OpenText™ Knowledge Discovery (IDOL) provides a data analytics platform for enterprises who need to extract maximum value from all their text, audio, video, and image data, from any repository in any file format. Providing data extraction, data enrichment, precise search and knowledge discovery, Knowledge Discovery helps organizations discover valuable information they did not know they had, whilst also identifying compliance risk associated with document contents such as personally identifiable information (PII) using entity grammars. 

With an unparalleled history in artificial intelligence and machine learning, Knowledge Discovery provides a unique set of optimized models to fit any application, accelerating time to value. Connecting and gathering information from diverse locations with over 160 connector types, including Public and Private Cloud and On-Premise, Salesforce, Microsoft® 365, Google Workspace and OpenText Content Solutions and can access and retrieve information and knowledge from over 2000 file types.  

May 2025: What’s new in OpenText Knowledge Discovery CE 25.2

This OpenText Knowledge Discovery (IDOL) CE 25.2 release includes various functional and performance improvements, new connectors, file format support, and many other additions. 

New connectors

• Improved OpenText Information Archive connector – An updated bidirectional connector for the Information Archive repository allows it to archive data as well as search and understand previously archived data.

• New Guidewire connector – A searching connector enables the ingestion of contract and policy content into the OpenText Knowledge Discovery index.

Named Entity Recognition - Landmarks exposed to pre-process

• Defined improvements in Named Entity Recognition – Added elements for Turkish Address, more city names in NZ Addressand the NZ Social Welfare number. 

• Defined improvements in PCI - Added extra delimiters for card details, in names and medical details, as well as expanded landmarks for Telephone context matching. 

• PII Japanese names accuracy improved - Increased accuracy of Named Entity Recognition detecting Japanese names, and improved ability to correctly identify Japanese names within a document.  

Opentext File Content Extraction updates and other improvements

• File formats - New Design Web Format (DWF) filter support, metadata now available from password-protected iWork files and additional formats detected. 

• Performance improvements – A reduction in the iWork reader disk footprint as well as a reduction of the footprint of the common third-party libraries. 

• Easier access to HTML Export from Filter – Improved ability to select XMP metadata elements and subfile extraction arguments added to C++ API 

• OEM platform – OEM Easier fault diagnosis with library-wide logging, improved security of inter-process mechanisms and better HTML Export fidelity for DWG Docs.  

January 2025: What’s new in OpenText Knowledge Discovery CE 25.1  

Organizations are looking to access all their Enterprise Data; but in a world where 90% of existing corporate knowledge is in Unstructured formats, over 50% of organizations are not tapping into this aspect of their knowledge with any form of discovery. Customers can use OpenText Knowledge Discovery with new interfaces, including using Natural language questioning to reach their information securely across all users. 

This OpenText Knowledge Discovery (IDOL) CE 25.1 release includes various functional and performance improvements, new connectors, file format support, and many other additions. 

New APIs added 

PII named entity resolution REST API – created a published REST API to access OpenTex Named Entity Recognition for PII functionality. Simplifies the adoption of Knowledge Discovery Al technology by internal and external OEMs 

Rich-Media analysis REST API – created a published REST API to access all Rich Media analytics functionality. Simplifies the adoption of Knowledge Discovery Al technology by internal and external OEMs 

Ingest and connectors 

New OpenText DAM connector

• A highly functional connector to the OpenText DAM product. This allows OpenText Knowledge Discovery to ingest and enrich content from the DAM repository and keep the data synchronized between the two systems to provide DAM content filtering using the Search Abstractor API 

Improved security in OpenText Content Management (Extended ECM) Connector  

• Increased alignment of document security policies between OpenText Content Management and OpenText Knowledge Discovery

• OpenText Content Management has numerous document security models above and beyond document folder based, where possible these have now been mapped to OpenText Knowledge Discovery's understanding of access rights

OpenText Named Entity Recognition - Landmarks exposed to pre-process 

Defined grammar landmarks are now visible at the pre-process stage of OpenText Named Entity Recognition

• Pre-processing can significantly help in reducing latency and workload, landmarks can be used to help make selection decisions at this early stage. DLP OEM vendors will benefit from this.  

