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Inside the Brackets:
[INTERWOVEN 6]

by Jeff Wood     Aug 2003

In each issue, this section focuses on a different content management-related product, providing an overview of information of interest specifically targeted to publishers.

Last month, Interwoven announced the release of Interwoven 6, the latest implementation of its leading content management suite of products. Interwoven's main strength has always been in the content creation portion of content management, and this release continues this focus through improved usability and an all new user interface platform. In addition, version 6 adds new features to its Content Server, a Digital Asset Management module, and rapid deployment through easy-to-use administrative functions.

Interwoven TeamSite is the product suite's content management solution, and is made up of TeamSite Content Server and TeamSite XML Server. Version 6 of the Content Server includes ContentCenter Standard, a newly-designed collaboration module that allows all levels of contributors to submit content through a unified, portal-style interface. Organizations can easily create customizable task wizards, style sheets, and user interface elements based on specific end-user authoring and editorial requirements. This can be achieved through the SDK, a web service interface to TeamSite, or through the UI Toolkit, which is built on top of the SDK for non-programmatic customization capabilities. The Toolkit also provides the ability to interface with other business applications. The ContentCenter includes an XML-based FormsPublisher and Visual Template Builder out of the box, and an optional add-on, ContentCenter Professional, comprises advanced user CMS functions, such as workflow, versioning, and security administration, and an open interface to allow integration with any authoring tool. The TeamSite XML Server allows for element level asset collaboration, repurposing, versioning, and search.

Content distribution is handled through OpenDeploy Distribution Server. Again, user interfaces have been completely rebuilt to allow administrators to easily manage and distribute across the enterprise and to external sources. Recurring distribution tasks can be automated, eliminating the need for repetitive manual (and sometimes error-prone) processes. Through OpenDeploy, content is exported, replicated, or synchronized securely, and the system comes complete with logging, reporting, and access to event triggers to customize the delivery process.

Another important piece of the Interwoven product suite is the MetaTagger Content Intelligence Server. In fact, this product provided such value in its ability to intelligently and automatically assign metadata to content that Interwoven has also decoupled this functionality as a stand-alone application. MetaTagger can either use an existing taxonomy or can generate one from scratch based on existing content collections to simultaneously categorize content to multiple taxonomies. It integrates with web content, relational databases, business documents, and structured content repositories. All metadata can be reviewed and approved interactively based on workflow rules.

The ability to search, browse, and aggregate content is achieved though the ContentProvider Integration Server. Content can be retrieved directly from the Interwoven server as well as from external repositories, such as Microsoft Windows file system, FileNet, DB2, and Lotus Notes—all within a single search interface. This allows content editors to manipulate and repurpose content from several different repositories, regardless of where the content lives and based on the controls and permissions assigned to that content.

Interwoven's recent acquisition of MediaBin and their Asset Server software adds a Digital Asset Management application to the Interwoven family. Because MediaBin and Interwoven have had a long-standing relationship, Interwoven was able to quickly roll this product into the suite. Assets, such as images, videos, audio files, and PDF documents can be stored and cataloged along with their appropriate metadata and are retrievable through the same standard interfaces mentioned in the earlier module descriptions. Media can be searched based on metadata or image content/visual similarity. Video streams can be created for previewing purposes, and images can be translated into various formats. Security, version control, and logging are also standard functions of the asset manager.

Rounding out the product line is the Enterprise Application Connector Suite for portal and CRM integration, and Developer Suite, which includes a web-services API and TeamCode software for managing code.

Interwoven has been one of the strongest players in the content management arena for many years. However, with the recent upsurge in Documentum customers and the introduction of content management initiatives from several prominent non–pure-play companies such as IBM and Microsoft, they must continue to grow their services and product line to attract new customers and keep existing ones. Their purchase of a DAM system, much like Documentum did last year, signals that Interwoven intends to continue to be a force in the CMS market.

Product Highlights