dexter duncan's Profile

The term "enterprise content management" covers the vision and framework that enterprises have for integrating a broad range of content management technologies and content formats. ECM can help enterprises take control of their content and, in so doing, boost productivity, encourage collaboration and make information easier to share. ECM suites consist of applications that interoperate, but that can be sold and used separately. Some vendors have added extended technology components, such as digital asset management (DAM) for handling rich media, electronic forms and document composition for high-volume generation of customized documents. Gartner defines today's ECM suites as encompassing the following core components:

• Document management for check-in/check-out, version control, security and library services for business documents.
• Document imaging for capturing, transforming and managing images of paper documents.
• Records management for long-term archiving, automation of retention and compliance policies, and ensuring legal, regulatory and industry compliance.
• Workflow for supporting business processes, routing content, assigning work tasks and states, and creating audit trails.
• Web content management for controlling the content of a Web site through the use of specific management tools based on a core repository. It includes content creation functions, such as templating, workflow and change management, and content deployment functions that deliver prepackaged or on-demand content to Web servers.
• Document-centric collaboration for document sharing and supporting project teams.