FileNet
Encyclopedia
FileNet, a company acquired by IBM
, developed software to help enterprises manage their content
and business process
es. The FileNet P8 platform, their flagship system, is a framework for developing custom enterprise systems, offering much functionality out of the box and capable of being customized to manage a specific business process.
Based in Costa Mesa, California
, the company markets Enterprise Content Management
(ECM) and Business Process Management
(BPM) solutions in more than 90 countries through its own global sales, services and support organizations, as well as via its ValueNet Partner network of resellers, system integrators and application developers.
, with others joining from Basic4 in Orange County
. The company was originally named Filex, but the name was changed within the first year due to a naming conflict.
FileNet was the first company to create a commercially successful document imaging system for businesses, in March 1985. The state of computer technology in early 1983 required FileNet to custom engineer not only its own hardware but the networking software, file system, windowing system and application software for its workstations and servers. This software was developed prior to Sun's NFS
, the X Window System
for Unix and the wide adoption of the TCP/IP protocol suite
. The software on the workstations and servers ran FDOS (FileNet Distributed Operating System
), a customized UNIX System V
port with added support for the XNS and TCP/IP networking protocols, a custom graphics card supporting a high-resolution 19-inch monitor, and an OSAR (Optical Storage
and Retrieval) unit, a robotic optical storage jukebox
storing up to 64 2.6-gigabyte optical disks. The workstations were diskless and used FileNet's Network Filesystem to support remote filesystem access.
In 1985 FileNet released the first commercial Business Process Management
(BPM) software, called WorkFlo. (No relation to much earlier Burroughs large system job control language named Workflow.) WorkFlo was a C-Shell like scripting language, written by the late John Gilbert, which was used to automate user interface functions for people using the FileNet system in production environments. A paper was published by Dan Whelan in the 1998 SIGMOD conference which gives a view on how the system evolved.
FileNet enhanced the software offerings by launching their "C.O.L.D." (Computer Output to Laser Disc) in 1986. This allowed the electronic storage of mainframe print streams, eliminating having to physically print them on paper. COLD became the industry term describing software which stores standard print formatted documents (e.g. AFP
, Metacode or PostScript
) for subsequent retrieval, printing or processing.
platform and the AIX operating system. The networking software utilized TCP/IP but used FileNet's proprietary application protocols. For Olivetti, a special port of the software to System V, Release 4 running on an Intel 80486 multi-CPU Olivetti LSX5000 platform was developed. With the movement to standard PC hardware running Microsoft Windows, FileNet added support for the PC as a client platform with its WorkForce Desktop software. Its old workstation line was phased out for standard hardware and software as demanded by the customers.
In the mid-1990s, FileNet's WorkFlo Business System had evolved into Visual WorkFlo, one of the first workflow solutions with a graphical interface for process modeling.
The Panagon Suite included the following products:
In January 2001 FileNet released Acenza as an entrée into the applications marketplace. Acenza was not broadly adopted and was later retired from the market.
(ECM) platform. In addition, it took the Workflow products and further developed analysis and optimization components with the Panagon Process Analyzer and Process Simulator, respectively. This enables organizations to analyze and improve processes. This move took FileNet into the Business Process Management field (BPM), and it is regarded as a leader in this growing area.
In April 2002, FileNet acquired Bethesda, MD based eGrail Corporation to add Web Content Management (WCM) to both the Panagon and FileNet P8 ECM families of products.
In April 2003, FileNet added eForms capabilities to the Panagon and P8 products with the acquisition of long time form software vendor Shana Corporation of Edmonton, Canada.
Also in 2003 FileNet extended the P8 suite extending compliance capabilities with the P8 Records Manager solution which helps companies solve regulatory compliance and records issues.
In 2004 FileNet added Team Collaboration Manager, built on the P8 platform it is an out-of-the box solution that helps organizations to be more agile and competitive by allowing virtual team members to work together across functional and geographical areas.
Late in 2005 FileNet acquired Yaletown Technology Group of Canada, formerly a FileNet ValueNet Partner; this allowed them to further their capabilities in managing different types of content in the FileNet P8 ECM platform with the Email Manager product (which they had been exclusively marketing in an OEM agreement and was formerly sold as eCW) and furthered their reach into compliance with Records Crawler, formerly known as Universal File Importer or UFI.
They also extended their Business Process Management capabilities releasing the Business Activity Monitor (BAM) solution, which provides real-time event management and visibility of business performance data to enhance operational responsiveness
and decision making.
On August 10, 2006, IBM agreed to acquire FileNet for US$1.6 billion dollars in cash (about US$35 per share). The transaction closed on October 12, 2006.
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, developed software to help enterprises manage their content
Content management
Content management, or CM, is the set of processes and technologies that support the collection, managing, and publishing of information in any form or medium. In recent times this information is typically referred to as content or, to be precise, digital content...
and business process
Business process
A business process or business method is a collection of related, structured activities or tasks that produce a specific service or product for a particular customer or customers...
es. The FileNet P8 platform, their flagship system, is a framework for developing custom enterprise systems, offering much functionality out of the box and capable of being customized to manage a specific business process.
