Executive Summary (This is a document excerpt)

Enterprise content management (ECM) has grown into a major software category through the consolidation of different point solutions, including document management, Web content management, document imaging, records management, and digital asset management — and a close alignment with collaboration and business process management. But the software category represents only a portion of what ECM means to an enterprise. In its totality, ECM must be a strategy for: 1) how to manage all unstructured information — images, Web content, rich media assets, and corporate records; 2) how to mitigate content-related risks; and 3) how to put content to use for business people and business processes. By doing this, ECM technologies and strategies help information and knowledge management professionals manage the company's unstructured information to reduce risk, boost productivity, and improve customer experiences.