from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
Electronic Report Management
Computer Output on Microfilm
Computer Output to Laser Disc
Computer Output to Laser Disk
Enterprise Report Management
ERM
<storage> (ERM, Enterprise Report Management) The capture,
archiving and publishing, in digital form, of (typically
{mainframe} generated) documents such as accounting and
financial reports. ERM often replaces systems based on paper
or {microfilm}.
ERM usually captures data from {print streams} and stores it
on {hard drives}, {storage area networks} or {optical disk}
drives. The data is indexed and can be retreived at the
desktop with a {web browser} or a {fat client}. ERM systems
are part of {enterprise content management} or {electronic
document management}.
An example application is PearlDoc QuickFile Information
Management System (http://pearldoc.com/) (IMS).
An early replacement for {greenbar} printed reports was
Computer Output on Microfilm (COM, not to be confused with
{Microsoft}'s {Component Object Model}). This was superseded
by Computer Output to Laser Disk (or Disc - COLD) which used
optical media.
In 1999 the {AIIM} renamed COLD to ERM/COLD to reflect the
variety of media in use. This was promoted, in 2002, by Mason
Grigsby - widely reputed as "The Father of COLD" for his
seminal work with {INSCI} in the late 1980s. Judging from
their web site, AIIM don't seem too sure whether ERM is
"Electronic", "Enterprise" or both.
(2007-07-25)