What is Open Source Document Management?

Open source document management is a kind of tool or system that relies on computer software to help manage records or other documents. Document management in general is a term for keeping track of either paper or electronic documents. Document management systems can be simple or complex. They can rely on traditional paper-based storage systems or new technology for storing a large amount of information.

Most document management systems have several common characteristics. Document management systems evaluate the physical space available for storing records, the maximum capacity of computer hardware such as a server, and the methods available for making paper documents electronic. Document imaging or scanning documents into a digital format is often a part of modern document management.

Open source software refers to software programs that do not include protected source code. This means that anyone can look at how the program was created, or modify the code to fit their own needs. Open source software is an alternative to proprietary software, where the source code is protected in order to prevent "reverse engineering" and undesired modification of a software program.

Open source document management systems include options like an open source content management system (CMS). The content management system has become a general resource for data storage in an enterprise. It is another general term that really refers to any method for managing a cooperative work flow within a business. Enabling remote access and delivering data from one location to another is very often part of what a CMS does for a business. This is just one of many open source tool options that can help promote competitive document management for a company.

Advocates of open source software point to how this option is changing the business model for enterprise technology. Businesses that choose open source document management systems can profit from free technologies that encourage proactive engineering in a workplace. Open source document management can also save a company money.

Many tech providers compete to offer products and services related to open source document management. These include an open source portal for data flow, or open source PHP coding or development in other computer languages, to help companies customize a variety of open source items. These can be essential in promoting overall IT solutions for any sized enterprise.