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First, came the document management systems (think early 1990s, pre-dating AOL). Document management systems became enterprise-grade electronic document management systems (EDMS). EDMS was followed by enterprise content management (ECM), and then by cloud content management — probably first mentioned by Box. Content services also made an appearance, only to be rebranded as — wait for it — document management.
Now, vendors in the space are pushing "Intelligent Content Services" — think AI and automation making content services smarter. It's worth noting that the term "intelligent content," as used in this context, is different than its use in marketing.
A 'Significant Shift' in Enterprise Content Management
Older forms of content software and services are still in use across enterprises, but some question whether those organizations can continue to thrive without leveraging AI — the factor that makes content intelligent.
“Generative AI and automation are driving a new era in content services. They’re disruptive,” said Holly Muscolino, group VP, workplace solutions at IDC. “These technologies represent a significant shift in the way we do things.”
The industry seems to agree. A quick scan of the websites of content services and cloud content leaders finds the term “intelligent content” everywhere.
“We're entering the era of intelligent content management,” Box CEO Aaron Levie told investors on a recent earnings call.
"Hyland’s intelligent content solutions turn data chaos into strategic genius,” declares the home page of Hyland’s website.
“Intelligent content is created by bringing content, people, and processes together, leveraging advanced technology, such as AI and machine learning, to make the content smarter,” wrote Lindsay Sterrett, a product marketing leader at OpenText.
Does this all sound like a bunch of buzzwords? Maybe, but make no mistake — intelligent content services are for real. “Companies using content services are demanding capabilities around automation, AI and generative technologies,” said Amy Machado, research manager, enterprise content and knowledge management at IDC. “Every major content services provider is either developing or already offering intelligent content solutions.”
Related Article: AI's Well and Good, But You Still Need Enterprise Content Management
What Differentiates Intelligent Content Services From ECM?
So, what’s new? What are users of intelligent content services getting that they weren’t before? Time savings, speed, efficiency and convenience. The details are coming.
“AI and Generative AI are being handed to knowledge workers for the benefit of all,” added Machado.
Intelligent content services can handle a variety of tasks: automated metadata tagging, intelligent categorization, advanced search, document summarization, content generation, data extraction, sentiment analysis, language detection, translations, speech-to-text conversions, processing unstructured content, and integrating it into workflows, to name a few. And while the capabilities differ from vendor to vendor, those who aren’t offering these tools now are likely to do so soon, according to Muscolino.
Related Article: The Intelligent Digital Workplace Is Already Here
Real-World Use Cases of Intelligent Content Services
Amazon, for instance, uses intelligent content services to streamline its hiring process. AI helps identify qualified candidates based on their skills and qualifications, allowing them to move forward without waiting for a recruiter’s review. Other candidates are flagged for manual evaluation. This process, Amazon claims, not only speeds up hiring but also improves diversity among successful hires.
In human resources, intelligent content services are being used to automatically analyze and classify documents. For example, when a new employee submits an ID card or employment form, the system categorizes it appropriately. HR teams can manage and retrieve onboarding documents more efficiently as a result, reducing time spent on manual organization.
At IBM, intelligent content services have transformed the company’s employee promotions process. Previously, HR teams spent 10 weeks pulling and analyzing documents for as many as 17,000 employees every quarter. Now, with the help of IBM’s watsonx Orchestrate, that work has been automated, reducing manual effort and freeing up time for strategic initiatives like workforce planning.
In customer support, intelligent content services are being used to triage support tickets, ensuring they’re quickly routed to the right team. They also help enhance knowledge bases by analyzing interactions, identifying gaps, and suggesting new articles or updates.
In another case, Limit AI developed a tool specifically for the P&C insurance industry. Their AI assistant analyzes policy documents and interprets complex coverage terms. It can process inquiries automatically and pass more complicated cases to insurance experts for further review. This not only speeds up document processing, but also increases the accuracy of policy interpretation, freeing up knowledge workers to focus on client service and strategic planning.
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Salesforce, in partnership with OpenText, offers an intelligent content feature that allows users to perform Q&A sessions on transcripts of meeting recordings and chat documents. It automatically resolves pronouns and references in questions, providing clearer, rephrased queries for users to better understand the answers given by Aviator, OpenText’s intelligent content tool.
Similarly, Box AI is streamlining tasks across departments through its Slack integration. Marketing teams use it to extract key insights from market reports, speeding up decision-making. Sales teams rely on it to highlight updates in customer presentations, ensuring that they’re always working with the latest information. Legal teams use it to flag important clauses in contracts, enhancing efficiency, while HR teams summarize employee engagement survey results to quickly spot trends.
Just the Latest in a Long Line of Rebrands?
All of that considered, is “intelligent content” just another buzzy term or will it replace “content services”? Both Machado and Muscolino said that it’s here to stay, at least for now. In time, "intelligent content (systems) might become table stakes,” said Machado. Who knows what we’ll call it then?