Based in Costa Mesa, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, the company markets Enterprise Content Management
Enterprise content management
Enterprise Content Management is a formalized means of organizing and storing an organization's documents, and other content, that relate to the organization's processes...
(ECM) and Business Process Management
Business process management
Business process management is a holistic management approach focused on aligning all aspects of an organization with the wants and needs of clients. It promotes business effectiveness and efficiency while striving for innovation, flexibility, and integration with technology. BPM attempts to...
(BPM) solutions in more than 90 countries through its own global sales, services and support organizations, as well as via its ValueNet Partner network of resellers, system integrators and application developers.
Founding
FileNet [NASDAQ: FILE] was founded in November 1982 by Ted Smith and Ed Miller. A number of the first employees came from the Xerox Office Products Division in El SegundoEl Segundo, California
El Segundo is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on the Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is one of the Beach Cities of Los Angeles County and part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments...
, with others joining from Basic4 in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
. The company was originally named Filex, but the name was changed within the first year due to a naming conflict.
FileNet was the first company to create a commercially successful document imaging system for businesses, in March 1985. The state of computer technology in early 1983 required FileNet to custom engineer not only its own hardware but the networking software, file system, windowing system and application software for its workstations and servers. This software was developed prior to Sun's NFS
NFS
NFS may mean:* Network File System , the Network File System protocol developed by Sun Microsystems* NFS , a former Icelandic television news service* National Financial Switch, a bank network in India...
, the X Window System
X Window System
The X window system is a computer software system and network protocol that provides a basis for graphical user interfaces and rich input device capability for networked computers...
for Unix and the wide adoption of the TCP/IP protocol suite
Internet protocol suite
The Internet protocol suite is the set of communications protocols used for the Internet and other similar networks. It is commonly known as TCP/IP from its most important protocols: Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol , which were the first networking protocols defined in this...
. The software on the workstations and servers ran FDOS (FileNet Distributed Operating System
Distributed operating system
A distributed operating system is the logical aggregation of operating system software over a collection of independent, networked, communicating, and spatially disseminated computational nodes. Individual system nodes each hold a discrete software subset of the global aggregate operating system...
), a customized UNIX System V
UNIX System V
Unix System V, commonly abbreviated SysV , is one of the first commercial versions of the Unix operating system. It was originally developed by American Telephone & Telegraph and first released in 1983. Four major versions of System V were released, termed Releases 1, 2, 3 and 4...
port with added support for the XNS and TCP/IP networking protocols, a custom graphics card supporting a high-resolution 19-inch monitor, and an OSAR (Optical Storage
Optical storage
Optical storage is a term from engineering referring to the storage of data on an optically readable medium. Data is recorded by making marks in a pattern that can be read back with the aid of light, usually a beam of laser light precisely focused on a spinning disc. An older example, that does...
and Retrieval) unit, a robotic optical storage jukebox
Optical jukebox
An optical jukebox is a robotic data storage device that can automatically load and unload optical discs, such as Compact Disc, DVD, Ultra Density Optical or Blu-ray disc and can provide terabytes and petabytes of tertiary storage. The devices are often called optical disk libraries, robotic...
storing up to 64 2.6-gigabyte optical disks. The workstations were diskless and used FileNet's Network Filesystem to support remote filesystem access.
In 1985 FileNet released the first commercial Business Process Management
Business process management
Business process management is a holistic management approach focused on aligning all aspects of an organization with the wants and needs of clients. It promotes business effectiveness and efficiency while striving for innovation, flexibility, and integration with technology. BPM attempts to...
(BPM) software, called WorkFlo. (No relation to much earlier Burroughs large system job control language named Workflow.) WorkFlo was a C-Shell like scripting language, written by the late John Gilbert, which was used to automate user interface functions for people using the FileNet system in production environments. A paper was published by Dan Whelan in the 1998 SIGMOD conference which gives a view on how the system evolved.
FileNet enhanced the software offerings by launching their "C.O.L.D." (Computer Output to Laser Disc) in 1986. This allowed the electronic storage of mainframe print streams, eliminating having to physically print them on paper. COLD became the industry term describing software which stores standard print formatted documents (e.g. AFP
Advanced Function Presentation
Advanced Function Presentation is a presentation architecture and family of associated printer software and hardware that provides for document and information presentation independent of specific applications and devices....
, Metacode or PostScript
PostScript
PostScript is a dynamically typed concatenative programming language created by John Warnock and Charles Geschke in 1982. It is best known for its use as a page description language in the electronic and desktop publishing areas. Adobe PostScript 3 is also the worldwide printing and imaging...
) for subsequent retrieval, printing or processing.