PII Thailand names accuracy improved

• Increased accuracy of OpenText Named Entity Recognition detecting Thai names - the new grammar has an improved ability to correctly identify Thai names within a document  

Deployment and other improvements 

Automatic scaling OpenText Knowledge Discovery platform for Kubernetes

• Published Helm charts to deploy OpenText Knowledge Discovery with the ability to automatically scale resource - deployment size flexibility along with simplified expansion as and when required 

Vault integration with OpenText Knowledge Discovery components

• OpenText Knowledge Discovery microservices can securely store passwords and keys in the Vault repository (or equivalent)  
• Customers will benefit from cloud deployment best practice of secure central storage of passwords and keys etc. 

December 2024: What’s new in OpenText Knowledge Discovery CE 24.4 

Organizations are looking to access all their enterprise data; but in a world where 90% of existing corporate knowledge is in unstructured formats, over 50% of organizations are not tapping into this aspect of their knowledge with any form of discovery. Customers can use Knowledge Discovery with new interfaces, including using natural language questioning to reach their information securely across all users. 

This OpenText Knowledge Discovery (IDOL) 24.4 release includes various functional and performance improvements, new connectors, file format support, and many other additions. 

New API added 

Search Abstractor Rest API – created to support conversational question and answering with better context for AI generated responses. Conversation server, working with FAQ answers through Answer bank, Fact bank and now LLM’s remembers the context of questions within the conversations service in Knowledge Discovery. Adding to the great governance provided by curated answers. 

Filtering support in the Search Abstractor adds parametric fields for pre-filtering of documents. The search results can provide microscopic view of either single or multiple documents through criteria for fine grain filtering. The searching can now utilise prior knowledge to allow focus on RAG document retrieval, by using parametric fields to build a subset of entities for RAG. 

Working across text documents and images simultaneously in the search abstractor. Searching can now take criteria of both text and images as search criteria, and the results will also include similar images making Multi Modal search available. 

Ingest & connectors 

• Salesforce – Updating the connector to stay up to date with the changes in Salesforce. 

• Additional Pre filtering for focused selection added to OpenText Core Content Management & OpenText Content Management.

• IBM FileNet P8 Each document in FileNet can have multiple binary files which we now interrogate. 

Text analytics 

• Analytics: LLM based image matching - Image based transformers can be used to generate vectors for the Knowledge Discovery (IDOL) Index. Customers can now search for similar images based on not just the textual description but also the actual image content.   

Media Server 

• The Media Server as a NiFi Processor is now available with full functionality. This allow NiFi workflows and the ability to scale and manage the Media Server app though Nifi clustering. 

• Demo application with abilities to process and analyze images and other functionalities is now available in the Media Server for ease of use. 

File content extraction

• Filtering of Source Code comments 

• Support added for Metadata output for .mht files & QuickTime (.mov) files. 

• Extended format detection, with support for 93 additional file formats. 

• In HTML Export the pdf2sr reader to extract images from pages in a PDF file, you can now configure the size of the images to produce. 

Deployment & other improvements 

• HELM charts for Kubernetes provide a comprehensive set of options to assist complex deployments. With the 24.4 release we bring further enhancements to our HELM charts. 

• Named Entity Recognition SDK: You can load multiple grammars and then dynamically turn off what it is not needed for a particular document, allowing the flexibility of swapping grammars with less degradation of performance in comparison to the loading unloading cycle of grammars. The new thing is a reducing of the overall impact of this process.  

July 2024: What’s new in OpenText Knowledge Discovery (IDOL) CE 24.3

OpenText Knowledge Discovery CE 24.3 is a significant release for the third quarter of CY24. There is an increasing need for companies to reach a greater variety of data, which adds to the complexity of their search types. We allow all customers to achieve a suitable response in their enterprise-wide search across all levels of an organization.

Now part of Content Services, the combination of best of breed products will help organizations who are looking to access all their corporate knowledge through enterprise search. Bringing additional abilities to derive deeper insights, reach actionable conclusions quicker, and gaining a new level of investigative analytics, across content, teams, and projects. Document level security is also enhanced, with extra features to report and export securely and track data delivery end to end.

The Knowledge Discovery CE 24.3 release includes various functional and performance improvements, new connectors, file format support, and many other additions.

The main improvements in version CE 24.3 are listed below:

Ingest 

• Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Cisco Webex and Google Chat connectors – New connectors allow customers to collect collaborative video meetings for retrospective analysis and/or content retrieval as part of aviator search.

