'Net Features : Alfresco

Sync Enterprise Content with Alfresco EMS

Allison Howen — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 10:25:00 GMT

If you need a better way to connect to your business outside of the office, you might want to check out Alfresco’s new sync platform for enterprise content.

The platform extends information beyond firewall barriers to enable enterprises to build extranets, collaborate with customers and simplify employees’ access with mobile devices.

Previously, organizations needed to access internal systems externally or use disconnected cloud services to collaborate outside the firewall. However, Alfresco’s new platform helps solve this problem by allowing businesses to connect people, content, systems and processes securely on both sides of the firewall. Additionally, the platform enables IT departments to provide a seamless experience for users accessing confidential content that can't be put in the cloud.

“The trend of the ‘consumerized enterprise’ has led to other vendor solutions that focus and address consumer needs, not those of the enterprise. Unfortunately, this industry trend has created content chaos and companies are demanding a better alternative,” said John Powell, CEO of Alfresco. “We are distinctly positioned to create the next phase of enterprise content management (ECM) to bring seamless synchronization to the market with Alfresco that is enterprise-proven, IT-tested and business consumer-approved.”

The sync platform has been bundled into a new enterprise subscription called Alfresco One, which includes:

Alfresco Enterprise – A feature-rich ECM platform that governs an enterprise’s content.

Alfresco Enterprise Cloud Network – A corporately controlled SaaS cloud service that includes the ability to invite colleagues to a cloud site from outside the organization.

Alfresco Enterprise Sync – A platform that allows employees to select documents and folders from Alfresco Enterprise and sync them to Alfresco in the cloud.

Alfresco Desktop Sync (beta) – This new feature provides users with the ability to sync between files saved to the desktop, cloud site or on-premise solution, and will (generally) be available in November.

Alfresco Mobile – Native iOS apps that provide secure access to employees through a device of choice.

Enhanced Encryption and Security – Content is encrypted in the cloud when being accessed on tablets and smartphones, which reduces risk in case a device is lost or stolen.

Kodak & Alfresco a Picture Perfect Partnership

Allison Howen — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 19:30:00 GMT

This new partnership may prove to be picture perfect.

Kodak has teamed up with open source content management system Alfresco to offer businesses robust content and document management services.

Although more famous for being an imaging innovator, Kodak has delivered managed services and solutions to large enterprises and governments around the world for years. A lot of Kodak’s work focuses primarily on providing better usability and accessibility to data through scanning, storing and retrieving critical documents and information. Additionally, the company has helped governments capture and share hundreds of millions of documents. And with this new partnership, Kodak and Alfresco will aim to provide a stronger set of services and solutions than previously offered.

“This is the beginning of a strategic relationship that will differentiate both Kodak and Alfresco in the marketplace,” says Roberto Colangelo, Kodak’s General Manager for Worldwide Services. “By combining Alfresco’s industry leading enterprise content management systems with our own technology and capabilities, we will address the growing need for complex content and document solutions, serving customers in ways they never thought possible. We expect to have an immediate and long-lasting impact in the markets we serve.”

According to Colangelo, Kodak is moving beyond scanning to participate in more sophisticated content and document management services.

“The combination of Kodak’s brand paired with our trusted platform makes this an extremely valuable alliance for us,” says John Powell, CEO, Alfresco. “We are very excited to partner with Kodak to extend our services and software offerings on a global scale. We look forward to future collaboration in the cloud, mobile, and on-premise all working seamlessly together to meet Kodak’s growing content management needs.”

FormTek Brings Five New Extensions to Alfresco

Administrator — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:59:00 GMT

Content management receives only modest attention from the digital media community. The role that the software category plays however in the management of digital assets (like content) is of immense importance to the efficiency and productivity of an enterprise. The system you choose (and it’s one of the most important decisions) should be able to fulfill all of your needs. When they don’t, you’ll need to turn to third-party extensions.

A good example of this can be seen in the release of several new software extensions developed by FormTek for the Alfresco Open Content Platform. The extensions include:

- an auditing extension provides an audit log for every file and folder within Alfresco
- a file linking extension that allows a single document stored in Alfresco to be accessible from multiple locations without the need to duplicate the file
- an association extension which enables users to establish relationships between documents via Alfresco Share
- a security extension which allows file and folder access control on a per-user and per-group basis
- and a browser extension that allows users to select older document versions, view its Web preview and associate metadata.

"Our Software Extensions for Alfresco have been developed based on the knowledge and experience we've gained through two decades of successfully implementing ECM solutions for our customers," said Ed Kay, Formtek Vice President, Services and Support. "We also provide full support for the Extensions, including ongoing product maintenance and updates, via our dedicated email and toll-free phone number, as well as via the Formtek Online Support Web portal."