIIM added the following paragraph to the definition:

ECM tools and strategies allow the management of an organization's unstructured information, wherever that information exists. [3]

This new term is intended to completely encompass the legacy problem domains that have traditionally been addressed by records management and document management. Records management, or RM is the practice of identifying classifying archiving preserving and destroying records A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper It also includes all of the additional problems involved in converting to and from digital content, to and from the traditional media of those problem domains (such as physical and computerized filing and retrieval systems, often involving paper and microforms). Finally ECM is a new problem domain in its own right, as it has employed the technologies and strategies of (digital) content management to address business process issues, such as records and auditing, knowledge sharing, personalization and standardization of content, and so on. Content management, or CM, is a set of processes and technologies that support the evolutionary life cycle of digital information

New product suites have arisen from the combination of capture, search and networking capabilities with technologies of the content management field, which have traditionally addressed digital archiving, document management and workflow. Content management, or CM, is a set of processes and technologies that support the evolutionary life cycle of digital information A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper A workflow is a depiction of a sequence of operations declared as work of a person work of a simple or complex mechanism work of a group of persons work of an organization of staff Generally speaking, this is when content management becomes enterprise content management. The different nomenclature is intended to encompass all of the problem areas related to the use and preservation of information within an organization, in all of its forms — not just its web-oriented face to the outside world. Therefore, most solutions focus on "business to employee" (B2E) systems. Business-to-employee ( B2E) Electronic commerce uses an intrabusiness network which allows companies to provide products and/or services to their employees However, as the solutions have evolved, new components to content management have arisen. For example, as unstructured content is checked in and out of an ECM system, each use can potentially enrich the content's profile, to some extent automatically, so that the system might gradually acquire or "learn" new filtering, routing and search pathways, corporate taxonomies and semantic networks, which in turn assist in making better retention-rule decisions, determining which records or documents to keep, and which to discard, and when. Corporate taxonomy is the hierarchical classification of entities of interest of an enterprise organization or administration used to classify documents digital assets and other information A Semantic network is a network which represents Semantic relations between the Concepts This is often used as a form of Knowledge representation Such issues become all the more important, as email and instant messaging are increasingly employed in the decision-making processes in an organization. Electronic mail, often abbreviated to e-mail, email, or originally eMail, is a Store-and-forward method of writing sending receiving

Thus, the term enterprise content management refers to solutions that concentrate on providing in-house information, usually using internet technologies. The solutions tend to provide intranet services to employees (B2E), but also include enterprise portals for "business to business" (B2B), "business to government" (B2G), or "government to business" (G2B), etc. An intranet is a private computer network that uses Internet protocols and network connectivity to securely share any part of an organization's information or operational Business-to-employee ( B2E) Electronic commerce uses an intrabusiness network which allows companies to provide products and/or services to their employees An enterprise portal, also known as an enterprise information portal (EIP or corporate portal, is a framework for integrating information people and processes across Business-to-business ( B2B) is a term commonly used to describe commerce transactions between businesses as opposed to those between businesses and other groups such as Government-to-Business (abbreviated G2B) is the online non-commercial interaction between local and central government and the commercial business sector rather than private This category includes most of the former document management groupware and workflow solutions that have not yet fully converted their architecture, but provide a web interface to their applications. Collaborative software (also referred to as groupware or workgroup support systems) is software designed to help people involved in a common task achieve their A workflow is a depiction of a sequence of operations declared as work of a person work of a simple or complex mechanism work of a group of persons work of an organization of staff Digital Asset Management (DAM) is as well a form of ECM that is concerned with content stored using digital electronic technology. Digital Asset Management consists of tasks and decisions surrounding ingesting annotating cataloguing storage and retrieval of Digital assets such as Digital photographs

History

The technology components that comprise ECM today are the descendants of the electronic document management systems (EDMS) software products that were first released in the late 1980s and early 1990s. A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper The original EDMS products were developed as stand-alone technologies, and these products provided functionality in one of four areas: imaging, workflow, document management, or COLD/ERM (see "Components of an enterprise content management system," below). A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper A workflow is a depiction of a sequence of operations declared as work of a person work of a simple or complex mechanism work of a group of persons work of an organization of staff A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper Computer Output to Laser Disc (COLD systems were used to capture archive store and retrieve data such as accounting reports loan records inventories shipping and receiving documents

For the software companies, it made sense to develop different products for each of these distinct EDMS functions. A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper At that time, most organizations that were candidates for EDMS generally wanted a solution to address just one overriding business need or application. They were looking for stand-alone solutions to address narrow application needs, many of them at the departmental level – such as imaging for forms processing, workflow for insurance claims processing, document management for engineering documentation, or COLD/ERM for distributing and archiving monthly financial reports. Computer Output to Laser Disc (COLD systems were used to capture archive store and retrieve data such as accounting reports loan records inventories shipping and receiving documents

The typical "early adopter" of these new technologies was an organization that deployed a small-scale imaging and workflow system, possibly to just a single department, in order to improve the efficiency of a repetitive, paper-intensive business process and migrate towards the Paperless office. Historical perspective The paperless office was a Publicist 's slogan meant to describe the Office of the future. Even in these early years, when the market for these software products was still relatively immature, it was clear that each of the major technologies within EDMS offered tremendous value to specific organizational processes or applications, at a time when business processes were overwhelmingly paper-based. A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper The primary benefits that the first stand-alone EDMS technologies brought to organizations revolved around saving time or improving accessibility to information. A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper Among the specific benefits were the following:

Through the late 1990s, the various segments of the EDMS industry continued to grow steadily, if not spectacularly. Microforms are any form either films or paper containing microreproductions of documents for transmission storage reading and printing Microforms are any form either films or paper containing microreproductions of documents for transmission storage reading and printing A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper The technologies appealed to organizations with clear problems, and which needed targeted, tactical solutions to address those problems.