Text Analytics 

• Search abstractor – Customers will have better context provided by the RAG to pass on to the GenAI, therefore experiencing a higher likelihood of a correct answer being produced.

• Specific document retrieval – Customer can ask the system to find and return a specific document that matches their unique specification.

Rich Media Analytics 

• OCR improvement – Improved OCR for better support of scrolling text. Customers will experience a higher accuracy of extracted text from video imagery. 

• Speaker ID improvement – Customers will experience a higher accuracy of Speaker ID from video or audio files. 

KeyView 

• Added Audio and Video to the Export SDK.

• Added 30 new formats to File detection. 

• Metadata API Improved to limit duplicated data.

• New .NET API.

• Added support for Python 3.12.

Solutions 

• Knowledge Discovery Discover – Discover provides investigative analytics and advanced UI for searching and analyzing relations between objects, with project and team collaboration along with full oversight on the analytics process.

• Knowledge Discovery for Microsoft Exchange – Knowledge Discovery can be added as a BOT in MS Exchange allowing customers to directly access the functionality via simple natural language prompts emailed to a BOT email address in MS Exchange. 

Deployment & Licensing changes 

All components are now published to the Public Docker Hub repository to allow easier installation, maintenance and upgrades.

• Eduction Python EDK – Customers who prefer to program using the popular Python language can now use it to control our Eduction engine, simplifying their integration experience. 

• Eduction for Windows ARM – OEM users of Eduction EDK can now deploy on Windows ARM systems. 

• Additional license feature
  • From CE 23.2, we are introducing an additional license feature – a “version.key” 
  • The file is available in the SLD portal for customers with an active support contract and is required for all Knowledge Discovery installations running CE 23.2.
  • New key will be issued with every future Knowledge Discovery release. 

April 2024: What’s new in OpenText Knowledge Discovery (IDOL) CE 24.2

Organizations are looking for conversational access to enterprise data; in a world where 90% of existing corporate knowledge is in unstructured data, over 50% of organizations are not tapping into this aspect of their knowledge with any form of discovery. Customers can use the new interfaces with Q&A using natural language questioning to deliver their information with data securely to all users.

This OpenText IDOL 24.2 release includes various functional and performance improvements, new connectors, file format support, and many other additions.

New solution added: Teams client

• Customers can access functionality using simple natural language prompts directly via the Teams interface.

Ingest & connectors

• Drupal Connector – Updated to support the latest API changes and allow data extraction from old and new Drupal versions.  

• Google Workspace Connectors – Content extraction is now accessible from the major Google Workspace apps including Mail, Calendar and Chat using dedicated connectors.

• Web Connector 2FA – Updated to allow 2Factor Authentication. 

• Additional new connectors – Stack Exchange; Moodle and OpenText eDocs.

• IDOL Media Server – Can now run within NiFi, allowing processing of media streams & sources.

Text analytics

• Analytics: Search abstraction – IDOL can now automatically decide which index type to use to achieve the best response. The functionality abstracts the complexity of search types, democratizing Enterprise search, and allowing all users to achieve a suitable response, across all levels of an organization. 

• Multi-document summarization – Generative summary compiled from answers sourced from multi documents. The functionality provides richer answer to any question asked as it can be the combination of multiple parts sourced from different documents. 

• Dynamic clustering of vector results to identify grouping – Customers can use the grouping of results to select a variation in documents returned rather than returning very similar documents with no added information. 

• Analytics: LLM based image matching – Image based transformers can be used to generate vectors for the IDOL Index. Customers can now search for similar images based on not just the textual description but also the actual image content.   

Media Server

• The Media Server as a NiFi processor is now available with full functionality. This allow for NiFi workflows and the ability to scale and manage the Media Server app though Kubernetes. 

• Demo application with abilities to process and analyze images and other functionalities is now available in the Media Server for ease of use. 

KeyView

• Tabular data detection for One Note & pipe separated text.  

• OCR is now available on MacOS through the KeyView SDKs.

• Header & Footer are now configurable through Python APIs.

• Significant Performance improvements through Shared Memory Streaming.

• Additional Formats, Security & Compatibility improvements.

Deployment & other improvements

• HELM charts for Kubernetes provide a comprehensive set of options to assist complex deployments. CE 24.2 brings further enhancements to our HELM charts. 

• Eduction SDK Post-processing access to match context.

