As you may have noticed, I have talked a lot over the years about what Enterprise Content Management is and where it is going.  During that process, there have been several posts that have built on each other and a gradually evolving definition.  I have found it increasingly difficult to remember where my latest post was called, much less all the preceding posts.

As a result, I am creating this page as a launching point to past posts and to host the my current definition of important Content Management terms, primarily Enterprise Content Management.  All I ask if that if you want to debate the definition is to dive into the most recent post on the topic so you can read and join the dialog there.

Enterprise Content Management (ECM) is a strategy for the coordinated management of all content throughout an organization, allowing for people and systems to find and use content from within any business context.

Here is how we got to this point.  The posts are listed in the order they were written.  You don’t need to read them all, but if you start too far down, you may miss some good discussions.

• Redefining ECM (August 2007): This is where I started to tackle the definition, but it wasn’t as focused on the concept at the time.
• ECM, A Working Definition for the Next Generation (March 2008): I take the definition and break it down in detail.  It is a solid discussion on various phrases in the definition.
• What ECM Needs to be Today (August 2009): While focusing on ECM, it does delve into how ECM meshes with the future vision of Omnipresent Content Management.
• JM Pascal Asks Pie the Hard ECM Questions (October 2009): JM Pascal interviewed me and I decided to take time to update my critique of AIIM’s definition.
• Turning the ECM Definition Around (December 2009): Revisiting the definition in light of comments distributed across a few previous posts.
• ECM and CMS Living in Harmony (March 2010): Trying to get the two worlds/terms to live in harmony and exist as separate and distinct concepts.
• What is a CMS? Really… (April 2010): I take a crack at what capabilities are required for something to be a Content Management System versus something else.
• ECM in the Pantheon of Content Management (May 2010): A look at ECM in the grand world of Content Management.
• ECM, Wanted Dead or Alive? (Sept 2010): I talk about whether or not ECM is Dead.  I hate to give it away, but the answer was no.
• Implementing an ECM Strategy without a Platform (March 2011): Simply put, you don’t need a massive CMS to server as your ECM Platform. You don’t even need computers.
• Using a Platform for an ECM Strategy (March 2011): What constitutes an Enterprise CMS platform? What capabilities allow a CMS to function at that level?
• Taking a Break from ECM (April 2011): The problem isn’t the term. The problem is that it is too hard to implement.

When looking at the future of Content Management, the concept of Omnipresent Content Management as the future.  Here is a working definition of that term.

Omnipresent Content Management (OCM) is the coordinated management of all content throughout the world, allowing for people and systems to find, use, and share content from within any context.

Here are the discussions on the Future of Content Management:

• The Future of Content Management (July 2009): The post where I first coined the term Omnipresent Content Management after being challenged to create a vision of the future.
• Documentum Renewal: Application Separation (December 2009): While written to the Documentum universe, the concept of separating the Application and Platform is very important for the future.
• An ECM Keynote for 2010 (June 2010): Tired of not hearing visionary ECM keynotes, I wrote my own.
• Content Management as a Commodity (July 2010): I tackle the misconception that CM as a Commodity is a bad thing for the Content Management vendors.
• Thinking on the Future of Content Management (December 2010): My presentation from Gilbane and a first look at the AIIM report on the Future of ECM.
• Looking to the Future of Content Management (March 2011): My AIIM presentation, based upon my Gilbane talk. Big jump forward on Content Management as a commoditiy.

Finally, here are links to a series of posts that I wrote in September 2010 about the limitations that the current business models place on the established vendors.

• The Challenge for the “ECM” Vendors: Discusses how the license structure and the sales commission structure built on top of it are hindering traditional vendors from moving forward.
• How License Costs Impact ECM Platforms: A look at how licensing fees impact product development.
• License Fees Blocking the Future of ECM: A look how where the future of Content Management is unreachable by established vendors as long as they continue their current license model.

I’ll add more to this page as it all evolves, so feel free to check back.