As time passed, and more organizations had achieved "pockets" of productivity with the use of these technologies, it became clear that the various EDMS product categories were in fact complementary for many businesses. A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper Organizations increasingly wanted to be able to leverage the capabilities of multiple EDMS products. A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper Consider, for example, the needs of a customer service department, where imaging, document management, and workflow functionality could be brought together to allow agents to access any information needed to resolve a customer inquiry. A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper A workflow is a depiction of a sequence of operations declared as work of a person work of a simple or complex mechanism work of a group of persons work of an organization of staff Likewise, an accounting department could access supplier invoices from a COLD/ERM system, purchase orders from an imaging system, and contracts from a document management system as part of an approval workflow. Computer Output to Laser Disc (COLD systems were used to capture archive store and retrieve data such as accounting reports loan records inventories shipping and receiving documents And as more and more organizations established an Internet presence, they wanted to present certain portions of this information via the web, which required the capabilities to manage web content. The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks Furthermore, organizations that had installed the software in individual departments now began to envision wider benefits, if they were to deploy it across the enterprise. Consider the fact that many business documents cross multiple departments and multiple business processes. Why not improve the management of electronic documents throughout the organization, and gain the same business benefits at an enterprise level?

Both the market and the software providers began to understand the strategic potential of software products that integrated the individual EDMS technology components into a single, integrated solution, capable of addressing an organization's complete information management needs. A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper In fact, the movement toward integrated EDMS solutions merely reflected a common trend in the history of the software industry: the obsolescence of certain types of products and the convergence of technologies, as vendors melded them into new packages. A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper

Consider office suites, for instance. In the 1970s and early 1980s, word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software products were standalone products. Within an organization, however, the same users were likely to need all three products. The software vendors responded, and started packaging them as integrated office suites – a strategy that also helped address consumer demand for tighter interoperability among desktop applications.

The situation was similar in the EDMS world. A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper Just about any company that needed document management also needed imaging, workflow, web content management, and COLD/ERM. A workflow is a depiction of a sequence of operations declared as work of a person work of a simple or complex mechanism work of a group of persons work of an organization of staff A content management system ( CMS) is a computer application used to create edit manage and publish content in a consistently organized fashion Computer Output to Laser Disc (COLD systems were used to capture archive store and retrieve data such as accounting reports loan records inventories shipping and receiving documents Organizations began to demand multiple EDMS services and ways to leverage them for broad-based applications. Thus, the EDMS vendors took steps to deliver on truly integrated solutions incorporating the EDMS component technologies. A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper

The leaders tended to be those vendors that already offered multiple stand-alone EDMS technologies. A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper For these vendors, the early steps toward consolidation were small ones. The first phase was to offer multiple systems as a single, packaged "suite. " Early suites were little more than multiple products being sold together at a reduced price, and there was a perception in the market that such suites were a strategy on the part of the vendors to capture additional seats within a customer account. Not surprisingly, market acceptance was limited – at least initially.

But in the late 1990s, these software vendors began a major surge of software development and acquisition activity, adding capabilities to their software products or buying the software companies whose products offered the functional capabilities they needed. Integrating the products into a single solution has proven to be an ongoing challenge for many of these vendors. Scalability – that is, the ability of a software product to continue to function well when it is deployed on a wide scale – also presented some significant problems, as organizations demanded solutions that could be deployed not just to multiple geographic locations, but on a global scale, to tens of thousands of users.

In response to these market demands, the major software providers put considerable development effort into addressing these issues, and they continue to enhance the capabilities of their products and to expand the types of content those products can manage. Beginning in approximately 2001, the industry began to use the term "enterprise content management" to refer to those software solutions that provide the full complement of EDMS technologies, reflecting the truly "enterprise" nature of their products. A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper

More recently, the ECM market has seen the entry of Microsoft and Oracle Corporation, two of the largest and most pervasive providers of software, at the value end of the market [4]. Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer Oracle Corporation ( specializes in developing and marketing Enterprise software products — particularly Database management systems In 2007 Oracle ranked These companies have each taken steps to develop solutions for content management – Microsoft with its various offerings in the SharePoint product family in recent years, and Oracle in 2006 with its Oracle Content Management product. These two software companies look to provide software solutions with the basic ECM functionality that will address the functional requirements commonly required by the majority of organizations. The result is likely to be a stratification of the current ECM market, based on the level of content services that different organizations require [5].

Independently of Microsoft and Oracle, open source enterprise content management systems have emerged to also provide basic ECM functionality. Open source is a development methodology which offers practical accessibility to a product's source (goods and knowledge These include Alfresco, eZ Publish, KnowledgeTree, Nuxeo and Plone. Alfresco is a Free software / Open source, Open standards enterprise scale Content management system for Microsoft Windows KnowledgeTree is a commercial Open source Document management system Nuxeo is a comprehensive Free software / Open source Enterprise Content Management (ECM platform Plone is a free and open source Content management system built on top of the Zope Application server. Similarly to the operating system, application server and database markets, these entrants hope to apply the open source distribution model of freely available and downloadable software to compete against the traditional enterprise software sales model of the incumbent ECM vendors and commoditize the ECM market.

