SaaS ECM

Everybody is talking about how to use cloud computing to do more, spend less and bring more zenful moments to your IT department.  But how do the economics of Software as a Service (SaaS) work when compared to traditional deployed software?Yes, there are the obvious points (no servers, wee!). But there are also more subtle bits to the equation.If this is your cup-o-tea, join in this Thursday at 1pm Eastern time for a complimentary one-hour live webinar. The host will be Dan Carmel, a respected content management authority.

SpringCM Inc., the leader in on-demand document management and workflow solutions, recently announced the immediate availability of the newest version of its SaaS-based enterprise content management platform. The new release contains 36 new features and enhancements designed to improve management visibility into content processes and the packaging and delivery of SpringCM based applications by partners. Major new features introduced in this release of the SpringCM platform include: Custom Dashboards – This feature adds new graphical reporting capabilities and enables SpringCM users to configure the SpringCM dashboard contents and layout to match the needs of a specific application. Any SpringCM custom report may now be displayed as part of a dashboard and users may choose from several different layout options for how these reports are displayed on the page. Together these enhancements provide new real-time insights into content processes and the status of individual or group metrics.

Many industries face management challenges when it comes to regulatory issues. From the financial sector to the pharmaceutical, figuring out how to best manage, store and archive content while meeting compliance mandates is often a complex process. Thanks to Virtify, a leader in enterprise content management solutions for life sciences companies, things are getting easier. Today they've announced the release of an end-to-end web based solution aimed at managing content and compliance requirements for all facets of the life science industries.

Alfresco is one of the most well known open source enterprise content management providers. With over 1.4 million downloads of their solution already and a number of marque clients for the Alfresco Enterprise, they should be happy to continue business as usual.But, as usual, they aren't. This week they have announced a partnership with ParaScale, a cloud storage software provider, to offer Alfresco "Content as a Service". The ParaScale PlatformIn enterprise deployments of ECM solutions, the traditional model is separate hardware for front-end and back-end (multiple this model based on usage requirements). It's the model that Alfresco would typically recommend to its clients.

Earlier this week, I blogged about ECM and Open Source -- and the different landscapes buyers will encounter in the Enterprise Content Management marketplace versus the Web Content Management marketplace. I think there's a similar paradigm when it comes to SaaS (Software as a Service). For web content management, there are a plethora of choices including the most significant players that we evaluate in our Web CMS research: CrownPeak, Clickability, and OmniUpdate.

SpringCM announced that it has launched the first connectivity solution between its software-as-a-service (SaaS) ECM platform and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (MOSS 2007). The SpringCM Cloud Connector for SharePoint is said to enable quick, simple integration between the portal and collaborative capabilities of SharePoint and the rich content management capabilities of SpringCM.SpringCM says the Cloud Connectors for SharePoint enhance SharePoint capabilities in two ways:Application developers and companies using SharePoint now can easily extend SharePoint’s native capabilities with a single integrated set of ECM functionality spanning: scanning and image capture; comprehensive business process management (BPM); optical character recognition (OCR); integrated fax, view and markup; and records management and e-signature.

Want more signs that SaaS is becoming a must-have solution in these troubled times? You have to look no further than SpringCM to get them. Last October, it beefed up its SaaS-based enterprise content management system with Version 4.5 and then again, in March of this year, with Version 5.1, adding a number of new features and enhancements. Now, to add muscle to that, SpringCM has announced five new industry-specific applications available on its platform — three of them from entirely new partners and two more from existing partners.

They were named a Hot Company to Watch by Forrester Research; KMWorld plugged them into their Top 100 list for the third consecutive year; they’ve taken Software as a Service (SaaS) to all new heights. No doubt, SpringCM is flyin’ high.But let’s call them back down to the ground for a second so we can review their 5.1 release. Accompanying the updated platform are new Departmental Solutions that may strike your fancy as well. Collaborate, Automate, WinAfter taking user feedback into serious consideration, the SpringCM 5.1 team has released a version that focuses heavily on collaboration between SprimgCM customers, partners and their product team.

The title of this article says it all, doesn't it? The folks over at SpringCM are probably jumping up and down right now, since they've just been considered a very promising company by Forrester Research.  SpringCM: The 'Next Big Thing'?The report, which was actually released on December 19, 2008, highlights promising new vendors and important technology trends that represent the predicted "next big thing." Companies are selected for inclusion based on comparative technological advantage, ease of implementation and size of their potential market.

Here’s a song you’re probably familiar with: What do companies need? To save money. What else do they need? To increase efficiency. How these things are usually achieved? Through collaboration. We sing it here at CMSWire on almost a daily basis, and the latest to join in on our tune are Enterprise CMS provider SpringCM and Kodak. The two companies are now working together to provide a SaaS platform that enables rapid digitization and remote, subscription-based access to information. Through both faster processing time and lower ownership costs, an increase in productivity for less money is surely on the horizon.

The diversified office automation equipment and electronics provider, Ricoh Americus Corporation, recently announced the internal deployment of their document storage and management SaaS solution — DocumentMall for Salesforce.com. Salesforce.com is a well-known service for on-demand customer relationship management (CRM). Companies that depend on Salesforce.com to manage their sales, marketing, customer service and other critical functions include Corporate Express, SunTrust Banks and Kaiser Permanente.

SaaS is gaining a lot of ground among companies looking for lower-cost ways to deploy and manage a variety of business applications.Vendors explain why deploying ECM (enterprise content management) through SaaS (Software as a Service) may be right for your company. Submitted by Integrated Solutions Magazine

This report reviews the challenges of marrying document management with process automation and illustrates the importance of a document-centric process automation (DCPA) approach. It also explains how BPM and ECM can be delivered using a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model to deliver high efficiency at low cost and minimal risk.Submitted by SpringCM