TRIM/CM Hits 40-year Milestone
OpenText has unveiled an AI-powered roadmap for its Content Manager platform, which celebrates 40 years of securing government information assets across Australia and globally in 2025.
Originally developed in Canberra in 1985 as TRIM (Tower Records Information Management), the platform now supports more than 700 organisations and 1.8 million users worldwide, from the National Archives to local councils.
OpenText has unveiled its 2025-2026 roadmap for OpenText Content Manager, focusing on modernisation, intelligent automation, and seamless integration with platforms like Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and Google Drive.
Key updates include a modern interface, enhanced mobile app features, AI-driven natural language processing for simplified searches, advanced reporting tools, and improvements to auto-classification, empowering organisations with smarter content management and actionable insights.
OpenText ANZ Vice President George Harb said what began as a records management system for public servants has evolved into a modern, cloud-ready information governance platform, maintaining its reputation for security, compliance and trust.
“Content Manager’s evolution mirrors the growth of digital government itself, from paper archives to AI-driven information ecosystems. It’s a testament to how innovation, compliance and trust can coexist over decades,” Mr Harb said.
“As agencies face growing pressure around cybersecurity, privacy reform and transparency, Content
Manager continues to give them confidence that critical records are secure and discoverable.
“Few enterprise solutions can claim 40 years of continuous relevance, and this milestone certainly underlines how deeply embedded Content Manager is in Australia’s public sector and beyond.”
The platform remains deeply embedded in Australia's public sector while expanding internationally to organisations like the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Legacy Management, which uses Content Manager for long-term preservation of environmental and regulatory data.
According to Brandon Voight, OpenText Australia and New Zealand Director Public Sector, the platform's longevity stems from partnerships across Australia and New Zealand that have continuously enhanced its capabilities.
The software was originally built by Tower Software, founded in 1986 by Brand Hoff, with Rory Kleeman heading research and development. Kleeman credits the platform's success to addressing the fundamental need for information accountability and governance.
"From the start, it was about giving people confidence that their information was safe, accessible and governed properly. That's what made it stick - not just the technology, but the mindset," Kleeman said.
“To see something born in Canberra now underpin digital recordkeeping across the world, from museums to councils to national agencies, is something every Australian technologist can be proud of.”