The need for scalability and scanning facilities for hundreds of millions of documents requiring Terabyte,Petabyte or Exabyte filestores that are in compliance with existing and emerging standards such as HIPAA, SAS 70, BS 7799 and ISO/IEC 27001 may make outsourcing to certified end to end service providers a viable alternative. A terabyte (derived from the prefix Tera- and commonly abbreviated TB) is a measurement term for data storage capacity. A petabyte (derived from the SI prefix peta -) is a unit of Information or Computer storage equal to one Quadrillion An exabyte (derived from the SI prefix Exa -) is a unit of Information or Computer storage equal to one Quintillion The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ( HIPAA) was enacted by the U Statement on Auditing Standards No 70 Service Organizations, commonly abbreviated as SAS 70, is an auditing statement issued by the Auditing Standards Board BS 7799 was a standard originally published by the British Standards Institute (BSI in 1995. ISO/IEC 27001, part of the growing ISO/IEC 27000 series of standards is an Information security Management system ( ISMS) standard published Outsourcing is Subcontracting a process such as product design or Manufacturing, to a Third-party company

Characteristics

Content management has many facets including enterprise content management, Web content management (WCM), content syndication and digital or media asset management. Content management, or CM, is a set of processes and technologies that support the evolutionary life cycle of digital information Enterprise content management is a vision, a strategy, or even a new industry, but it is not a closed system solution or a distinct product. Therefore, along with DRT (Document Related Technologies) or DLM (Document Lifecycle Management), ECM can be considered as just one possible catch-all term for a wide range of technologies and vendors.

A comparison of the definitions of the different application fields of ECM and WCM makes it clear that the existing system category distinctions cannot last long, whether for products and technical platforms or for usage models. Solutions that are used as pure in-house solutions today will be made accessible to partners or customers tomorrow. The content and structure of today's outward-directed web portal will be the platform for tomorrow's internal information system. A web portal is a site that provides a single function via a web page or site In his article in ComputerWoche[6], Ulrich Kampffmeyer concentrated the claimed benefit of an enterprise content management system to three key ideas that distinguish such solutions from Web content management:

"Enterprise Content Management as integrative middleware
ECM is used to overcome the restrictions of former vertical applications and island architectures. The user is basically unaware of using an ECM solution. ECM offers the requisite infrastructure for the new world of web-based IT, which is establishing itself as a kind of third platform alongside conventional host and client/server systems. Therefore, EAI Enterprise Application Integration and SOA Service Oriented Architecture will play an important role in the implementation and use of ECM. Enterprise Application Integration (EAI is defined as the uses of Software and computer systems architectural principles to integrate a set of enterprise computer applications Service-oriented architecture ( SOA) is a method for Systems development and integration where functionality is grouped around Business processes
Enterprise Content Management components as independent services
ECM is used to manage Information without regard to the source or the required use. The functionality is provided as a service that can be used from all kinds of applications. The advantage of a service concept is that for any given functionality only one general service is available, thus avoiding redundant, expensive and difficult to maintain parallel functions. Therefore, standards for interfaces connecting different services will play an important role in the implementation of ECM.
Enterprise Content Management as an uniform repository for all types of information
ECM is used as a content warehouse (both data warehouse and document warehouse) that combines company information in a repository with a uniform structure. A data warehouse is a Repository of an organization's electronically stored data Expensive redundancies and associated problems with information consistency are eliminated. All applications deliver their content to a single repository, which in turn provides needed information to all applications. Therefore, Content Integration and ILM Information Lifecycle Management will play an important role in the implementation and use of ECM. Information Lifecycle Management refers to a wide-ranging set of strategies for administering Storage Systems on Computing devices
Enterprise Content Management is working properly when it is effectively "invisible" to users. ECM technologies are infrastructures that support specialized applications as subordinate services. ECM thus is a collection of infrastructure components that fit into a multi-layer model and include all Document Related Technologies (DRT) for handling, delivering, and managing structured data and unstructured information jointly. As such, Enterprise Content Management is one of the necessary basic components of the overarching E-Business application area. ECM also sets out to manage all the information of a WCM and covers archiving needs as an universal repository. "[7]

Components of an enterprise content management system

Enterprise content management systems combine a wide variety of technologies and components, some of which can also be used as stand-alone systems without being incorporated into an enterprise-wide system. [8]

The five ECM components and technologies of the ECM model were first defined by AIIM as follows:

The model includes in the "Manage" category five traditional application areas:

These "Manage" components connect Capture, Store, Deliver and Preserve and can be used in combination or separately. The Association for Information and Image Management or AIIM (pronounced aim) is an international industry association focused on Enterprise content management A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper Collaboration is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together toward an intersection of common goals — for example an intellectual Collaborative software (also referred to as groupware or workgroup support systems) is software designed to help people involved in a common task achieve their A content management system ( CMS) is a computer application used to create edit manage and publish content in a consistently organized fashion A web portal is a site that provides a single function via a web page or site Records management, or RM is the practice of identifying classifying archiving preserving and destroying records A workflow is a depiction of a sequence of operations declared as work of a person work of a simple or complex mechanism work of a group of persons work of an organization of staff Business process management ( BPM) is a method of efficiently aligning an organization with the wants and needs of clients While Document Management, Web Content Management, Collaboration, Workflow and Business Process Management are more for the dynamic part of the life cycle of information, Records Management takes care of information which will no longer be changed. The utilization of the information is paramount throughout, whether through independent clients of the ECM system components, or by enabling existing applications that access the functionality of ECM services and the stored information. The integration of existing technologies makes it clear that ECM is not a new product category, but an integrative force.

