One key thing with smart content is that it must be adaptable.

When we know the structure and semantics of the content, we can output that content to multiple channels, adapting it to best meet the needs of the channel.

The benefit of smart content and automation is that content can be adapted with little or no human intervention. When a new device or use case for the content comes along, it is a simple matter of creating another set of rules that adapts the source content to the new device or the new use case. The days of handcrafting deliverables and reworking content should be gone.

The main point: No one can keep up with the ever-increasing variety of devices or use cases. The smart way to proceed is to develop content that can be easily adapted for output to any device or any receiving technology.

Using the DocFactory API, you can deliver content using the content structure and semantics together with rules for a specific device or use case in multiple ways.

As an example, this specific article written in Markdown can be rendered as XML, HTML, PDF or even as FO, allowing a user, a device or a receiving process to access the information in its optimal way.

Smart Content, Part 1