IBM offers content management for SMBs

December 12, 2005 —

IBM Corp. is responding to demands from smaller enterprises for low-cost, ready-to-go software with a new content management offering packaged on its eServer iSeries systems, the company announced Monday.

The software, called DB2 Content Manager Standard Edition 8.3, is designed to allow small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) to make better use of important business information that might be spread across numerous and diverse applications and business processes, IBM said Monday.

The software is essentially a lower-priced version of IBM's DB2 Content Manager software, which is aimed at larger businesses.

The software lets users manage and share digitized content across the enterprise. It includes search functions, document process management and multiple view options, allowing content such as scanned images, forms and documents to be off-loaded from workstations and then stored and managed in a central repository.

Other features include a graphical workflow builder, which allows users to create and maintain their own workflows to define and automate tasks such as document creation, approval and archiving; and Web services support, enabling many types of data to be captured, managed and retrieved within a services-oriented architecture.

Automation of the capture and management of XML (Extensible Markup Language) documents is enabled in a common content repository, while an XML schema mapping utility automates and controls mapping of XML schemas.

IBM is suggesting a U.S. retail price of US$6,900 for the product. Its iSeries servers come with middleware, storage and security components.

IDG News Service