Document management demand grows

Two new software applications have been added to the fast-growing list of document management tools, as compliance-led demand grows.

British content management software provider Immediacy has released Document Management System Version 1.0, an application that uses Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV) technology.

WebDAV, a relative of the web's HTML language, provides businesses with a simple document management technology, something Immediacy claims the market is demanding.

Vignette, a leading ECM provider, has also released an e-government compliant Java-based document management system. Vignette Records & Documents 7.0 integrates with its portal technology and is targeted at organisations looking to meet FoI, Basel II, and Sarbanes Oxley regulations.

Tim Jennings, research director at technology market analysts Butler Group, said compliance issues are fuelling document management market growth. "Large organisations realise now that they need formal control over all forms of electronic information, especially managing emails as documents," he said.

Public sector bodies have until December to comply with the government's deadline for Implementing E-Government (IEG), which includes the e-Government Metadata Standard (e-GMS) for metadata standards.

"If you are releasing this technology in the market today, you make sure it ticks all the requirement boxes for the public sector and industry," said Jennings.

He added that the interest in compliance is empowering information professionals. "Most of the drivers for immediate action are defensive, for information professionals they now have the scare tactic to get the budgets for information management