Document management with Perforce Commons

Perforce, provider of the SCM (software configuration management) system of the same name, has released Commons, a tool to enable business users to collaboratively work on documents while taking advantage of Perforce's version control and tracking. It supports a range of file types, from large binary objects to small image files, and includes automated change merging for common document types, including Word and PowerPoint. According to the company, teams save time and effort spent on searching, revising and shared editing of documents because the full file history is tracked and documented.

Commons expands the reach of a company-wide Perforce system, from only handling source code and other digital assets used in software development, to also manage a company's business document handling. Requirements for this handling have become more complex over the years with regulatory controls demanding compliance. Commons provides administrators with that security, auditability and the compliance options needed to control intellectual property within a company. Using Commons, staff can also work on the same file in parallel without overwriting each others' changes and business specialists can access and version files alongside technical staff working with Perforce.

Commons' File Valet tracks when files are edited, moved, deleted or changed, by whom, which version that person edited and why. Users can store files anywhere within Commons and File Valet will present them with the documents' historical information. The tool also enables users to perform actions such as leave comments and notes on documents that are visible to other users and enables users to follow files or folders and receive notifications whenever they are changed.

Commons is free to use for teams of up to 20 members. The application is also free of charge to existing Perforce version management product customers. Pricing for Commons starts at $12 per new user per month, with lower prices for larger volumes.

(fab)