Many of the document management systems we have reviewed, like a large percentage of IT systems as a whole, are making the transition from on-premises, client-server applications to cloud-delivered, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) apps.
In most cases, this offers benefits to both the customer and the vendor.
Hand in hand with this cloud transition is a movement toward more simplified user interfaces (UIs) geared toward a generation raised with Apple iPads.
Computhink Contentverse (which begins at $15 per user per month for the Professional plan) bucks these trends, opting instead for a client-server architecture in either an on-premises or hosted environment.
That's close to a SaaS app but not quite the same thing.
And, while some of the design elements used in its UI will be familiar to Windows 10 users, such as the Microsoft Office-style tool ribbon at the top of the screen, one adjective you can't use to describe it is "simple." With these idiosyncrasies weighing it down, even though it offers some powerful, enterprise-grade document management features, we found it lagged well behind our Editors' Choice winners Ascensio System OnlyOffice and Microsoft SharePoint Online.
A Wealth of Enterprise Features
There's little doubt that Computhink Contentverse is geared toward enterprises looking to bring consistency and compliance to their document management process.
Computhink Contentverse offers the ability to create a folder-oriented organizational structure by using a cabinet/drawer/folder metaphor.
This is used to handle security and manage document types in such a way that file metadata must be appropriately populated.
This file metadata, known in Computhink Contentverse as "index fields," help describe the document, its purpose, or ownership information, and drive more advanced features suchas file retention, search, and workflow.
An important note for IT administrators: Many of the more complex enterprise features are configured by using a separate admin app, such as configuring document types, users, retention policies, and more.
Retention policies are a major requirement for corporations operating in litigation-heavy businesses.
Preventing the loss of critical business documents is a crucial feature for IT shops looking to maintain compliance and limiting legal exposure.
Computhink Contentverse provides a toolset for managing retention policies through the admin console.
That involves configuring an applicable folder, document type, condition, and action.
These condition-based policies let you mark files meeting a certain rule as read-only, to prevent modification or to enforce archival or deletion after a set period of time.
Optionally, you can send an email notification prior to the action being performed.
Each policy applies to a single folder and can have only one action, which makes managing them fairly inefficient.
Ideally, you could apply multiple conditions and actions to a single policy, and then enforce that policy globally or across several folders; this is something we hope to see in future editions.
Another document management feature that most companies are looking to implement is workflow, something Microsoft SharePoint does well along with lesser-known player Ademero Content Central (35.00 Per User Per Month at Ademero) .
When properly implemented, a document management workflow can improve efficiency and compliance through automation, triggered on index fields or folders.
Workflows are a bit more complex to configure than retention policies, but Computhink Contentverse provides a workflow configuration module in the admin app.
Beginning with a start node, which is triggered on a new document in a folder, an index value being set, or a user manually selecting the workflow, documents can be handled appropriately based on whatever criteria your IT admin has selected.
Workflows can be as simple as routing the document to a single user for approval, or complex enough to handle conditional decisions and routing to multiple signatories for layered approval.
Having the ability to redact a document, blocking out sensitive information, is another popular requirement for many enterprises that need to control what information is being made available to different users, customers, partners, and other classifications.
Document redactions in Computhink Contentverse are managed by the user, and involve using the document annotation tools to select the document content to be hidden.
The redacted version of a document can be viewed by users with the appropriate permissions, while only users with the redaction password can view the document in its entirety.
Folder permissions are one admin feature that isn't in the admin app.
Users (assuming they have proper permissions) can manage permissions on the Computhink Contentverse folder structure.
This process involves selecting a group or user, and applying permissions such as document creation, editing, and sharing (through email, printing, etc.).
Folder permissions can be configured to inherit from the parent folder, which allows for efficient application of permissions.
In addition to compliance and document control solutions, many businesses are looking for options to streamline document sharing and collaboration.
Computhink Contentverse doesn't provide much value in this area, mainly because the primary sharing methods are via email, fax, or printing a hard copy of a document.
The UI Needs Work
Bottom line: We're not fans of the UI offered by Computhink Contentverse and we have a list of reasons why.
The customizable panels have their uses but half the time they're simply wasted space, as they don't actually display any information until a document is selected or being edited.
Also, it's fairly difficult to find the button to perform a particular function.
