Alfresco is the top open source substitute for enterprise content management (ECM). It combines the open source innovation with the stability of true enterprise-class platforms. Alfresco's source model allows it to utilize best-of-breed open source technologies. The open source community links contribute to the development of Alfresco. The result is a higher quality software developed more quickly at a lower cost.

Features

Alfresco has a number of features that make it stand out over other ECM systems. Features include:  Document Management, repository-level versioning (comparable to Subversion), Image Management, Records Management, Integrated Publishing, and jBPM workflow. It also features Web Content Management that includes session virtualization and full webapp, transparent overlays that are similar to unionfs, and repository access via FTP, CIFS/SMB, WebDAV and CMIS.

In addition, Alfresco also features auto-generated XForms with AJAX support, multi-language support, Federated servers, Lucene search, portable application packaging, and clustering support. It has browser-based GUI (support for Firefox and Internet Explorer), multi-platform support (Solaris, Windows, and Linux), and desktop integration with OpenOffice.org and Microsoft Office.

Alfresco vs Documentum

Many cheapskates test drive the open source ECM system in no time because, well, it is free. When they do, they are in for a big surprise. The development environment setup for Alfresco takes less time compared to Documentum setup. It can be setup in around 20 minutes. This comparison, however, is a little unfair because configuring an enterprise grade production will most likely take longer than 20 minutes for Alfresco.

Alfresco vs Filenet

Many users go for Filenet because it is more suitable for finance and insurance industries considering its strong workflow capabilities. What is good about Alfresco is that it offers most of Filenet features as of today at much cheaper TCO.

Alfresco vs SharePoint

While more and more people are using Alfresco, many users still prefer other ECM systems over Alfresco. For example, SharePoint is the obvious winner in terms of user friendliness. While it is complicated, SharePoint is easier to set up than Alfresco. Also, SharePoint may be more appealing than Alfresco to support staff and developers.

Overall, Alfresco is one of the best ECM systems out there. Try Alfresco if you have not committed to a certain platform for ECM and if you are looking for one.