Until recently, three basic choices existed for companies that wanted to add document management and other ECM functionality to their application.

Yesterday: Three Basic Choices

• Choice #1: Rely on file attachments for as long as possible until end-users eventually revolt and demand a real solution.

  Enterprise-class applications cannot simply rely on attaching files to records and storing them on the file system as their approach to ECM. The weight and complexity of even a relatively small enterprise-level application will quickly cause the file attachment approach to collapse.

• Choice #2: Acquire several low-level SDKs—each with its own, limited functional scope—and spend multiple man-years developing a scalable, integrated solution.

  As useful and as valuable as advanced ECM functionality is, it can be time-consuming to build on your own using low-level developer toolkits that focus on narrow, discrete areas of functionality such as scanning or viewing a document. (link to build vs. buy). Even if you have the expertise and the team, chances are they don’t have the availability.

• Choice #3: Partner with a major ECM vendor (traditional or open source) to offer—or have their end-users license and maintain—a separate, stand-alone ECM application.

  The traditional, stand-alone document and content management system is too expensive, too complex, and/or too bloated to roll out to all of the information workers that need enterprise content management (ECM) functionality in an organization.

Today: A Compelling Fourth Alternative

Torrential Data offers each Datahaven SDK for ECM and their related components as a compelling fourth alternative.

Comprehensive Features & Enterprise-Class Scalability

Datahaven resolves the functional shortcomings associated with file attachments and individual low-level toolkits. It also delivers proven enterprise-class scalability and other critical infrastructure elements typically only available with traditional, stand-alone ECM applications. Learn about the core features and functions you can embed directly into your application's existing user interface using the Datahaven SDK for ECM.

Virtual File Cabinet UI Extension for Windows & Web Applications

In addition, the Datahaven Cabinet component enables you to create an intuitive, customizable extension of the already-familiar user interface of your data-centric application. The parent-child folder structure of the Datahaven Cabinet component is a virtual file cabinet that gives information workers instant, filtered access to just the right content on any screen of your existing application as well as immediate access to a full-range of advanced ECM functionality.

Dramatically Enhanced Value & Functionality

Using Datahaven to content-enable your data-centric application will dramatically enhance its value and expand its functionality, including the ability to

• provide native support for document imaging, email and fax integration, advanced barcode and OCR data capture, content-centric workflow, as well as publishing and distribution
• offer advanced functionality such as adding text and graphic annotations, redacting portions of a document, as well as splitting, merging, and cloning documents.
• apply programmatic controls that minimize human error and ensure consistent application of metadata to documents and other content throughout their lifecycle
• support instant, filtered, context-sensitive, security-trimmed access to custom displays of content to individual end-users so that they view only that content that is relevant and that is needed to perform a particular task
• eliminate training of end-users on yet another stand-alone application dedicated exclusively to document management and other ECM functionality
• minimize its IT footprint and IT maintenance burden compared to integrations with stand-alone legacy ECM systems