IBM Rolls Out Enhanced Content Management Suite

IBM today unveiled a new suite of management software that brings together enhanced versions of its DB2 content management offerings that uses Web services to provide a single view of information across diverse repositories.

The company also added new industry-specific content management packages for the banking and life sciences industries to help customers meet regulatory compliance demands.

The new software leverages the technology developed as part of IBM's Project Cinnamon, an effort to improve the speed and efficiency with which XML documents are processed. The technology includes automated indexing and searching capabilities, better control over structured and unstructured data repositories, according to IBM.

The new portfolio includes IBM DB2 Content Manager 8.3, IBM DB2 Document Manager 8.3, and IBM DB2 CommonStore 8.3

The new version of IBM DB2 Content Manager features document routing that integrates with workflow capabilities to make business processes more efficient. Version 8.3 automates the capture and management of XML documents in a common repository. Automated records control is achieved through integration with IBM's compliance tool, DB2 Records Manager. This integration helps ensure automatic, consistent and accurate records declaration and classification across all forms of business content, according to IBM

Other DB2 Content Manager enhancements include expanded integration with Web Services including support for Microsoft .NET environments and new rich media streaming technology.

IBM DB2 Document Manager 8.3, offers integration with IBM DB2 Records Manager 4.1.1 for automated document lifecycle management. Other enhancements include expanded language support and new security measures through single sign-on capabilities between Content Manager and Document Manager. The software supports government and corporate industry standards. Document Manager 8.3 is also integrated with standard office and CAD applications, enabling end users to simply save documents as corporate records.

For message and e-mail archiving and retention, IBM DB2 CommonStore 8.3, is also integrated with DB2 Records Manager, allowing users to save e-mail messages and attachments as records, either manually or automatically. IBM DB2 CommonStore 8.3 also manages, retains and disposes of messaging system content to help comply with regulatory, legal and corporate policy requirements.

Db2 CommonStore 8.3 offers improved full text indexing, full text searching and retrieval capabilities to provide access to all content, message body and attachments from either native client interfaces or archive repository interfaces. Single instance archiving ensures that only one copy of a document is kept in the archive, regardless of how many times the same document was archived by different users.

The new portfolio will be available March 25, 2005, according to IBM.