Cloud Document Management System (DMS)

Cloud Document Management System are computer programs, used to track, store documents and usually capable of keeping track of revision. Previously, we wrote about Enterprise Content Management (ECM) on Cloud. The concept of document management (including Cloud Document Management System) is the database-driven management of electronic documents. For better differentiation (EDM, Electronic document management) is often used terminology. Document Management System conceptually is limited managing files with checkin / checkout, versioning and other functions. Content management systems are for web publication.

Cloud Document Management System (DMS) : Basics

On a file server, the user can realize a search only on attributes such as file name, file extension, size or date modified. Database-driven document management softwares, on the other hand; record any fields related to a document metadata or indexing, for example the numeric values, such as customer or order number. Documents are more searchable with informational fields. Essential characteristics are visualized as structures of order, checkin / checkout, versioning and database-driven metadata management to Index-supported document search.

Among the traditional document management systems (DMS) in the strict sense, the solutions are understood to have arisen from the need to provide management functions for large file collections including :

1. Compound Document Management,
2. Electronic Filing
3. Dynamic storage systems to manage the life cycle of documents from electronic archiving

Scope and functionality of classic document management systems are approximately defined by the standard ISO 10166 DFR Document Filing & Retrieval, but did never achieved significance.

An important application of document management in narrower sense is the electronic file in which information is collected from different sources. If this is done at runtime and controlled by the evaluation of attributes of documents and document classes such as permissions or status characteristics, it is called the “virtual file”, as the dynamic view is generated.

To distinguish classical document management products for document imaging, workflow management and Groupware – they are also referred to as Compound Document management solutions. Example for product data management, digital asset management and for managing documents, office applications are used. Document management in the narrower sense is as Enterprise Content Management system is a component of the overall strategy of the Enterprise Content Management (ECM).

Cloud Document Management System (DMS) : Basics

Types of Cloud Document Management System (DMS) can be based on Cloud Computing Service Model. If Open Source Document Management System (DMS) Software is installed on IaaS or PaaS – they are self hosted. If Cloud Document Management System (DMS) is served as frontend service like Gmail, they are SaaS. SaaS, despite have lesser degree of freedom has some business advantages – that practically increases its usage.

Cloud Document Management System (DMS) : Trend

The user companies’ hope to gain more effective management of document-based processes as well as the precise legal compliance through the use of Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and document management systems ( DMS ). However, the proliferation of such systems is still quite expandable. In a survey, among the 210 companies surveyed, almost half had no professional DMS solution.

The usage range is Trend Report, according to the wide-ranging, with classic use scenarios such as document management and audit-proof archiving system dominates. Overall, the users of their ECM and DMS software put out good grades.
The subject of cloud computing is in the context of ECM / DMS is skeptical. That is, the experts believe that, on one hand usually the confidential and business-critical data is exposed, particularly after reveal of Governmental Spyware activities – privacy is questionable. 85 of 100 companies indicated that for safety reasons no cloud offerings in the ECM and DMS environment are used by them. Only the startups, small business using an equivalent solution from the public cloud.

Quite logical, if we scan our business documents since 1700s, there is enough risk to trade business secret with unknown persons, where the cloud provider might not be guilty to expose the data. As we have pointed before, IPV4 and IPv6 system are likely to be trashed in near future; possibly the communication networking will carry more security, which actually need fully dedicated networking with the server, which again, point towards own data center. From IBM to Apple, all basically use their own server, be they are cloud or not – the system owner is the original company.