Specifically Hopkins, Massachusetts-based EMC will be integrating its Documentum enterprise content management system with Microsoft’s Office and SharePoint 2007, SQL Server 2005, and enterprise search offerings.
EMC is branding this integration as EMC Documentum Content Services for SharePoint Server 2007 and Documentum Archive Services for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2007.
Both will allow users archive SharePoint content in a Documentum repository for long-term retention and management, while at the same time making it accessible and searchable from within Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.
Additionally EMC has also now extended the Documentum platform to better leverage the data handling, process and repository services and performance capabilities inherent in SQL Server 2005.
Kurt DelBene, vice president of Office Business Platform at Microsoft, said the deepening level of technical integration is a driven by demand from mutual customers like Dow Corning.
By expanding on the rich integration between Documentum and Office 2007, we’re offering customers more choice and control over the management of their business information, he said.
EMC’s support for SQL Server is expected this quarter. But customers will have to wait until early next year to get their hands on EMC content and archive service for SharePoint 2007. Microsoft expects to release SharePoint 2007 in the first quarter of 2007.
EMC has not disclosed specific pricing, saying only that it will vary by configuration.
Both EMC and Microsoft have angled towards the enterprise content management space from different directions.
EMC, a company built up on data storage, entered the content management space after acquiring Documentum Corp, one of the leading ECM pure-plays at the time, for $1.7bn in late 2003. EMC followed that up with a $275m swoop for Captiva Software Corp, which develops software used to manage data from scanned forms, faxes and XML streams.
Microsoft meanwhile has focused on fleshing out rudimentary document management capabilities in its SharePoint collaboration platform.
The latest integration with EMC will let users tap into advanced ECM functions in Documentum platform, such as classification, records management, process workflows, imaging and more, via native Office and SharePoint interfaces.
Microsoft is certainly becoming EMC’s most important strategic software applications partner.
In March 2006 both companies announced an alliance to integrate EMC Documentum-based content management software on top of Microsoft Exchange Server and SQL Server platforms. That expansion agreement included joint system delivery and sales engagements and the establishment of a worldwide network of partner account managers.
Prior to that, in January 2006, EMC strengthened its Microsoft competencies by acquiring Internosis Inc, a specialist consulting and service provider for Microsoft shops. Internosis, which has 250 employees, laid the foundation for EMC’s Microsoft Practice professional services division that provides infrastructure, application development and managed services for Microsoft environments.
