Getting A Jump On The New Content Management Standard

CMIS won't be an official standard for at least a year, but you can start playing with a draft implementation today.The Content Management Interoperability Services (CMIS) specification was submitted to OASIS yesterday, but if you can't wait for the official standard, Alfresco has a draft implemention ready for download.

The standard aims to make it easier to connect proprietary content management systems from competing vendors. According to CMIS's backers-Microsoft, IBM, EMC, Oracle, Open Text, SAP and Alfresco-applications and users will find it easier to access and use content that might otherwise be locked into silos.

Alfresco CTO John Newton compares the potential impact of CMIS on content management to the development of SQL for databases.

He also notes the announcement of the standard happened the same day CERN fired up the Large Hadron Collider. Whether you agree the launch of CMIS is as significant as either of those things, it's worth reading his post to get his justification. (The awe-inspiring photo of the LHC he posted is also worth the visit).

Open Text is also moving ahead with CMIS. The company announced a prototype integration between SAP and the Open Text Livelink content repository using an interface that conforms to the current CMIS specification. It will be available in an upcoming release, but Open Text couldn't provide an exact date.