The post What’s new in OpenText Knowledge Discovery appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

As supply chains become more digital, global, and complex, businesses are under growing pressure to modernize the way they connect, communicate, and operate.

Two of the most critical technologies enabling this transformation are Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). While both are used to exchange data between systems and partners, they work in fundamentally different ways—and understanding when and how to use each is key to building a future-ready supply chain. 

In this blog, we’ll break down EDI vs. API, explaining their differences, and why EDI remains vital despite the rise of modern APIs. And, explore how combining the two can give your business the flexibility, speed, and scalability needed to thrive in today’s dynamic environment. 

What is the difference between EDI and API? 

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are both methods of exchanging business data, but they serve different purposes and operate differently. 

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is a standardized method for exchanging structured business documents like invoices or purchase orders in batches—ideal for high-volume, stable transactions. 

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) enable real-time, flexible data sharing between systems, suited for dynamic tasks like live shipment tracking or inventory checks. 

Understanding EDI vs. API is essential because each serves a distinct role. EDI excels at handling high-volume, standardized transactions, while APIs enable real-time, flexible data exchange.  

By understanding their strengths, businesses can strategically use both to create a connected, agile supply chain that balances stability with speed and adaptability. This hybrid approach ensures seamless integration across partners, systems, and workflows. 

EDI simplifies key transactions 

EDI enables fast, structured, and automated data exchange between trading partners, which simplifies key transactions, such as sending orders, giving notice of deliveries, confirming receipt of deliveries, booking transport, sending invoices, among others.  

EDI is understood globally and follows recognized formats, such as EDIFACT, ANSI X12 for seamless data exchange. It’s secure and efficient at handling large volumes of data transactions, but it can be complex and costly to set up the initial configuration and trading partner mappings, especially for smaller companies.  

Despite being trusted and used for decades, for years now, many believed that EDI would be phased out and replaced by Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). However, given its value in delivering structured, error-free data exchange in an increasingly complex global marketplace, EDI usage continues.  

Companies around the world, from suppliers and logistics providers to retailers and manufacturers, rely on an EDI strategy to exchange critical business documents securely, quickly, and in a standardized format. 

APIs enable instant data exchange 

APIs allow instant data exchange without waiting for batch processing and offer integration flexibility with a wide range of systems, such as CRMs, ERPs, analytics tools, and other cloud-based applications within your digital ecosystem. However, where EDI is all about standardization, API formats vary, requiring custom integrations with each partner, which can be costly and time-consuming in multi-partner environments.  

Many businesses use APIs to communicate between disparate systems within their system chain. Since APIs provide real-time data exchange, this can improve supply chain transparency and visibility.  

And, APIs connect to e-commerce platforms and support the integration of analytics tools, allowing businesses to gain insights into performance metrics and adapt to changing conditions.  

The importance of a strategy that connects EDI and API   

The supply chain workforce is changing. Some professionals are retiring, others joining don’t know much about EDI and want to go forward with API-first strategies.  

There are also business challenges, like rising costs, but fewer resources, supply chain disruptions, and technology innovation initiatives, and more. Given these factors, it's less about EDI vs. API, and more about taking a “best of both worlds” approach, which sets you up for success.  

Rather than replace EDI, integrate it with APIs, other cloud platforms, and AI/ML, so you can enhance automation and flexibility within your digital ecosystem. This connected approach will reduce costs in the long term, improve operations despite possible disruptions and workforce changes, and ensure compliance with global standards.  

With a connected strategy, you can bridge the gap between bulk transaction support and real-time data exchange, making it easier to handle high-volume processes and dynamic, immediate updates needed to keep the flow of business going.  

You can more easily integrate with ERP systems, such as Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle NetSuite, Oracle Fusion, and SAP S/4HANA, that are already in place instead of ripping and replacing to make new technology fit with legacy technology. 

How to get started with EDI and API integration 

Every day you try to keep operations running smoothly, find ways to innovate and drive efficiencies, reduce costs, and simplify your supply chain. But you are asked to do this with limited resources and budget, making it hard to keep up with the speed of technology.  

When managing all these connections and the information attached to them, it's important to think long-term, not just one year at a time. You need solutions that evolve with you and continuously add new capabilities to assist you as your business grows. 

You don’t have to go it alone. There are several solutions out there, but what you need is a partner and a solution that will take the time to understand your digital ecosystem, so everything is done right from the start.  

