IBM ships Linux-based content manager

On the eve of the one-year anniversary of its Express line of server-based applications, IBM on Monday said it is shipping a Linux-based version of Content Manager Express to beta testers and also touted plans to deliver the product on its iSeries platform shortly, with both the Linux and iSeries versions intended for midsize companies.

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Company officials claim the beta delivery of Content Manager Express marks the first Linux-based offering for content management sculpted specifically for the midsize markets. They believe the offering will give cash-strapped IT shops a way to adopt a much lower cost solution for managing lots of unstructured data.

"We think these [new versions] will help midsize companies to get better control of their unstructured information like scanned images, e-mails, documents, video, audio, and Web-based content. Something like 85 percent of users’ information out there is unstructured," said Judith Tracy, senior marketing manager for IBM's DB2 Content Management group.

Through its own investigation IBM officials say that its users typically spend one third of their time looking for information and/or recreating information that already exists.

"So you can imagine the cost savings they can reap just by getting better control of this information," Tracy said.

Also on Monday, IBM announced it has now signed up more than 500 business partners and resellers to distribute the various versions of its Content Manager series. The company also announced that The Australian Performing Rights Association (APRA) has installed DB2 Content Manager Express to take care of its e-mail archiving. The system is being put into place to eliminate various e-mail quota issues.

“Being involved in music copyright can lead to large attachments and mail files. Content Manager Express has helped us to totally transform our burgeoning e-mail infrastructure. We are better able to represent the more than 30,000 writers and publishers and composers that we represent worldwide," said Gus Jansen, the CIO of APRA.

Another user that has recently deployed Content Manager Express is Clayton Homes, according to IBM. Company officials said they deployed Content Manager Express as an electronic repository that has resulted in faster and more reliable archiving. They said the product has saved them more than $200,000.

The finished Linux-based version of Content Manager Express will be available by year's end with the version for OS/400 available this month.