The individual categories and their components will be examined in the following. [9]

Capture

The "Capture" category contains functionalities and components for generating, capturing, preparing and processing analog and electronic information. There are several levels and technologies, from simple information capture to complex information preparation using automatic classification. Capture components are often also called "Input" components.

Manually generated and captured information

Manual capture can involve all forms of information, from paper documents to electronic office documents, e-mails, forms, multimedia objects, digitized speech and video, and microfilm. Electronic mail, often abbreviated to e-mail, email, or originally eMail, is a Store-and-forward method of writing sending receiving Multimedia is media and content that utilizes a combination of different content forms. Microforms are any form either films or paper containing microreproductions of documents for transmission storage reading and printing

Automatic or semi-automatic capture can use EDI or XML documents, business and ERP applications or existing specialist application systems as sources. Electronic Data Interchange ( EDI) refers to the structured transmission of data between organizations by electronic means Don't change "Extensible" Enterprise resource planning ( ERP) is the planning of how business resources (materials employees customers etc

Technologies for processing captured information

Various recognition technologies are used to process scanned documents and digital faxes, among them:

Optical character recognition (OCR)
This converts image information into machine-readable characters. SCAN or Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry is a set of tools created by WHO aimed at diagnosing and measuring Mental Fax (short for facsimile, from Latin fac simile, "make similar" i Optical character recognition, usually abbreviated to OCR, is the Mechanical or electronic translation of Images of handwritten typewritten OCR is used for type.
Handprint Character Recognition (HCR))
This refinement of OCR converts handwriting or lettering into machine characters, but does not yet give satisfactory results for running text. Handwriting recognition is the ability of a computer to receive and interpret intelligible Handwritten input such as pendrives digital cameras and other devices However, for defined field content, it has become very reliable.
Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR)
ICR is a further development of OCR and HCR, that uses comparison, logical connections, and checks against reference lists and existing master data to improve results. In Computer science, intelligent character recognition ( ICR) is an advanced Optical character recognition (OCR or - rather more specific - Handwriting
Optical Mark Recognition (OMR)
OMR, as used for checkboxes for example, reads special markings in predefined fields with very high accuracy. ' Optical mark recognition' is the process of capturing Data by contrasting Reflectivity at predetermined positions on a page It has proven its value in questionnaires and other forms.
Barcode
Barcodes on mailed forms allow for the automatic recognition and filing of returns. A bar code (also barcode) is an optical Machine-readable representation of data

Document Imaging

Document imaging processing techniques are used to show scanned images, and also allow legibility enhancement for capture. Functions like "despeckling," which removes isolated pixels, or "adjustment," which straightens images from sheets that feed in at an angle, improve the results of recognition technologies. Document imaging functions are used in capture quality control.

Forms processing

In forms capture, there are two groups of technologies, although the information content and character of the documents may be identical.

Paper Forms
Forms Processing means the capture of industrially or individually printed forms via scanning. Recognition technologies are often used here, since well-designed forms enable largely automatic processing.
E-Forms / Web-Forms
Automatic processing can be used to capture electronic forms as long as the layout, structure, logic and contents are known to the capture system.

COLD

COLD/ERM are technologies for the automatic processing of structured entry data. Computer Output to Laser Disc (COLD systems were used to capture archive store and retrieve data such as accounting reports loan records inventories shipping and receiving documents COLD stands for Computer Output to Laser Disk and is still in use although laser disks have not been on the market for years. Computer Output to Laser Disc (COLD systems were used to capture archive store and retrieve data such as accounting reports loan records inventories shipping and receiving documents The acronym ERM here stands for Enterprise Report Management. In both, supplied output data is processed based on existing structure information in such a way that it can be indexed independently of the origination system, and transferred to a storage component that can be dynamic (Store) or an archive (Preserve).

Aggregation

Is a process of combining data entries from different creation, capture, and delivery applications. The goal is to combine and unify data from different sources, in order to pass them on to storage and processing systems with a uniform structure and format.

Components for subject indexing of captured information

Systems incorporate further components for subject indexing and getting captured digital information to the appropriate recipients. These include:

Indexing (manual)
In English parlance, indexing refers to the manual assignment of index attributes used in the database of a "manage" component for administration and access.
Input Designs (profiles)
Both automatic and manual attributing can be made easier and better with preset profiles. These can describe document classes that limit the number of possible index values, or automatically assign certain criteria. Input designs also include entry masks and their logic in manual indexing.
Categorization (automatic classification or categorizing)
Based on the information contained in electronic information objects, whether OCR-converted faxes, office files or output files, automatic classification programs can extract index, category, and transfer data autonomously. Categorization is the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated and understood. These systems can evaluate information based on predefined criteria or in a self-learning process.

The objective of all "Capture" components is the provision of information to the "Manage" components for further processing or archiving.

Manage

The Manage components are for the management, processing, and use of information. They incorporate:

The goal of a closed ECM system is to provide these two components just once as services for all "Manage" solutions such as Document Management, Collaboration, Web Content Management, Records Management and Workflow / Business Process Management. To link the various "Manage" components, they should have standardized interfaces and secure transaction processes for inter-component communication.

DM – Document Management

Document management in this context does not refer to the industry known in Europe as DMS, but to document management systems in the narrower "classical" sense. A document management system (DMS is a Computer system (or set of computer programs used to track and store Electronic documents and/or images of paper These systems control documents from their creation through to long-term archiving. Document management includes functions like:

However, the functions or Document Management increasingly overlap with those of the other "Manage" components, the ever-expanding functionalities of office applications like Outlook/Exchange or Notes/Domino, and the characteristics of "Library Services" for administering information storage.