Here are questions to ask when selecting an EDI and B2B integration solution and partner:  

• Knowledge and Know-How: Can they ensure a successful implementation—on time and on budget? 

• Automated Workflows: Can they help you find ways to reduce manual tasks and errors and increase productivity? 

• Enhanced Visibility: Does the solution – as built out of the box - enable access up-to-date information for better decision-making, gaining insights into your supply chain operations? 

• Cost Reduction: Will the solution reduce long-term costs, including total cost of ownership (TCO), and avoid hidden implementation fees? 

• Compliance: Can they ensure adherence to industry standards and regulations? 

• Ongoing Support: Will you receive regular customer support, including help with data validation and mappings from onboarding through implementation and after go-live? 

EDI and APIs: How OpenText can help 

OpenText Business Network supports both EDI and API-based integration—allowing businesses to connect with all partners, regardless of their technology maturity. This hybrid approach ensures end-to-end visibility, flexibility, and scalability across your digital supply chain. 

OpenText's B2B Integration solutions create a unified environment connecting your ERP system (Microsoft Dynamics 365, Oracle NetSuite, Oracle Fusion, SAP S/4HANA, etc.) with EDI and APIs in one digital ecosystem. 

OpenText offers pre-built ERP EDI-to-API adapters on a modern, scalable B2B platform and VAN—enabling faster deployment without requiring deep EDI expertise. 

Our trusted, flexible solutions let businesses connect once to everything. With our expertise, you'll streamline supply chain operations and build a foundation for innovations like AI/ML that maximizes your business data value. 

Ready to get started? Learn more about OpenText’s Easy EDI integration. 

The post EDI vs. API: Why both still matter in a modern supply chain appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

In February 2025, Bybit, a major cryptocurrency exchange, suffered one of the largest heists in digital finance history. Hackers stole $1.5 billion in Ethereum by exploiting security. While this attack was external, the financial services industry faces an even greater threat—insider-driven breaches.

In recent months, malicious insiders have been caught selling confidential bank client data, leaving customers vulnerable to fraud and identity theft. Even government institutions aren’t safe, as seen in the CFPB breach where an ex-employee illegally transferred the personal data of over 250,000 consumers.

Insider threats: a growing concern

Unlike external cyberattacks, insider threats are harder to detect because they come from employees or contractors who already have access to sensitive systems. According to Verizon’s 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report, insider threats now account for three out of every four data breaches.

The financial sector is particularly vulnerable:

• The average data breach cost in financial services rose to $6.08 million in 2024, up from $5.90 million the previous year (Statista, Cost of data breaches in financial industry worldwide, 2024).
• 64% of financial firms have more than 1,000 sensitive files accessible to every employee (Varonis, 82 Must-Know Data Breach Statistics, 2024).
• Cybersecurity talent shortages have hit a record 4.8 million unfilled positions, weakening financial institutions’ ability to detect insider threats (ISC2, Growth of Cybersecurity Workforce Slows in 2024 as Economic Uncertainty Persists, 2024).

The solution: AI-powered behavioral analytics

Traditional security tools often fail to detect insider-driven breaches, leaving financial institutions exposed. OpenText Core Threat Detection and Response provides an AI-powered, behavioral analytics-driven solution to proactively detect and mitigate these threats before they escalate.

With features like unsupervised machine learning-based anomaly detection, behavioral risk scoring, and seamless integration with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Entra ID, and Microsoft Copilot, OpenText helps financial organizations automate threat hunting and detect insider and other elusive threats in days instead of months, reducing the cost and damage of breaches.

Don’t wait for the next breach

The stakes have never been higher. Whether it’s billion-dollar crypto heists or employees leaking sensitive data, financial institutions must act now. We’ve got you covered with our latest guide to AI-powered threat detection and response in the financial services industry. Learn how you can elevate your organization’s defense against unknown threats posing some of the biggest cybersecurity challenges.

