Alfresco Releases 2.0 with WCM and OpenSearch under GPL

Alfresco is pleased to announce the availability of the Community Version 2.0 of its Open Source Enterprise Content Management System and JSR-170-based repository. This version is now available under the GPL license with a FLOSS exception which allows any open source software using an OSI-approved license to embed the Alfresco repository or applications without change of license or attribution. You can download here.

Version 2.0 has combined the core Alfresco repository with the new web content management system and records management system. The web content management system was designed and implemented by the original engineers from Interwoven who joined Alfresco at the beginning of 2006. The WCM system provides:

• Simple import of existing web sites
• Simple Xforms-based entry of XML data based upon the open source Chiba project with AJAX extensions
• Templating of XML and HTML based upon XSLT and Freemarker
• Virtual sandboxes for staging of web sites without copying files
• Timeline snapshot of web sites with zero effort
• Standard web production workflows extending the JBoss jBPM engine with group and queue support

Our new web site is now a production user of the Alfresco Web Content Management System. It certainly makes it easier for ordinary guys like John Powell and I to add new content to the web site.

Version 2.0 has added new federated search by implementing the OpenSearch protocol, which I blogged about recently and is supported by hundreds of search engines. OpenSearch is a naturally federable search protocol combining searches from multiple search engines. Alfresco acts as both an OpenSearch server participating in a federated search from a web browser or portlet and an OpenSearch client as the Alfresco web client supports searching against multiple Alfresco repositories as well as multiple internet search engines.

In addition, Alfresco Version 2.0 has further simplified the extension of the core repository without updating the Alfresco server using the new Alfresco Modular Packaging (AMP) packs. The Alfresco Records is now provided as an optional AMP pack download. AMP packs extend existing repositories and can include folder structures, content templates, JavaScript and templating scripts, web site structures or Spring-based Java plug-ins in a standard zip file.

Alfresco has also added new AJAX controls for browsing and navigating the repository to the web client. The Alfresco repository has added a new relationships and metadata to support the translation process and multiple language variants of the same content. This capability was developed for use by multi-national corporations and government agencies.

A lot of people have put a lot of work into this release. The WCM team with Kevin, Britt, Jon and Ariel have been working almost a year on the web content components of Alfresco. Derek and Andy have helped to integrate some very sophisticated virtualization capability that WCM supports into the repository. Kev and Gav have been working their magic on the web client to support not just WCM, but also the new OpenSearch interface that allows the client to search multiple repositories, wikis, blogs and the web. Will has been a great guinea pig in building our new web site. Roy has now made it much easier to plug new components into the repository with the AMP packs and it will get even easier as we introduce the AMP Exchange with an iTunes like download capability. He also did a great job in packaging the records management into an AMP as a test base and to make RM optional. And Paul has worked very late nights to make sure it all works together. Congratulations guys on a great release.

We have come a long way in two years. Each of the five releases in the last year have been worthy of a dot-zero designation, but we felt now was the time when all the pieces of ECM have come together in a single package. Wait till you see 2.1!

Comments

[james governor]

RedMonk is an industry analyst firm that would likeea briefing, thanks.