Collaboration (collaborative systems, groupware)

Collaboration simply means "working together. Collaboration is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together toward an intersection of common goals — for example an intellectual " However, these solutions, which developed from conventional groupware, now go much further and include elements of Knowledge Management. Knowledge Management (KM Collaboration includes the following functions:

WCM – Web Content Management

Enterprise Content Management claims to integrate Web Content Management. A Web content management system (WCMS or Web CMS is Content management system (CMS software usually implemented as a Web application, for creating and managing However, information presented on the Internet and Extranet or on a portal should only be data that is already present in the company, whose delivery is controlled by access authorization and storage. Web Content Management includes the following functions, among others:

It is however worth noting that many in the industry do not consider WCM as an integral component to an ECM system. There are very few examples of successful implementations whereby a shared repository for documents (the core purpose of ECM) and web content are managed together. Indeed very different techniques and philosophies to structure and organize content are utilized for external facing web content than for internal facing document content.

RM – Records Management (file and archive management)

Unlike with traditional electronic archival systems, Records Management (RM; Electronic Records Management or ERM) refers to the pure administration of records, important information and data that companies are required to archive. Records management, or RM is the practice of identifying classifying archiving preserving and destroying records Records Management is independent of storage media, and can also manage information stored otherwise than in electronic systems. Among the functions of Records Management are:

Wf – Workflow / BPM – Business Process Management

Workflow and Business Process Management differ substantially. Records management, or RM is the practice of identifying classifying archiving preserving and destroying records A workflow is a depiction of a sequence of operations declared as work of a person work of a simple or complex mechanism work of a group of persons work of an organization of staff Business process management ( BPM) is a method of efficiently aligning an organization with the wants and needs of clients

There are different types of Workflow, for example:

Workflow solutions can be implemented as:

Workflow Management includes the following functions, among others:

The objective is to largely automate processes by incorporating all necessary resources.

BPM or Business Process Management goes a step further than Workflow. Although the words are often used interchangeably. BPM aims at the complete integration of all affected applications within an enterprise, with monitoring of processes and assembling of all required information. Among BPM's functions are:

Today, "Manage" components are offered individually or integrated as suites. In many cases they already include the "Store" components.

Store

"Store" components are used for the temporary storage of information which it is not required or desired to archive. Even if it uses media that are suitable for long-term archiving, "Store" is still separate from "Preserve. "

The "Store" components listed by AIIM can be divided into three categories: "Repositories" as storage locations, "Library Services" as administration components for repositories, and storage "Technologies. " These infrastructure components are sometimes held at the operating system level like the file system, and also include security technologies which will be discussed farther below in the "Deliver" section. However, security technologies including access control are superordinated components of an ECM solution.

Repositories

Different kinds of ECM repositories can be used in combination. A repository is a place where Data or specimens are stored and maintained for future retrieval Among the possible kinds are:

File Systems
File systems are used primarily for temporary storage, as input and output caches. In Computing, a file system (often also written as filesystem) is a method for storing and organizing Computer files and the data they contain to make The goal of ECM is to reduce the data burden on the file system and make the information generally available through "Manage," "Store" and "Preserve" technologies.
Content Management Systems
This is the actual storage and repository system for content, which can be a database or a specialized storage system. A content management system ( CMS) is a computer application used to create edit manage and publish content in a consistently organized fashion
Databases
Databases administer access information, but can also be used for the direct storage of documents, content, or media assets. A Computer Database is a structured collection of records or data that is stored in a computer system
Data Warehouses
These are complex storage systems based on databases, which reference or provide information from all kinds of sources. A data warehouse is a Repository of an organization's electronically stored data They can also be designed with more global functions such as Document or Information Warehouses.

Library Services

Library Services have to do with libraries only in a metaphorical way. A library is a collection of information sources resources and services and the structure in which it is housed it is organized for use and maintained by a public body an institution They are the administrative components close to the system that handle access to information. The Library Service is responsible for taking in and storing information from the Capture and Manage components. It also manages the storage locations in dynamic storage, the actual "Store," and in the long-term "Preserve" archive. The storage location is determined only by the characteristics and classification of the information. The Library Service works in concert with the database of the "Manage" components. This serves the necessary functions of

While the database does not "know" the physical location of a stored object, the Library Service manages the

If there is not a superordinated document management system to provide the functionality, the Library Service must have

An important Library Service function is the generation of logs and journals on information usage and edits, called an "audit trail. "

Storage technologies

A wide variety of technologies can be used to store information, depending on the application and system environment:

Read and Write Magnetic Online Media
This includes hard drives as RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) server drive subsystems, Storage Area Networks (SANs) as storage infrastructures and Network-attached storage (NAS) as directly accessible network storage areas. RAID — which stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks,or alternatively Redundant Array of Independent Disks (a less specific name and thus now the In Information technology, a storage area network ( SAN) is an architecture to attach remote computer storage devices (such as Disk arrays tape libraries Network-attached storage ( NAS) is file-level Computer data storage connected to a Computer network providing data access to heterogeneous network clients
Magnetic Tape
In automated storage units like "Libraries" or "Silos" with robotics for access, used like DAT in smaller environments for backup but not online access.
Digital Optical Media
CD (CD-R for write-once, read-only Compact Disk, CD/RW for read-and-write Compact Disk), Digital Versatile Disk (DVD)), MO (Magneto Optical), and other formats can be used for storage and distribution, or in jukeboxes for online storage. A Compact Disc (also known as a CD) is an Optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is

Preserve

The "Preserve" components of ECM handle the long-term, safe storage and backup of static, unchanging information, as well as temporary storage of information that it is not desired or required to archive. Digital preservation is the management of Digital information over time This is sometimes called "electronic archiving," but that has substantially broader functionality than that of "Preserve. " Electronic archiving systems today generally consist of a combination of administration software like Records Management, Imaging or Document Management, Library Services (IRS — Information Retrieval System) and storage subsystems.

