What is ECM ?
Enterprise Content Management is a repository of documents with workflow, scanning, digital rights management, integrations, metadata, web content management and portals weaved around it
What is BlockChain ?
Database mainly used as distributed ledger which does not allow modifications of earlier stored ‘Blocks’ in it and secured by cryptography in a way where earlier blocks’ signature is stored on the next instance resulting in immutability. If any of the earlier blocks are modified it results in a corruption of network majority
What can we do when we merge BlockChain with ECM ?
We have immutable strings in Java, we have immutable objects in programming. But to maintain immutability in Enterprise Content Management, Document Management and Digital Assets we go upto great lengths to have hashing, signatures, complex repository engines, MD5s and so on.
One thing that could help us is BlockChain. People have already started speaking of building custom ECM engines using open source products from NoSQL and Portal domain. If we add a BlockChain database to this mix, we get a serious contender for a new type of ECM repository – one that does not need complex repository logic or probably simplifies it.
Use cases:
- ECM – We can take a NoSQL database, Blockchain and a horizontal portal. Portal works for the workflow, presentation, rules, etc. NoSQL for the metadata and BlockChain for integrity of the repository assets like documents.
- Digital assets repository – All the signatures of the various repository assets in an enterprise could be stored in the BlockChain which can verify assets’ integrity just like what MD5 does
Its worth exploring. BlockChain can be so much more than just transactions’ integrity management.