The post The clock is ticking: Financial cyberattacks are more dangerous than ever appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

Financial Services Institutions (FSIs) face a pivotal moment: capturing the attention and loyalty of Generation Z (Gen Z). Born between 1997 and 2012, this digitally native cohort is redefining financial landscapes with expectations for instant results, ethical practices, and seamless digital experiences. For FSIs ready to evolve, the potential is immense.​

Decode the Gen Z financial consumer

Gen Z embodies a blend of caution and ambition. Having witnessed economic downturns like the 2008 financial crisis, they are prudent yet entrepreneurial. While they may harbor skepticism toward traditional banking, they are eager to build wealth and prioritize financial security earlier than previous generations. Notably, Gen Z is projected to become the wealthiest generation by approximately 2035, primarily due to a significant wealth transfer from Baby Boomers. ​

The digital mandate: Beyond basic banking

For Gen Z, digital proficiency is non-negotiable. A staggering 99% have used a mobile banking app in the last month, with nearly 50% managing their finances exclusively via smartphones. Moreover, 60% prefer to open accounts directly from their mobile devices. ​

Embedded financial experiences

FSIs can thrive by integrating services into Gen Z's daily digital routines. This includes payment options within social platforms, investment opportunities in gaming environments, or banking services accessible through lifestyle apps. When financial management becomes an organic part of daily activities, Gen Z is more likely to engage.

Invisible banking infrastructure

Gen Z favors financial services that operate seamlessly in the background. They desire systems that automate savings, align investments with their values, and manage recurring payments autonomously. FSIs that handle financial complexities behind the scenes while offering simple interfaces will resonate with this demographic.​

The ethics edge: Purpose-driven banking

Gen Z is deeply influenced by ethical considerations. Approximately 51% cite environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors as important when choosing a payment provider. ​

Values-aligned investments

FSIs offering transparent, values-based investment options gain significant traction with Gen Z. This involves creating portfolios that exclude industries like fossil fuels or weapons manufacturing while highlighting sectors such as renewable energy, education, and healthcare. Importantly, these options must provide competitive returns, demonstrating that ethical investing doesn't necessitate financial sacrifice.​

The speed imperative: Banking at Gen Z's pace

Accustomed to instant gratification, Gen Z finds traditional banking timelines sluggish. They expect real-time transactions, immediate account openings, and swift loan approvals. FSIs must invest in infrastructure that supports these expectations to remain relevant.​

Frictionless onboarding

With an average attention span of just 8 seconds for apps before abandonment, every additional form field or verification step risks losing potential customers. Leading FSIs are implementing streamlined account creation with biometric verification, auto-fill capabilities, and gamified elements to engage users effectively.​

Communication: Speaking Gen Z's language

Financial jargon alienates this generation. They prefer straightforward explanations delivered through visual and interactive mediums.​

Financial education through content

Short-form video content that simplifies complex financial concepts resonates with Gen Z. FSIs creating TikTok-style tutorials, interactive calculators, and gamified learning experiences about budgeting, investing, and financial planning position themselves as trusted advisors.​

Hyper-personalized insights

Generic financial advice doesn't suffice. Gen Z expects insights tailored to their specific situations, goals, and values. AI-driven platforms providing hyper- personalized recommendations, spending analyses, and goal tracking foster stronger relationships with these young consumers., leading to loyalty and advocacy.

Building trust with a skeptical generation

Despite their digital immersion, Gen Z values human connection. The most successful FSIs will blend high-tech offerings with high-touch support when needed.​

Transparent fee structures

Hidden fees and complex charge structures repel Gen Z consumers. FSIs must offer transparent, preferably low or no-fee models with clear explanations of any necessary charges.​

Human-backed digital experiences

When issues arise, Gen Z desires immediate access to human assistance through their preferred communication channels—be it chat, text, or video call. Financial institutions that provide seamless transitions from AI-driven support to human experts instill confidence in their services.​

Gen Z in the workforce: Shape the future from within

Beyond being financial consumers, Gen Z is also entering the workforce in significant numbers, bringing their digital-first mindset and values-driven approach into the financial sector itself. As young professionals, they expect modern workplace tools, AI-driven efficiency, and seamless collaboration across digital platforms. FSIs that embrace these expectations—whether through AI-powered knowledge management, flexible work models, or purpose-driven company cultures—will not only attract top Gen Z talent but also benefit from their fresh perspectives on innovation, inclusion, and customer engagement. By integrating their needs as employees, FSIs can better position themselves to serve Gen Z as customers, creating a future-proof financial ecosystem.

