GODALMING, England, April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The public consultation process for the availability of the first ever Publicly Available Specification (PAS) for Enterprise Content Management (ECM) will formally commence on 18th April 2011 for a four week period, concluding on the 16th May 2011. The Content Group www.thecontentgroup.co.uk has been leading the development programme with the British Standards Institution (BSI) together with the Steering Group since the original announcement of the PAS in 2007 (http://www.bsigroup.com/en/About-BSI/News-Room/BSI-News-Content/Disciplines/Information-Management/ECM-PAS/).

The aim of this work with BSI is to develop a best practice standard for ECM and establish a frame of reference for the entire ECM market.

Once completed, the PAS will provide definitions and a common understanding of ECM. It will enable benchmarking and ensure consistent, measurable ECM and will be an important frame of reference for any organisation involved in an ECM initiative. The PAS is intended to be the first step moving towards an internationally agreed standard for ECM.

Any organisation or individual that is keen to take part in the public consultation should contact Bhavisha Patel (bhavisha.patel@bsigroup.com) at BSI and register their interest. All those who register before or during the consultation process will receive full details and an opportunity to comment.

Ben Richmond, Founder and CEO of The Content Group, is the lead author and heads up the team involved in producing the standard. The Content Group led the industry steering group panel which included organisations from a vast array of interested parties representing; industry associations and analysts, systems integrators, technology vendors and end user organisations from the public & private sectors.

Richmond comments, "The ECM industry has been in need of further definition, standardisation and best practice guidelines for some time. As the PAS approaches completion, having had the input and involvement of many of the industry's foremost experts, it is now important that we have a clearly defined and fully inclusive public consultation. We anticipate that following the conclusion of the process at the end of May, the BSI will be in a position to proceed to final output in the Summer."

Richmond adds, "Getting the PAS to this point has been no easy task and I would like to register my thanks to the BSI and all the members of the steering group who gave their time to develop the specification to this level."

Spokespeople from BSI British Standards are available for interview.  Contact Bhavisha Patel at BSI on bhavisha.patel@bsigroup.com.

About The Content Group

The Content Group – 'It's all about content'

The Content Group (TCG) is the independent content consultancy and technology provider.

Through understanding content and the opportunity it presents, TCG enables its clients to drive out cost and wastage, get to market faster and be more responsive to customers whilst reducing risk and ensuring compliance.

TCG works with clients across the globe focused on achieving better business outcomes through content. If it's about content the world's leading organisations turn to TCG.

Leveraging its Sphere™ content methodology and its Cube™ content lifecycle technology TCG are uniquely positioned to drive value from content for its clients far beyond traditional approaches.

Sphere™ is the best practice content methodology pioneered by TCG which provides a proven approach for content initiatives agnostic to technology.

Cube™ is a technology framework which addresses critical aspects of the lifecycle stages that content goes through.

TCG's content focused capabilities range from providing strategic advisory services through to technology enablement. Working across all aspects of content and majoring around ECM (Enterprise Content Management) and IG (Information Governance) TCG's clients include:  Barclays, Lloyds, Virgin, IKEA, House of Commons and the NHS.

'It's all about content'

For further information, please contact:

Will Gardiner
itpr
Tel. +44-(0)1932-578800

BSI British Standards

For media information:
Bhavisha Patel
BSI
Tel: +44(0)20-89967062
Email: bhavisha.patel@bsigroup.com

BSI British Standards works with businesses, consumers and government to represent UK interests and facilitate the production of British, European and international standards to meet economic and social needs. For further information please go to http://www.bsigroup.com/en/Standards-and-Publications/About-BSI-British-Standards/British_Standards/

A Publicly Available Specification (PAS) is a sponsored fast-track standard driven by the needs of the client organization/s and developed according to guidelines set out by BSI. Key stakeholders are brought together to collaboratively produce a BSI-endorsed PAS that has all the functionality of a British Standard for the purposes of creating management systems, product benchmarks and codes of practice. After two years the PAS is reviewed and a decision is made as to whether it should be taken forward to become a formal British Standard.

BSI British Standards is part of BSI Group, a global independent business services organization that inspires confidence and delivers assurance to customers with standards-based solutions. Originating as the world's first national standards body, the Group has over 2,250 staff in more than 50 global offices. The Group's key offerings are:

• the development and sale of private, national and international standards and supporting information
• second and third-party management systems assessment and certification
• product testing and certification of services and products
• performance management software solutions
• training services in support of standards implementation and business best practice.

SOURCE The Content Group