Open systems
In the early 1990s, FileNet introduced a more "open" version of its WorkFlo Business System software, the Series 6500, that ran on the IBM RS/6000RS/6000
RISC System/6000, or RS/6000 for short, is a family of RISC and UNIX based servers, workstations and supercomputers made by IBM in the 1990s. The RS/6000 family replaced the IBM RT computer platform in February 1990 and was the first computer line to see the use of IBM's POWER and PowerPC based...
platform and the AIX operating system. The networking software utilized TCP/IP but used FileNet's proprietary application protocols. For Olivetti, a special port of the software to System V, Release 4 running on an Intel 80486 multi-CPU Olivetti LSX5000 platform was developed. With the movement to standard PC hardware running Microsoft Windows, FileNet added support for the PC as a client platform with its WorkForce Desktop software. Its old workstation line was phased out for standard hardware and software as demanded by the customers.
Acquisition of Watermark, Saros and Greenbar
In the early 1990s, FileNet acquired Saros Corporation in 1995 for its electronic document management. FileNet also acquired Watermark Software, a document imaging solution, Watermark Enterprise and Ensemble, and a Windows-based COLD product called Greenbar. This would help FileNet be the first document management company to have a complete "Integrated Document Management" suite with document imaging, electronic document management, COLD and workflow offerings. Around the same time, FileNet delivered their own internally developed entry-level system called Workgroup. The Watermark products were retired by 1999.In the mid-1990s, FileNet's WorkFlo Business System had evolved into Visual WorkFlo, one of the first workflow solutions with a graphical interface for process modeling.
Panagon
As a result of their Integrated Document Management strategy, FileNet rebranded the entire product line — the original IMS products, the Saros products, and the newly-developed client IDM products — as the Panagon software suite in 1998.The Panagon Suite included the following products:
- Panagon Image Services (high-end imaging solution formerly known as IMS)
- Panagon Content Services (EDM solution, previously known as Saros Mezzanine)
- Panagon Report Manager (COLD solution formerly known as Greenbar)
- Panagon Desktop (new client interface created for the Panagon Suite)
- Panagon Web Services (new web interface with a common code base with Panagon Desktop; replaced Saros @Mezzanine)
- Panagon eProcess (Workflow Automation Solution built on top the Visual WorkFlo engine)
In January 2001 FileNet released Acenza as an entrée into the applications marketplace. Acenza was not broadly adopted and was later retired from the market.
Development
In January 2002 FileNet announced BrightSpire, an application that was eventually rebranded as FileNet P8 ECM. There are a number of FileNet P8 ECM suites that leveraged the experience gained from integrated document management, web content management, and workflow into an integrated Enterprise Content ManagementEnterprise content management
Enterprise Content Management is a formalized means of organizing and storing an organization's documents, and other content, that relate to the organization's processes...
(ECM) platform. In addition, it took the Workflow products and further developed analysis and optimization components with the Panagon Process Analyzer and Process Simulator, respectively. This enables organizations to analyze and improve processes. This move took FileNet into the Business Process Management field (BPM), and it is regarded as a leader in this growing area.
In April 2002, FileNet acquired Bethesda, MD based eGrail Corporation to add Web Content Management (WCM) to both the Panagon and FileNet P8 ECM families of products.
In April 2003, FileNet added eForms capabilities to the Panagon and P8 products with the acquisition of long time form software vendor Shana Corporation of Edmonton, Canada.
Also in 2003 FileNet extended the P8 suite extending compliance capabilities with the P8 Records Manager solution which helps companies solve regulatory compliance and records issues.
In 2004 FileNet added Team Collaboration Manager, built on the P8 platform it is an out-of-the box solution that helps organizations to be more agile and competitive by allowing virtual team members to work together across functional and geographical areas.
Late in 2005 FileNet acquired Yaletown Technology Group of Canada, formerly a FileNet ValueNet Partner; this allowed them to further their capabilities in managing different types of content in the FileNet P8 ECM platform with the Email Manager product (which they had been exclusively marketing in an OEM agreement and was formerly sold as eCW) and furthered their reach into compliance with Records Crawler, formerly known as Universal File Importer or UFI.
They also extended their Business Process Management capabilities releasing the Business Activity Monitor (BAM) solution, which provides real-time event management and visibility of business performance data to enhance operational responsiveness
Operational responsiveness
Operational responsiveness is a desirable quality of a business process or supporting IT solution, which indicates its ability to respond to changing conditions and customer interactions as they occur....
and decision making.
On August 10, 2006, IBM agreed to acquire FileNet for US$1.6 billion dollars in cash (about US$35 per share). The transaction closed on October 12, 2006.
External links
- IBM ECM home page - the "FileNet" home page went away in 2007
- IBM ECM - FileNet page - lists the IBM FileNet products
- IBM Software Licensing - Gemini eStore IBM FileNet product pricing and information
- Interview with Lee Roberts, CEO and Chairman of FileNet