But it is not just electronic media that are suitable for long-term archiving. For purely securing information, microfilm is still viable, and is now offered in hybrid systems with electronic media and database-supported access. The decisive factor for all long-term storage systems is the timely planning and regular performance of migrations, in order to keep information available in the changing technical landscape. This ongoing process is called Continuous Migration. The "Preserve" components contain special viewers, conversion and migration tools, and long term storage media:

Long term storage media

WORM optical disk
Write Once Read Many (WORM) rotating digital optical storage media, which include the classic 5 ¼" in or 3 ½" WORM disc in protective sleeve, as well as CD-R and DVD-R. Write Once Read Many (alternatively Write One Read Multiple or Write Once Read Mostly or WORM) refers to Computer data storage systems Recording methods vary for these media, which are held in jukeboxes for online and automated nearline access.
WORM tape
Magnetic tapes with WORM characteristics are used in special drives, that can be as secure as a traditional WORM medium if used properly with specially secured tapes. Magnetic tape is a medium for Magnetic recording generally consisting of a thin magnetizable coating on a long and narrow strip of Plastic.
WORM hard disk
Magnetic disk storage with special software protection against overwriting, erasure, and editing, delivers similar security like a traditional WORM medium. A hard disk drive ( HDD) commonly referred to as a hard drive, hard disk, or fixed disk drive, is a Non-volatile storage device An example is CAS Content Addressed Storage.
Storage networks
Storage networks like NAS Network Attached Storage and SAN Storage Area Networks can also be used if they meet the requirements of edit-proof auditing acceptability with unchangeable storage, protection against manipulation and erasure, etc. Network-attached storage ( NAS) is file-level Computer data storage connected to a Computer network providing data access to heterogeneous network clients In Information technology, a storage area network ( SAN) is an architecture to attach remote computer storage devices (such as Disk arrays tape libraries
Microfilm
Microforms like microfilm, aperture cards, jackets a. Microforms are any form either films or paper containing microreproductions of documents for transmission storage reading and printing s. o. can be used to back up information that is no longer in use and does not require machine processing.
Paper
Paper still has applications as a long-term storage medium, since it does not require migration, and can be read without any technical aids. However, like microfilm it is used only to double secure originally electronic information.

Long term preservation strategies

To secure the long term availability of information different strategies are used for electronic archives. Digital preservation is the management of Digital information over time

Migration
Continuous migration of applications, index data, meta data and objects from older systems to new ones generates a lot of work but secures the accessibility and usability of information, and allows during this process the deletion of information which is no longer relevant. Conversion technologies are used to update the formats of the stored information.
Emulation
Emulation of older software allows us to run and access the original data and objects. As well as special viewer software which can identify the formats of the preserved objects and can display the objects in the new software environment.

Standards for interfaces, meta data, data structures and object formats are important to secure the availability of information.

Deliver

The "Deliver" components of ECM are used to present information from the "Manage," "Store," and "Preserve" components. They also contain functions used to enter information in systems (such as information transfer to media or generation of formatted output files) or for readying (for example converting or compressing) information for the "Store" and "Preserve" components. Since the AIIM component model is function-based and not to be regarded as an architecture, we can assign these and other components here. The functionality in the "Deliver" category is also known as "output" and summarized under the term "Output Management. "

The "Deliver" components comprise three groups of functions and media: Transformation Technologies, Security Technologies, and Distribution. Trans¬formation and Security as services belong at the middleware level and should be available to all ECM components equally. For Output two functions are of primary importance:

Layout/Design
With tools for laying out and formatting output, and
Publishing
With Applications for presenting Information for distribution and publication. Electronic publishing includes the digital publication of E-books and Electronic articles and the development of digital libraries and catalogues

Transformation technologies

Transformations should always be controlled and trackable. This is done by background services which the end user generally does not see. Among the transformation technologies are:

COLD / ERM (Computer Output to Laser Disc)
As distinct from "Capture" components, it prepares output data for distribution and transfer to the archive. Computer Output to Laser Disc (COLD systems were used to capture archive store and retrieve data such as accounting reports loan records inventories shipping and receiving documents Typical applications are lists and formatted output, for example individualized customer letters. These technologies also include journals and logs generated by the ECM components. Unlike most imaging media COLD records are indexed not in a database table but by absolute positions within the document itself (i. Computer Output to Laser Disc (COLD systems were used to capture archive store and retrieve data such as accounting reports loan records inventories shipping and receiving documents e. page 1 line 82, position 12). As a result COLD index fields are uneditable after submission unless they are converted into a standard database. Computer Output to Laser Disc (COLD systems were used to capture archive store and retrieve data such as accounting reports loan records inventories shipping and receiving documents
Personalization
This is no longer just a function of web-based portals, but applies to all ECM components. Personalization gives the user just those functions and information that he needs.
XML (Extensible Markup Language)
A description language that allows description of interfaces, structures, metadata, and documents. Don't change "Extensible" XML is becoming the universal technology for describing information.
PDF (Portable Document Format)
An intelligent print and distribution format that enables the platform-independent presentation of information. Unlike pure image formats like TIFFs, PDFs permit content searches, the addition of metadata, and the embedding of electronic signatures.
XPS (XML Paper Specification)
A XML specification developed by Microsoft describing the formats and rules for distributing, archiving, rendering, and processing XPS documents. The XML Paper Specification ( XPS) formerly codenamed " Metro " is a specification for a Page description language and a fixed-document format
Converters and Viewers
Serve to reformat information to generate uniform formats, and also to display and output information from different formats.
Compression
Used to reduce the storage space needed for pictorial information. The ITU process (CCITT) is mainly used for b/w for TIFFs, and JPEG2000 for color images. ZIP applications allow the compression of any kind of data for transfer.
Syndication
Used for presenting content in different formats, selections and forms in the context of Content Management. Syndication allows the same content to be used multiple times in different forms for different purposes. Web syndication is a form of syndication in which Website material is made available to multiple other sites