One of the main reasons Microsoft implemented the ribbon UI was to provide a central (context-sensitive) area for tools.
A large percentage of the functions in Computhink Contentverse are only available through the context or right-click menu.
While the context menu is a powerful tool in its own right, it's inefficient and difficult to learn this as the primary navigation method.
Ironically, considering Computhink's fondness for the Microsoft UI standard, a perfect contrast to the Computhink Contentverse UI is Editors' Choice winner Microsoft SharePoint Online ($5.00 Per User Per Month at Microsoft365 for Business) .
Long maligned for over-the-top complexity and a lack of usability, Microsoft put some serious work into alleviating the pain of getting started with their document management system.
Power users and admins still have the ability to utilize advanced features, but they're properly layered behind a design that features the most common tools users require and seeks to make working with corporate documents easier, not harder.
Computhink has some work to do to emulate these capabilities with Computhink Contentverse.
Overall, outside of document sharing and collaboration features, which is a significant omission, the Computhink Contentverse feature set is competitive with the top document management solutions we've reviewed.
If that's enough for you, then know that the Professional tier of Computhink Contentverse costs $15 per user per month in a hosted configuration, though it's a little limited on features.
The Enterprise version (which is the one we tested) includes things such as annotations and retractions, and more support for output formats, and it will run you $33 per user per month.
If you opt for on-site or hybrid deployment architectures, then you'll need to contact the company for pricing information.
Unfortunately, the UI is seriously flawed and should be considered in terms of its cost due to lost efficiency or even training requirements when compared to better designed offerings such as Microsoft SharePoint Online and Ascensio System OnlyOffice (40.00 Per Year at ONLYOFFICE) .
Unless you can get past the lack of true document sharing and your users can handle a less-than-intuitive UI, most will want to steer clear of Computhink Contentverse until the company reworks its front end.
Pros
Robust feature set includes file retention, workflow, and redaction.
Client-server architecture will appeal to some.
The Bottom Line
Computhink Contentverse provides some serious features in the enterprise document management space such as retention policies, workflow, and redaction.
The downside is that document sharing doesn't get much attention, and the user interface is anything but intuitive.
Many of the document management systems we have reviewed, like a large percentage of IT systems as a whole, are making the transition from on-premises, client-server applications to cloud-delivered, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) apps.
In most cases, this offers benefits to both the customer and the vendor.
Hand in hand with this cloud transition is a movement toward more simplified user interfaces (UIs) geared toward a generation raised with Apple iPads.
Computhink Contentverse (which begins at $15 per user per month for the Professional plan) bucks these trends, opting instead for a client-server architecture in either an on-premises or hosted environment.
That's close to a SaaS app but not quite the same thing.
And, while some of the design elements used in its UI will be familiar to Windows 10 users, such as the Microsoft Office-style tool ribbon at the top of the screen, one adjective you can't use to describe it is "simple." With these idiosyncrasies weighing it down, even though it offers some powerful, enterprise-grade document management features, we found it lagged well behind our Editors' Choice winners Ascensio System OnlyOffice and Microsoft SharePoint Online.
A Wealth of Enterprise Features
There's little doubt that Computhink Contentverse is geared toward enterprises looking to bring consistency and compliance to their document management process.
Computhink Contentverse offers the ability to create a folder-oriented organizational structure by using a cabinet/drawer/folder metaphor.
This is used to handle security and manage document types in such a way that file metadata must be appropriately populated.
This file metadata, known in Computhink Contentverse as "index fields," help describe the document, its purpose, or ownership information, and drive more advanced features suchas file retention, search, and workflow.
An important note for IT administrators: Many of the more complex enterprise features are configured by using a separate admin app, such as configuring document types, users, retention policies, and more.
Retention policies are a major requirement for corporations operating in litigation-heavy businesses.
Preventing the loss of critical business documents is a crucial feature for IT shops looking to maintain compliance and limiting legal exposure.
Computhink Contentverse provides a toolset for managing retention policies through the admin console.
That involves configuring an applicable folder, document type, condition, and action.
These condition-based policies let you mark files meeting a certain rule as read-only, to prevent modification or to enforce archival or deletion after a set period of time.
Optionally, you can send an email notification prior to the action being performed.
Each policy applies to a single folder and can have only one action, which makes managing them fairly inefficient.
