IBM Case Foundation











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IBM
Case Foundation

by Brady Hicks

Docid: 00018995

Publication Date: 2011

Report Type: PRODUCT

Preview

IBM’s Case Foundation (formerly FileNet BPM) was created to help
organizations increase process performance, reduce cycle times, and improve
productivity and decision making. The Case Foundation – which is part of IBM’s
Content Management portfolio – works to create, manage, and optimize case-based
processes;
manages workflow and processes; tracks document and transaction flow; and
integrates into a company’s on-site IT infrastructure. This report profiles IBM’s
Case Foundation software and its
key features.

Report Contents:

Description

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IBM’s Case Foundation offers software for managing "case-style
workflow."

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This application is designed to harness unstructured information and integrate
it with business processes to help drive business-critical decisions. IBM Case
Foundation can be used to create, manage, and optimize case-based processes.
This allows it to provide features for migrating document-centric workflow
solutions to IBM Case Manager.

Case Foundation is based on IBM’s 2006 acquisition of ECM (enterprise content
management) and BPM (business process management) firm FileNet, a move that
bolstered its software lineup. This $1.6 billion transaction added
the leading BPM suite to IBM’s software roster, and added a host of ECM
products, including BPM offerings to help automate, streamline,
and optimize business processes.


Vendor

Name: IBM
Headquarters
1 New Orchard Road
Armonk, NY 10504
(914) 499-1900
Web: http://www.ibm.com/
Type of Vendor: Information Technology Services
Founded: 1911 (As Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co.)
Service Areas: Worldwide
Stock Symbol: IBM (NYSE)

Today’s IBM Case Foundation manages workflow and
procedures such as content- and employee-driven processes across
business locations. The software helps organizations increase
process performance, reduce cycle times, and improve productivity and
decision making by addressing the creation, management, and optimization
of case-based processes. In particular, Case Foundation can harness
unstructured data and integrate it within business processes to drive
critical business decisions, allowing organizations to create and manage
case-based processes to improve performance via:

  • Streamlined installation and administration
  • Active content enablement
  • Industry standards support

Case Foundation is designed to harness unstructured information and integrate
it within business processes to help drive decision making. The software enables
users to create, manage, and optimize case-based processes to improve process
performance. Case Foundation works by linking specific pieces of content within
a structured workflow, providing an on-ramp for migrating from document-centric
workflow to IBM Case Manager. Case Foundation’s interface is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows how Case Foundation Pattern’s interface.

Figure 1. Case Foundation Interface

Figure 1. Case Foundation Interface

Source: IBM

Current Version

IBM’s Case Foundation software is now available in version 5.3. This
application includes a revamped support experience with new tools and agile
procedures. Key features of this update include:

  • Integration with the IBM ECM family
  • Single installation for the Content Platform Engine
  • Services for multiple databases and component management
  • Case Monitor and Case Analyzer options

Accompanying Software

Accompanying software products are detailed in Table 1.

Table 1. Case Foundation
Accompanying Software
Application Description

FileNet P8

Platform architecture with services for:

  • Integration options.
  • Baseline architecture
  • Content Platform Engine (see below)
  • Content Navigator (see below)

Content Platform Engine

FileNet P8 component that manages enterprise-wide workflow objects, custom
objects, and documents by offering administration tools

Case Analyzer

FileNet P8 process component that monitors and analyzes case and workflow
business processes

Case Analyzer Process Task Manager

Configures SSL to encrypt communications with Content Platform Engine

Content Navigator

Menu options for Process Designer

Process Designer

Web editor for updating artifacts

Applications

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IBM’s Case Foundation is targeted toward organizations with extensive
processes and large amounts of customer, financial, or service data that moves
across the enterprise. In particular, IBM points to successful installations at banks and credit
unions, where software can simplify data storage and retrieval
processes.

Environment

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IBM provides a customizable

Software Product Compatibility Reports tool
for determining the base OS
requirements for many of its software products, including the Case Foundation.
Case Foundation generally supports the latest versions of Windows, Linux, AIX,
HP-UX, and Solaris.

Support

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Users of IBM Case Foundation can visit IBM’s Web site for support
tools, including product documentation, learning materials, a FAQ
section, and software updates. IBM also offers paid support
services, as well as implementation services through its Global Services
unit.

Pricing

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IBM does not publish pricing details for its Case Foundation software
options. Pricing inquiries should be made by directly contacting IBM’s
sales staff via either the

Web site
or by calling (877) 426-3774.

Competitors

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The IBM Case Foundation competes with products from Oracle, OpenText,
Fujitsu, TIBCO, and Software AG, among other companies.

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About the Author

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report]

Brady Hicks
is an editor with Faulkner Information Services. He writes about computer and
networking hardware, software, communications networks and equipment, and the
Internet.

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