As defined in Modern Information Management: What is Manage-in-Place, manage-in-place is an information governance strategy that focuses on managing and protecting information directly where it resides, rather than moving it to a separate repository. This approach enables organisations to apply consistent governance controls – such as classification, retention, and legal holds – across disparate systems, while maintaining the content in its original location, thereby minimising disruption to user workflows.
However, not all manage-in-place solutions are built the same. Several distinct technical architectures are used to deliver this capability. The document Modern Information Management – Technical Approaches to Manage-In-Place outlines five primary models:
- Federated Indexing/Metadata Virtualisation
- Connector-Based Control (API-Driven Enforcement)
- Agentless Discovery + Central Register
- Federated Policy Orchestration (Central Rules, Local Execution)
- In-Place Analysis and Remediation (Discovery-Led Governance)
Understanding these architectural variations is crucial for selecting the most suitable strategy. This vendor summary serves as a guide, mapping leading market solutions to these technical approaches to help your organisation make an informed investment decision.
| Vendor | Product/Solution | Type of Manage-in-Place Architecture | Technical Approach Description |
| ActiveNav | ActiveNav Cloud | In-Place Analysis and Remediation | Scans M365, file shares, and enterprise content management systems (ECMs) (OpenText, iManage, NetDocuments) to identify and remediate relevant, outdated, trivial (ROT) or sensitive data in place. Focus on discovery and risk reduction. |
| Castlepoint Systems | Castlepoint Platform | Agentless Discovery + Central Register | Scans and registers information across any system (M365, file shares, electronic document and records management systems (EDRMS)) without connectors or data movement. The central policy engine applies retention, classification, and legal hold, with enforcement executed via native repository capabilities. |
| EncompaaS | EncompaaS Platform | Connector-Based Control + Federated Policy Orchestrator | Uses connectors to discover and analyse content across repositories (M365, file shares, OpenText CM). Policies and retention are applied centrally; actions are executed back to sources via APIs. |
| Everteam (Kyocera Group) | Everteam IG Suite (discover + rrs) | Connector-Based Control + Policy Orchestration | Connectors discover and manage documents across Office 365, file shares, enterprise resource planning (ERP), etc. Retention and deletion rules are executed back to the source systems. |
| Gimmal | Gimmal Records Management | Connector-Based Control | Federated records control using repository connectors (M365, file shares, ECMs). The central engine pushes classification, retention, and legal holds to each source. |
| Hyland | Federation Services (OnBase/Alfresco) | Federated Indexing + Policy Orchestration | Indexes and governs external repositories (M365, file shares) while enforcing Hyland retention rules within each source. |
| iManage | iManage Records Manager | Connector-Based Control | Central file plan manages records in place across iManage Work, file shares, and Microsoft 365 (via partner connectors such as imDocShare). |
| M-Files | Intelligent Metadata Layer (IML) | Federated Indexing/Metadata Virtualisation | Creates a unified metadata layer over external repositories (SharePoint, OpenText, file systems). Content remains in source; metadata and policies are synchronised centrally. |
| OpenText | Core for Federated Compliance | Federated Policy Orchestration | Cloud control plane issues retention and hold policies to connected repositories (M365, Content Cloud, Google Workspace). Policies executed via repository APIs. |
| RecordPoint | Data Trust Platform (formerly Records365) | Connector-Based Control (API-Driven Enforcement) | Uses standard and custom connectors to govern content across M365, file shares, Google, Box, and business systems. Policies applied remotely without migration. |
| RSD | RSD GLASS | Federated Policy Orchestration | Central policy definition enforced across multiple repositories via connectors or agents. Retention and holds are executed within the source systems. |
| Veritas | Veritas Alta | In-Place Analysis and Remediation | Analyses and remediates data across M365, file shares, and Cloud apps; applies policy-based cleanup and risk control without migration. |
Vendor Licensing Details
| Vendor | Product / Solution | Pricing / Licensing Approach |
| ActiveNav | ActiveNav Cloud | Starts at US$12,500/year, tiered Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). |
| Castlepoint Systems | Castlepoint | Flat subscription model; quote on request. |
| EncompaaS | EncompaaS Platform | Enterprise SaaS subscription, quote-based. |
| Everteam (Kyocera Group) | Everteam IG Suite | Quote-based subscription. |
| Gimmal (Morae) | Gimmal Records/Next | Quote-based via Morae partners/direct. |
| Hyland | Federation Services (OnBase/Alfresco) | Subscription licensing (since 2021) via partner quotes. |
| iManage | iManage Records Manager | Cloud subscription or on-prem; pricing via partner quote. |
| M-Files | Intelligent Metadata Layer (IML) | Edition-based subscription (Standard/Pro/Enterprise) via partner. |
| OpenText | Core for Federated Compliance | Subscription under Content Cloud packages; quote required. |
| RecordPoint | RecordPoint Platform/Data Trust | Tiered SaaS subscription; quote via sales. |
| RSD | RSD GLASS | Enterprise licensing; quote-based. |
| Veritas | Alta Data Insight/Arctera | Licensed by users or monitored storage; subscription SKUs. |