Ideally, you could apply multiple conditions and actions to a single policy, and then enforce that policy globally or across several folders; this is something we hope to see in future editions.
Another document management feature that most companies are looking to implement is workflow, something Microsoft SharePoint does well along with lesser-known player Ademero Content Central (35.00 Per User Per Month at Ademero) .
When properly implemented, a document management workflow can improve efficiency and compliance through automation, triggered on index fields or folders.
Workflows are a bit more complex to configure than retention policies, but Computhink Contentverse provides a workflow configuration module in the admin app.
Beginning with a start node, which is triggered on a new document in a folder, an index value being set, or a user manually selecting the workflow, documents can be handled appropriately based on whatever criteria your IT admin has selected.
Workflows can be as simple as routing the document to a single user for approval, or complex enough to handle conditional decisions and routing to multiple signatories for layered approval.
Having the ability to redact a document, blocking out sensitive information, is another popular requirement for many enterprises that need to control what information is being made available to different users, customers, partners, and other classifications.
Document redactions in Computhink Contentverse are managed by the user, and involve using the document annotation tools to select the document content to be hidden.
The redacted version of a document can be viewed by users with the appropriate permissions, while only users with the redaction password can view the document in its entirety.
Folder permissions are one admin feature that isn't in the admin app.
Users (assuming they have proper permissions) can manage permissions on the Computhink Contentverse folder structure.
This process involves selecting a group or user, and applying permissions such as document creation, editing, and sharing (through email, printing, etc.).
Folder permissions can be configured to inherit from the parent folder, which allows for efficient application of permissions.
In addition to compliance and document control solutions, many businesses are looking for options to streamline document sharing and collaboration.
Computhink Contentverse doesn't provide much value in this area, mainly because the primary sharing methods are via email, fax, or printing a hard copy of a document.
The UI Needs Work
Bottom line: We're not fans of the UI offered by Computhink Contentverse and we have a list of reasons why.
The customizable panels have their uses but half the time they're simply wasted space, as they don't actually display any information until a document is selected or being edited.
Also, it's fairly difficult to find the button to perform a particular function.
One of the main reasons Microsoft implemented the ribbon UI was to provide a central (context-sensitive) area for tools.
A large percentage of the functions in Computhink Contentverse are only available through the context or right-click menu.
While the context menu is a powerful tool in its own right, it's inefficient and difficult to learn this as the primary navigation method.
Ironically, considering Computhink's fondness for the Microsoft UI standard, a perfect contrast to the Computhink Contentverse UI is Editors' Choice winner Microsoft SharePoint Online ($5.00 Per User Per Month at Microsoft365 for Business) .
Long maligned for over-the-top complexity and a lack of usability, Microsoft put some serious work into alleviating the pain of getting started with their document management system.
Power users and admins still have the ability to utilize advanced features, but they're properly layered behind a design that features the most common tools users require and seeks to make working with corporate documents easier, not harder.
Computhink has some work to do to emulate these capabilities with Computhink Contentverse.
Overall, outside of document sharing and collaboration features, which is a significant omission, the Computhink Contentverse feature set is competitive with the top document management solutions we've reviewed.
If that's enough for you, then know that the Professional tier of Computhink Contentverse costs $15 per user per month in a hosted configuration, though it's a little limited on features.
The Enterprise version (which is the one we tested) includes things such as annotations and retractions, and more support for output formats, and it will run you $33 per user per month.
If you opt for on-site or hybrid deployment architectures, then you'll need to contact the company for pricing information.
Unfortunately, the UI is seriously flawed and should be considered in terms of its cost due to lost efficiency or even training requirements when compared to better designed offerings such as Microsoft SharePoint Online and Ascensio System OnlyOffice (40.00 Per Year at ONLYOFFICE) .
Unless you can get past the lack of true document sharing and your users can handle a less-than-intuitive UI, most will want to steer clear of Computhink Contentverse until the company reworks its front end.
Pros
Robust feature set includes file retention, workflow, and redaction.
Client-server architecture will appeal to some.
The Bottom Line
Computhink Contentverse provides some serious features in the enterprise document management space such as retention policies, workflow, and redaction.
The downside is that document sharing doesn't get much attention, and the user interface is anything but intuitive.
