Integrating Content Across the Enterprise: An Introduction to ASG-Total Content Integrator (ASG-TCI)

Integrating Content Across the Enterprise
A WHITE PAPER
An Introduction to ASG-Total Content IntegratorT (ASG-TCIT)Integrating Content Across the Enterprise
The understanding that an organization's content is maintained by the enterprise. It also simplifies the environment a critical competitive asset is universally accepted. for users, who need to learn and log on to only one system to However, the scope of what comprises that con- retrieve the content they need.
tent has expanded dramatically. Content is created But converting content from legacy content management systems may be time consuming and/or impractical, placing and resides in a wide variety of sources, including the ultimate objective of consolidated content beyond reach. e-mail, transaction records, images, photographs, The alternative is a solution that provides a consolidated view of audio and video files, Web pages, Wikis, and blogs. content from multiple, disparate repositories, utilizing an open Content also includes spreadsheets, documents, architecture based on standard Web services to ensure interop-and presentations generated by individuals at their erability across applications and computing platforms. This desktops. For most organizations, statements, bills, approach not only improves productivity by putting all content at users' fingertips but also dramatically reduces the costs of checks, invoices, and high-volume reports gener- desktop software by eliminating the need for multiple, propri-ated by business applications are critical content. etary viewers to different content repositories. A robust content Research shows that this content is growing by as integration solution seamlessly and efficiently makes content much as 200% per year, and the risks of not man- available to users and delivers content to business applica-aging it effectively are growing even faster. tions across an organization. The resulting benefits are striking: reduced IT integration and maintenance costs; enhanced cus-tomer service; and accelerated decision making, time to market, The Content Integration Challenge and revenue growth.Compliance is not simply an information technology problem. This paper examines the business and technical challenges Information systems and the explosive growth of enterprise of integrating disparate enterprise content and introduces content contribute significantly to corporate exposure and risk. ASG-Total Content Integrator (ASG-TCI), a full-featured solution Courts are slapping companies with multi-million- dollar fines for for accessing content from multiple sources.not producing content in response to compliance investigations. The threat posed by noncompliance is a powerful impetus for executives to pay attention to what is kept, for how long, where it Content Integration to the Rescueis kept, and who has access to it. Ensuring the integrity, reliability, There are two fundamental ways to integrate content. The first and long-term availability of corporate records and content- approach uses a single, integrated content repository. The sec-including e-mail--is no longer optional. ond provides a federated and consolidated view of content from But where is all of this content that is so critical to an organiza- multiple, disparate repositories. The best method for a given tion? The rising tide of enterprise content is scattered across the organization depends on the number of repositories currently in globe in disparate repositories, on different platforms, and in use, the willingness to undertake conversions, and the impor-many different formats. In a recent survey, 43% of companies tance of speed in solution deployment.had more than five repositories, and 25% had more than 15. This situation is a result of mergers and acquisitions, the deployment The Integrated Repository of departmental solutions, and the development of home-grown An integrated repository must be scalable, secure, and search-applications. able, but most importantly, it must process a wide variety of Driven by the need to reduce costs and by increasingly demand- content types, including:ing requirements for regulatory and legal compliance, the enter- . Mission- and operations-critical documents produced by prise content management (ECM) landscape is changing, with enterprise applications, including accounting systems, many organizations seeking integrated solutions for all content, billing systems, inventory and... [download for more]