DocuWare launches AI-assisted document platform upgrade

DocuWare has launched a new version of its document management platform, combining a redesigned interface, a built-in AI assistant and updated document processing tools.

The platform is now available to new cloud customers, with an on-premises version to follow later. Existing users can continue running the current client and mobile app alongside the new system during the transition.

The release brings together three main changes: a rebuilt web and mobile experience, a new AI assistant called DocuWare Aura, and expanded functions for DocuWare IDP, the company's intelligent document processing software.

The new interface has been built to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 AA standards. It replaces the previous web client, while the earlier mobile app is being renamed classic DocuWare.

A new mobile app will serve as a companion for users who need access away from the office. It will let them find and share documents, manage tasks, receive task alerts and import files from smartphones and tablets.

AI assistant

One of the main additions is DocuWare Aura, which is included for DocuWare Cloud customers. The assistant allows users to ask questions in natural language and search, summarise and compare information across DocuWare file cabinets.

Aura draws answers from an organisation's own document repositories rather than public data sources. It also works within the user permissions already set in DocuWare and can provide references to original source documents.

Aura will also be accessible through an application programming interface, allowing external AI agents to interact with the system while keeping existing security and permission controls in place.

Michael Bochmann, Chief Product and Technology Officer, DocuWare, said: "With new DocuWare, we are redefining the role of documents in the digital enterprise. Business-critical information should not remain trapped in files. Instead, it should actively inform decisions, drive processes and enable intelligent automation. By leveraging the latest technologies in AI and automation, new DocuWare turns content into actionable intelligence and creates the foundation for a new generation of knowledge-driven work."

IDP update

DocuWare has also expanded DocuWare IDP, which is used to capture, classify and extract data from documents. The product is now more closely integrated with the wider platform.

Among the additions is what DocuWare calls Gen AI-based Zero Shot Extraction. The feature is designed to extract data from document types the system has not previously encountered, without prior training.

DocuWare IDP now also includes optical character recognition in 20 languages. This allows scanned documents and images to be converted into machine-readable text across a wider range of local business languages.

Another addition is Master Data Matching, which compares extracted document data with master data from other systems such as ERP software. The aim is to turn information captured from documents into records that can be used in business systems.

Customer base

DocuWare has about 20,000 customers in more than 100 countries and works with a partner network of more than 800 firms. The company is headquartered in Germering, Germany, and also has offices in New York, Saarbrücken, Paris, Barcelona, Sofia and Birmingham.

During the rollout, both the new and classic versions of DocuWare will remain available, allowing customers to switch at their own pace without changing existing data or settings.