The path forward

To capture the Gen Z market, FSIs must undergo fundamental transformations—not just in digital interfaces but in their entire approach to banking. This entails developing products that align with Gen Z values, creating experiences that match their digital expectations, and communicating in ways that build authentic connections. Institutions that succeed will view Gen Z not merely as a market segment but as collaborators in designing the future of the financial services industry. By embracing digital innovation, ethical transparency, and instant gratification, FSIs can forge lasting relationships with a generation poised to reshape the financial landscape for decades to come.

How OpenText empowers FSIs to win with Gen Z

To successfully engage Gen Z, FSIs need more than just digital transformation—they need a connected, intelligent, and secure ecosystem. The OpenText suite of cloud solutions empowers financial institutions to meet Gen Z’s expectations with agility and innovation:

OpenText Content Cloud ensures seamless access to critical documents, enabling real-time knowledge management and frictionless digital experiences.

OpenText Experience Cloud helps FSIs deliver hyper-personalized, omnichannel interactions that resonate with Gen Z’s demand for intuitive and engaging financial experiences.

OpenText DevOps Cloud enables FSI application delivery teams to ship better software—faster—with AI-driven automation, testing, and quality to meet Gen Z's high expectations of their mobile apps.

OpenText Analytics Cloud leverages AI-driven insights to provide tailored financial recommendations, predictive analytics, and automated reporting—enhancing both customer engagement and operational efficiency.

OpenText Business Network Cloud streamlines and secures transactions, enabling embedded finance and invisible banking infrastructure that align with Gen Z’s digital lifestyle.

OpenText Cybersecurity Cloud safeguards sensitive financial data and transactions, ensuring trust, compliance, and resilience against evolving cyber threats.

By harnessing the power of OpenText Cloud solutions, FSIs can modernize their operations, create value-driven financial experiences, and build lasting relationships with a generation that is redefining the future of finance.

The post Gen Z & the future of finance: Fast, digital, and personalized appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

OpenText Aviator Search, powered by AI and natural language processing (NLP), offers a unique way to access and read data seamlessly, regardless of format. Its conversational interface makes it easy for users to interact with their enterprise data, enhancing their roles with the skills of knowledge workers or search analysts. The real-time cloud-based data analysis enables users to quickly find answers, gain insights, and make better decisions.

April 2025: What's new in OpenText Aviator Search CE 25.2

The Aviator Search CE 25.2 release extends the admin capabilities and performance improvements, new usability improvements, and many other additions. The main improvements in version CE 25.2 are listed below:

User enhancements to ease retrieving insight

• Crossing the unhighlighted content to visit the next relevant section in the referenced document: Jumping between relevant chunks within a reference document allows end users to quickly identify and navigate between the highlighted chunks within a reference document, improving speed of reference reading and usability.

Admin UI enhancements

• Continuing enhancements to bring ongoing improvements for the admin user:
  • Admin screens for enrichment module - Admins can now turn off/ turn on speech to text component during an ingestion workflow.  This provides additional control to the customer on the use and consumption of enrichment components.
  • Ingestion time stamps and states provides information to the customer admin about recent ingestion cycle and next ingestion with the use of  time stamps.  Proving time and ingestion cycles and improving usability.

February 2025: What’s new in OpenText Aviator Search CE 25.1

The Aviator Search CE 25.1 release includes enhancements to Q&A, error log improvements for admins and many other additions. The main improvements in this release are listed below:

Identifying the in-house expert

Customers conduct Q&A as normal, now with the ability continue analysis with the best person in your organisation and return to their work better informed.

• Expert Identification added, ranking the authors of the top reference documents based on the initial search.
• Arrive informed with the list of content that gave you the answer and the details of the best person to continue the conversation.
• Add people to data by listing out the content authors in the people tab, allowing you to discover the value of your data by its author not just its location and relevance.

Identifying relevant part of a document

Customers conduct Q&A as normal, now with the ability to see the most important chunk of information used to synthesize the answer highlighted in the reference document.

• Strengthens the evidence pattern by allowing users to understand how an answer is generated.
• Benefits all user types regardless of whether a knowledge worker or a search analyst using Aviator Search.

Admin UI enhancements for error logging

Continuing enhancements to bring ongoing improvements for the admin user.

• New error log page adding a centralised location for easier error viewing and tracking.

November 2024: What’s new in OpenText Aviator Search CE 24.4

The OpenText Aviator Search CE 24.4 release includes various functional and performance improvements, new connectors, file format support and many other additions. 