Security Technologies

Security technologies are cross-section functions that are available to all ECM components. For example, electronic signatures are used not only when documents are sent, but also in data capture via scanning, in order to document the completeness of the capture. PKI (Public/Private Key Infrastructure) is a basic technology for electronic signatures. In Cryptography, a public key infrastructure ( PKI) is an arrangement that binds Public keys with respective user identities by means of a Certificate It manages keys and certificates, and checks the authenticity of signatures. Other electronic signatures demonstrate the identity of the sender and the integrity of the sent data, i. e. that it is complete and unchanged. In Europe there are three forms of electronic signatures, of different quality and security: simple, advanced, and qualified. In most European states the qualified electronic signature is legally admissible in legal documents and contracts. Finally, there is Digital Rights Management and Watermarking. Digital rights management ( DRM) is a generic term that refers to Access control technologies used by hardware manufacturers publishers and Copyright holders A watermark is a recognizable image or pattern in Paper that shows in various shades of lightness/darkness when viewed by transmitted light (or when viewed by reflected This is used in Content Syndication and in MAM (Media Asset Management) for managing and securing intellectual property rights and copyrights. It works with techniques like electronic watermarks that are integrated directly into the file, and seeks to protect usage rights and protect content that is published on the Internet.

Distribution

All of the above technologies basically serve to provide the various contents of an ECM to target users by various routes, in a controlled and user-oriented manner. These can be active components such as e-mail, data media, memos, and passive publication on websites and portals where users can get the information themselves. Possible output and distribution media are:

The task of the various "Deliver" components is to provide information to users in the best way for the given application, while controlling its use as far as possible. The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks An extranet is a private network that uses Internet protocols network connectivity and possibly the public telecommunication system to securely share part of An intranet is a private computer network that uses Internet protocols and network connectivity to securely share any part of an organization's information or operational Electronic Business, commonly referred to as " eBusiness " or " e-Business " may be defined as the utilisation of information and communication Electronic mail, often abbreviated to e-mail, email, or originally eMail, is a Store-and-forward method of writing sending receiving Electronic Data Interchange ( EDI) refers to the structured transmission of data between organizations by electronic means Don't change "Extensible" Digital television (DTV is the sending and receiving of moving images and sound by discrete ( digital) signals in contrast to the analog signals used by Multimedia is media and content that utilizes a combination of different content forms. Paper is thin material mainly used for writing upon printing upon or packaging

Outlook

The former member of the board of directors of AIIM international, Ulrich Kampffmeyer, states in his whitepaper on ECM in 2004[10]:

"Document technologies like Enterprise Content Management make traditional data processing complete. The Association for Information and Image Management or AIIM (pronounced aim) is an international industry association focused on Enterprise content management They bring together structured, weakly structured, and unstructured information. Every company, every government agency, and every organization must confront the subject. Even if there are no immediate plans to implement such a system, it sneaks into the organization of its own accord – with the next server licence update, with the next office software suite, with the next database or ERP upgrade. In many companies with heterogeneous IT landscapes, the question of which redundant functionalities of existing products are unused is already more important than whether to invest in a new software system. The most important job is to keep in-house information under control. The questions add up: where to put the thousands and thousands of e-mails, what to do with the electronically signed business correspondence, where to put taxation-relevant data, how to transfer information from the disorganized file system, how to consolidate information in a repository that everybody can use, how to get a single login for all the systems, how to create a uniform in-basket for all incoming information, how to make sure that no information is lost or ignored, etc. etc. Document technologies play an important role in all these questions. ECM solutions are necessary basic components for many applications.

Every potential user will naturally consider his own individual needs before deciding on a system. However, putting off decisions does not make them less necessary. Every year something supposedly better and easier to use will come along, but waiting will just mean never installing anything. Every time the decision is put off, the mountain of uncontrolled and unused information gets bigger, and known problems get larger. A sensible long-term migration strategy removes the fear of fast technology change. The basic functions of document technology are mature, and most products are reliable, stable, secure, and increasingly affordable. In many industries, the use of document technology makes the difference in staying competitive. ECM — Enterprise Content Management — should be a part of every modern IT infrastructure. "[11]

