Dubai's Silicon Oasis has signed a deal with IBM to use its content management platform to deliver paperless working for firms located in the region.

Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA) is using IBM Filenet Enterprise Content Management systems to better manage and share information. DSOA is the UAE's business hub that hosts high-tech firms.

Implemented in phases, the first stage involved the implementation of IBM Filenet Capture and Content Manager for the backlog conversion of document hardcopies held in DSOE's archive. This has facilitated DSOA's move from a paper-based environment towards a paperless one.

Starting in January 2010, DSOA will start the second phase, which will fully integrate IBM's content management solutions with the Oracle ERP solution used by DSOE. This will improve productivity by closely integrating business documents with business processes.

Gulf Commercial Group (GCG), an office automation and imaging technology provider and IBM's business partner in the UAE, is overseeing the project.

Abdulsalam Rahma Bastaki, director of IT and services at Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, said, “The initiative is an outcome of our ambition to automate our document management and transform our processes as part of our strategy to streamline and optimise our operations, and leverage considerable cost and time savings."

He said, "We continually receive significant interest from major businesses that we aim to host through creating a universally recognised state-of-the-art infrastructure, that will support technology-based industries seeking to enter or expand operations across the region.”