*************************************************************** ****************** WELCOME TO SGML NEWSWIRE ******************* *************************************************************** * * * To subscribe, send mail to sgmlinfo@avalanche.com * * * * (Please pass along to interested colleagues) * * * *************************************************************** DOCUMENTS, DATABASES AND SGML ============================= The July 1993 issue of The Gilbane Report focuses on the ways document and database technologies are being combined to build document management systems. Included in the report are in-depth definitions of document management and database systems, descriptions of some risks and costs associated with them, and recommendations on what to look for when investing in a system. "Organizations are increasingly aware that a great deal of their valuable information is in document form. And they're also increasingly uncomfortable with the fact that documents are scattered around the organization on all kinds of unprotected disks, locked into application-specific formats... Fortunately the 1980's saw much progress toward the goal of managing document information more effectively: -- Publishing systems vendors began moving beyond their preoccupation with composing pages to address issues involving the management of documents and the workflows of document creators and users. -- The Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) became widely adopted in some publishing-intensive industries as a means of encoding document content and structure so that it could be stored, retrieved, exchanged, and edited electronically, independent of the user's platform or application. For many companies, SGML will be the key to capturing information in reusable form (like reusable program code). But new or expanded database structures will have to emerge to accommodate this rich information...." The report distinguishes between relational, object-oriented and hybrid databases, explaining the difficulty involved in storing documents in them. Here, clear-cut descriptions of several 'strains' of document management systems are provided, illustrating the differences between: "Solutions That Store Information *About* Documents in Databases," "Solutions that Store Documents *in* Databases," and "Solutions That Use Documents *as* Databases." Also included are sketches of several currently available document management products, almost all of which provide some support for SGML. Last quote but not least: "A major risk organizations face today is in not moving now to take control of their document information. The competitive advantages are so great... that no company can really afford to wait." For copies of the Gilbane Report contact: Frank Gilbane, Editor fgilbane@world.std.com (617) 643-8855 ************************************************************** * SGML NEWSWIRE LIST MANAGER * * * * Linda Turner * * Corporate Communications * * Avalanche * * 947 Walnut Street * * Boulder, CO 80302 * * linda@avalanche.com * * (303) 449-5032 * * (303) 449-3246 (fax) * **************************************************************