ECM market development

In 2006 the consolidation process of the ECM market lead to the acquisitions of Hummingbird by Open Text, Captiva by EMC, FileNet by IBM and Stellent by Oracle Corporation. Open Text Corporation () is a Canadian high-tech company based in Waterloo Ontario, Canada. Stellent, based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was a software development company which provided Content management systems Stellent's main content management Oracle Corporation ( specializes in developing and marketing Enterprise software products — particularly Database management systems In 2007 Oracle ranked New competitors in the ECM market place are Oracle, Microsoft and Pitney Bowes Group 1 Software. Oracle Corporation ( specializes in developing and marketing Enterprise software products — particularly Database management systems In 2007 Oracle ranked Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer Other ECM vendors include ImageRight, Invu, Hyland Software, TOWER Software, WAVE Corporation, Objective Corporation, Vignette, Interwoven, Xerox, Saperion, ColumbiaSoft and a bevy of smaller players targeting low-cost document and records management. Hyland Software Inc is the developer of the Enterprise content management ( ECM) software suite called OnBase TOWER Software is a Software development company founded in 1985 in Canberra, Australia. Objective Corporation (ASX OCL is a Global provider of Enterprise Content Management (ECM solutions Interwoven, Inc is an Enterprise software company headquartered in San Jose California, USA and founded in 1995 Xerox Corporation ( (name ˈziːrɒks is a global document management company which manufactures and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction Founded in 1985 in Berlin Germany, SAPERION AG has been developing software solutions for Enterprise Content Management (ECM systems that brings ColumbiaSoft is a manufacturer of software for Document management, Scanning, and Paperless office solutions Ever-Team, SunGard EXP, and Xythos Software have been added in the Magic Quadrant for ECM 2006. [12]

In early 2007, independent analyst firm CMS Watch cited substantial turbulence among many ECM vendors, suggesting that even some of the biggest players in the market were undergoing significant changes. In addition 2007 has seen the emergence of Open Source options for ECM supplied by Nuxeo, Knowledge Tree and Alfresco, along with SaaS (software as a service) from Spring CM [13] [14].

According to Gartner, as of 2007[15], the ECM market leaders were Open Text Corporation, EMC (Documentum), IBM and Oracle Corporation. Open Text Corporation () is a Canadian high-tech company based in Waterloo Ontario, Canada. Documentum is an Enterprise content management platform now delivered by EMC Corporation, as well as the name of the software company that originally developed the International Business Machines Corporation abbreviated IBM and nicknamed "Big Blue", is a multinational Computer Technology Oracle Corporation ( specializes in developing and marketing Enterprise software products — particularly Database management systems In 2007 Oracle ranked

The Web 2.0 wave has brought new players to the market with strength in web-based delivery. Web 20 is a term describing changing trends in the use of World Wide Web technology and Web design that aims to enhance Creativity, secure Koral and EchoSign, both available on the Salesforce.com AppExchange platform, are representative of this trend[16]. Koral was a Web 20 Enterprise content management service provider EchoSign is a Web 20 electronic signature and Enterprise content management system with specific focus on the document management and verification life-cycle Salesforcecom ( is a vendor of Customer Relationship Management (CRM solutions which it delivers using the Software as a service model

Gartner, estimates that the ECM market is worth approximately $2. Gartner, Inc ( is an information technology research and advisory firm headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. 9 billion in 2007; this is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12. Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR is a business and investing specific term for the geometric mean growth rate on an annualized basis 9% through 2011. After a plethora of industry consolidation, only three or four major companies are left in this space, and the industry as a whole is undergoing a significant transformation as Microsoft commoditizes content management components. [17].

According to Gartner, by 2008, 75 percent of Global 2000 companies will have a desktop-focused and a process-focused content management implementation (0. 9 probability) and ECM will continue to absorb other technologies, such as digital asset management and e-mail management. Gartner also predicted that there will be further market consolidation, acquisition and separation of vendors into platform and solution providers.

Currently, Enterprise information management is taking a growing interest from organizations who are trying to approach Information Management (whether structured or unstructured) from an Enterprise perspective. Enterprise Information Management is a particular field of interest in the Information Technology and Management Consultancy area EIM combines ECM and Business Intelligence.

References

  1. ^ Definition What is ECM?
  2. ^ History: of the development and changes of the definition of ECM Enterprise Content Management by the association AIIM international.
  3. ^ AIIM: current ECM Definition.
  4. ^ Microsoft launched it's ECM strategy with MOSS 2007, Oracle with 10g and the acquisition of Stellent, both late 2006.
  5. ^ Evolving Electronic Document Management Solutions: The Doculabs Report, Third Edition. Chicago: Doculabs, 2002.
  6. ^ Ulrich Kampffmeyer, "ECM — Herrscher über Informationen". ComputerWoche, CW-exktraKT, Munich, September 24th, 2001.
  7. ^ Kampffmeyer, 2001, p. 34.
  8. ^ Trends in Records, Document and Enterprise Content Management. Whitepaper. S. E. R. conference, Visegrád, September 28th, 2004 PDF original source of this Wikipedia article by the German consulting company Project Consult Unternehmensberatung
  9. ^ ECM Enterprise Content Management, Ulrich Kampffmeyer. Hamburg 2006, ISBN 978-3-936534-09-8 (English, French, German)
  10. ^ Ulrich Kampffmeyer, "Trends in Records, Document and Enterprise Content Management". Whitepaper. S. E. R. conference, Visegrád, September 28th, 2004.
  11. ^ Kampffmeyer, 2004, p. 20.
  12. ^ ECM Gartner Magic Quadrant Report — published on 11th October 2006.
  13. ^ Alan Pelz-Sharpe (2007-04-23). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Enterprise Content Management Marketplace: Opportunities and Risks. CMS Watch.
  14. ^ Open Source ECM continues to grow
  15. ^ Gartner “Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Content Management” 2007 — published on 21st September 2007.
  16. ^ Ismael Ghalimi (2007-04-10). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama First Koral, then ThinkFree and EchoSign. ITRedux.
  17. ^ Gartner “Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Content Management” October 2007

See also

External links

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