ACOM Rolls Out Content Management

Published: April 4, 2006

by Dan Burger

Four-drawer filing cabinets are not content management. Although not quite obsolete, the era of the file cabinet is in rapid decline. Document automation has all but replaced paper-based documentation and storage. It's not difficult to see why. Content management has evolved into a reliable, speedy, and easy-to-use technology and digital data has led to dramatic increases in efficiency. It's also created a boom in content management software, which brings us to the latest offering from ACOM Solutions.

ACOM has developed and marketed electronic document management products for AS/400 and iSeries users for many years. Its EZContentManager, announced last week at the COMMON Spring 2006 IT Education Conference and Expo, fits into a category of products that manage business documents that includes checks, purchase orders, invoices, and forms of virtually all descriptions.

To be effective, a content management system must manage documents and files originating in unrelated applications and make them accessible to a geographically dispersed staff. It can do this with a combination of printed and electronic methods that meet the demands of the end users. And like any content management system, its goal is to preserve organizational knowledge while increasing productivity. The productivity achievements by and large come from making information available in a timely fashion.

At the top of most priority lists is ease of use. Steep learning curves and complex installations can put new customers in a bad mood and can put a software company out of business. It clearly affects productivity. ACOM designed its content management system with a browser-based framework that appears to be easy to use at both the introductory and advanced levels. Navigation of the content repository, searching for information, and completing business transactions through e-mail or fax through the browser interface seems intuitive and speedy.

Security is another priority for purchasers of content management systems. Every organization has data that has to be protected. In this regard, ACOM has incorporated encrypted passwords, SSL encryption via the users' Website Certificate, non-repudiation using individually assigned certificates, audit logs, and variable levels of access control. Whether a high level of security is required due to one of the regulatory compliance issues or because it is deemed important by chain of command, a content management system needs to be secure.

Loading information into the system is referred to by the creatively descriptive term: data capture. Rounding up data isn't particularly thrilling, but the job goes much easier with the right tools and skills. One of the convenient and efficient features built into EZContentManager is the capability to upload electronic files and place them into the repository while associating metadata and index fields to the source files.

By utilizing ACOM's scan utility and workstation, paper documents can be scanned individually or in batch mode with metadata or full-text OCR options mapped to metadata and index fields. How the data is captured and indexed has a bearing on how easily it is later retrieved. The workstation also includes a barcode recognition feature.

On the distribution side, files can be printed, e-mailed, or faxed.

Electronic files are stored in a common repository. The EZContentManagement system stores files in their native format, which reduces redundancy. ACOM also designed the system so managed files are accessible through a check-out and versioning process that is designed to prevent overwrites, however, all files remain indexed and managed throughout the life of the individual file.

Search tools play an important role in accessing and retrieving files. In this system there's a full-text search interface, and searches can also be performed by metafile fields or indices. Users performing frequent searches can configure filters that help in finding specific data.

It is also possible to customize archive and retention schedules for selected files and folders, facilitating regulatory compliance.

EZContentManager is a companion product suite to ACOM's EZPayManager and EZeDocs product suites. It accepts the product files (documents or checks) the other products generate, stores them, and makes them accessible for viewing, modification, or distribution. Additional repositories can be set up for individual departments or divisions that can benefit by organizing documents according to business function.

Another convenient feature allows users to subscribe to folders that are set up relative to particular interests. Whenever files in those folders are modified or accessed, the subscriber receives automatic notification. The notifications allow side-by-side comparisons with updates highlighted for easier readability.

If necessary to comply with regulatory standards, system audit reports can trace every event or operation to its point of origin. And to insure accountability digital signatures can be used in conjunction with processing documents.

EZContentManager requires Windows 2000, 2003 Standard/Enterprise Server or Windows 2003 Web Edition Server; Microsoft SQL 2000 Server Standard/Enterprise Server. If Windows 2003 Web Edition Server is the hosting environment, MS SQL Server must be installed on a separate server.

The hosting server minimum requirements are a Pentium IV 2 GHz, but a Dual Xeon 3.0 GHz or greater is recommended. A minimum of 512 MB of RAM gets things started, but 2GB or greater is recommended. The hard disk should have 2 GB or greater for program files and an additional 500 MB of data storage space for each 1,000 documents archived.

A Pentium 550 MHz processor is the minimum power for the SQL Server, but a Xeon 3.0 GHz or greater is recommended. Minimum RAM is 256 MB, with 1 GB or greater preferred. The hard disk recommendation is 2 GB or greater, but 250 MB of space can get things up and going.