eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
IBM (NYSE: IBM) this week introduced new software to help mobile workers better tap into big data.
The new offering, IBM Content Navigator, enables traditional and mobile workers to securely access, manage and gain insight from structured and unstructured content, such as emails, documents, images, Web data and collaboration tools to improve productivity, IBM said in a press release.
Built on open standards like HTML5 and Content Management Interoperability Services (CMIS), the new software provides a consistent user experience across a variety of mobile devices, operating systems and content sources. Whether users need to conduct everyday business while on the road or in a clients office, IBM is arming them with the access to the right data, any time, anywhere. For example, a human resources manager who is traveling to meet employees can now access a range of documents such as employee records, compensation, benefits and evaluations without the need for a PC, IBM said.
IBM Content Navigator also features integrated search and analytics. Moreover, in addition to the collaboration and mobile capabilities IBM Content Navigator delivers, the underlying platform was built for easy customization; employees can set up document collaboration areas themselves with minimal help from the IT department. This self-provisioning capability allows departments such as sales, human resources, finance or legal to customize the solution for their specific business needs.
For example, a government agency could use the software to provide large numbers of employees with access to enterprise content based on an individuals job role without having to devote IT resources to setting up the interface for each user. In North Dakota, 22 agencies and more than 2,000 state employees, including the Departments of Commerce, Taxation, Transportation, Human Services, and the Secretary of State, already use IBMs Enterprise Content Management software to manage a wide variety of citizen records and information, ranging from unemployment applications and vehicle registrations to tax filings and flexible benefit records.
The self-provisioning capability IBM is offering will make it easy to set up a team space for collaboration without the help of our IT department, Chuck Picard, enterprise electronic document management system coordinator for the state of North Dakota, said in a statement. As additional state agencies and county governments start using the system, we will be able to instantly share critical information at both the state and local levels. This software provides significant economies of scale, which is a critical requirement for a state operating on a limited budget.
Aon Risk Solutions, an early adopter of electronic document management technology, is another use case for the IBM software. With IBMs help, we could reduce the need for customization and boost productivity by opening our enterprise content management system to mobile devices, Stuart Williams, IT global product director, Aon Services Group, said in a statement.
With IBM Content Analytics with Enterprise Search v3.0, IBM is integrating content analytics software with enterprise search capabilities into a unified platform. The content analytics and enterprise search capabilities in IBM Content Navigator enable users to quickly locate content across IBM and third-party repositories, with thumbnails, facets, summaries and term highlighting. Also, through its capabilities in natural-language processing, semantic search and sentiment analysis, this solution provides richer, more accurate, and relevant insights from content, such as documents, reports, emails, Web content, surveys and enterprise applications, IBM said.
IBM has also integrated its content analytics software with a component of Big Blues big data platform, InfoSphere BigInsights, which enables users to derive greater insights from the ever-increasing volumes of unstructured information flowing both within and outside the enterprise. This helps clients overcome processing limitations and indexing constraints to analyze petabytes of information to support decisions in areas such as crime intelligence, health care, insurance claims and customer care.
IBM is continuing to lead the way in helping organizations manage the content they rely upon for everyday operations, said IBM enterprise content management leader Doug Hunt, in a statement. Today, we are enabling clients to make content available in any context to help them deal with the information sprawl of big data. Its key that clients can now drive business insights from enterprise content and share collaboration content with others who need it.