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Open Text Beefs Up Content Services

Open Text, one of the leaders in the enterprise content management space, recently unveiled three new products as part of its Open Text Content Services that seeks to unify people, processes, and content in large organizations. The three new services are called Open Text Enterprise Connect, Open Text Enterprise Process Services, and Open Text Enterprise Library Services. I'll attempt to simplify what each component does and how they fit together.

Open Text has been a major ECM player for years with its LiveLink - eDOCS content management system. The introduction of Open Text Content Services brings forth a framework to manage and unify content on three levels: on the desktop, within business processes, and archival and records management. Each of the three new products addresses one of these key areas.

Open Text Enterprise Connect

Enterprise Connect handles the "on the desktop" portion of the three-pronged framework described above. Its goal is to simplify user experience by aggregating different types of business content and delivering it to users on their individual desktops in the formats they are most familiar. Using single-sign on, users can access multiple document repositories through a universal interface that mirrors that users' preferred interface (Microsoft Office, browser technology, etc.).

Using wizards, users can create customizable views of the information they need most. By assigning roles to these views, others within the organization can also access up-to-date views of the same information that is common to their business areas of responsibility.

Open Text Enterprise Process Services

This component handles the "within business processes" portion of the Content Services' framework. Enterprise Process Services allows users to define processes and workflows to allow for content integration between different departments.

Enterprise Process Services is offered as a shared service which allows it to be used by existing major enterprise systems (SAP, SharePoint, other Open Text Products, etc.) using rapid user-interface development tools. This means you can develop processes around any existing LiveLink ECM - eDOCS or other application content allowing for greater flexibility and refinement of automated workflows.

Open Text Enterprise Library Services

Metadata, archival, and records management is a challenge, especially in large organizations. Enterprise Library Services provides a framework to meet these challenges. Enterprise Library Services establishes a foundational repository for all content across the enterprise regardless of in what system the content was created or resides.

Enforcing a single set of policies across the enterprise enhances compliance and reduces the costs associated with inconsistent or multiple retention processes. It utilizes US Department of Defense 5015.2-STD compliant records management capabilities and allows companies to define lifecycles and related processes for content from its inception to disposition.

Search and retrieval capabilities are packaged within Enterprise Library Services to help users locate information across multiple repositories.

Since the theme of these products is to unify and simplify, I certainly hope Open Text does so in a way the press releases and product information online does not. I found it fairly ironic that something meant to simplify is described in hard-to-wrap-your-head-around language. To read the complete details and get more information, visit their web site.

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