IBM is responding to demands from smaller companies for low-cost, ready-to-go software with a new content management offering packaged on its eServer iSeries systems, the company announced last week.

The software, called DB2 Content Manager Standard Edition 8.3, is designed to let small and midsize organizations make better use of important business information that might be spread out among numerous and diverse applications and processes.

The software is essentially a lower-priced version of IBM's DB2 Content Manager software, which is aimed at larger businesses.

"The Standard Edition is based on the same technology as the Enterprise edition and offers the same applications," says Günter Scholz, segment director for content manager in northern and eastern Europe at IBM. "The main differences between the two are that the Standard Edition has a different licensing policy and, generally speaking, is easier to install and operate," he says.

The software lets users manage and share digitized content across the enterprise. It includes search functions, document process management and multiple view options, allowing content such as scanned images, forms and documents to be off-loaded from workstations, and then stored and managed in a central repository.

Other features include a graphical workflow builder, which lets users create and maintain their own workflows to define and automate tasks, such as document creation, approval and archiving; and Web services support, enabling many types of data to be captured, managed and retrieved within a service-oriented architecture.

Automation of the capture and management of XML documents is enabled in a common content repository, while an XML schema mapping utility automates and controls mapping of XML schemas.

IBM charges $6,900 for the product. Its iSeries servers come with middleware, storage and security components.

Each seat costs approximately $350, with a minimum requirement of 20 seats, Scholz says.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.