The main improvements in CE 24.4 are listed below: 

Out of the box connector support

New connectors added for OpenText Content Management, OpenText Documentum Content Management, OpenText Core Content Management, Microsoft OneDrive and The Google Cloud Platform file system.

New connectors to allow customer to collect additional content from Off Cloud and On Cloud repositories, allowing organizations to take their first steps into GenAI. 

• Reduced ESG impact with no need to relocate, you can save costs and with no need to replicate, and save on any ESG expense 

• Safe for Secure verticals who cannot or do not want to place any of their content into the public cloud. 

• GenAI power to local data by allowing access to local content but with a secure index in Aviator Search with trusted link to Google’s LLM. 

Bookmarking a Question

Customers can do Q&A as normal but if interrupted they have the ability to bookmark where they are and then return to that work later. 

• Overcome the challenge of constant changes in requests and requirements in day-to-day work, leaving users half-way through many differing tasks.  

• Access to previous analysis with a streamline process to produce waypoints within work. 

• Pick up where you left off discover increased productivity with the ability to return to an enquiry at the point you left, with no need to restart.  

Admin UI enhancements for error logging 

• Trap Error messages that are exposed in the Admin UI 

July 2024: What’s new in OpenText Aviator Search CE 24.3

Business users have a growing need to rapidly obtain direct answers from their enterprise content in order to complete their work. With no natural language search available across content, they are unable to easily search all content sources and obtain accurate answers fast. Instead, they spend cycles on repetitive tasks or waste hours trying to locate the content they have already been working on. In some cases, upgrading their content platform to a recent version is not a commitment IT has made, yet the business wants to leverage GenAI now.

Aviator Search can now offer a wider reach to your existing data outside of your OpenText platform, allowing you to search through enterprise data securely and across all repositories and data types (structured or unstructured, text, social). This new GenAI solution empowers organizations to untap the rich knowledge and connections hidden in their content.

The Aviator Search 24.3 release includes various functional and performance improvements, new connectors, file format support, and many other additions.

The main improvements in version 24.3 are listed below:

OOTB connector support

• Microsoft Teams, Extended ECM, Documentum and Microsoft SharePoint Online – New connectors to allow customers to collect collaborative video meetings/chats for retrospective analysis and/or content retrieval.

Simple Admin UI for managing ingestion workflows

• Customer admins can start/stop an ingestion workflow, as well as delete a repository or define new one. 

Q&A on Teams chats and recorded meetings

• Customers can do Q&A on the transcripts of meeting recordings and chat documents. Customers can also view the recording in an in-app viewer.

• All pronouns and references in the questions are resolved and a rephrased question with resolved pronouns is shown to the end user to have more clarity on what question is being answered by Aviator Search.

Focused investigation

• Customers can focus their research or investigation within a specific individual document and quickly understand lengthy content.

Single document retrieval search

• Customers can now retrieve a single specific document. E.g. Get me the release notes of Aviator Search 24.3.

Re-direction to source system

• Users can now redirect their search back to the source repository or system for a reference document, allowing users to then use the native interfaces on that file.

Suggested follow-up questions

• To help keep the conversation going, Aviator Search suggests follow-up questions based on the active conversation.

The post What’s new in OpenText Aviator Search  appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

The Financial Services industry is ripe with untapped potential for Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) looking to expand their offerings and impact. As this traditionally stable sector faces rising pressure to become more dynamic, customer-centric, and agile, ISVs are in a unique position to deliver innovative, tailored solutions—and become part of a joint journey with their clients and prospects.
Driven by digitally savvy consumers, increased competition from FinTechs, and the demand for always-on, personalized services, financial institutions are accelerating their technology adoption. But this shift comes with strict requirements around security, compliance, and governance, creating both challenges and significant opportunities for ISVs.
With the support of OpenText’s OEM Solutions portfolio, ISVs can easily and quickly embed powerful, enterprise-grade capabilities into their financial services focused applications—enhancing value, accelerating go-to-market strategies, and helping clients Banks, Insurance companies, Investment firms and others with confidence and security.
Here are four key areas where ISVs can make an immediate impact within this industry:

1. Streamlining Document-Centric Workflows
Manual document handling continues to slow down operations across the financial industry. From loan applications to client onboarding and insurance claims, paperwork remains a major bottleneck and although most companies have implemented processes and functionalities to accelerate the processing of documentation, there is still a long way for them to fully embrace the benefits of automatic and digital-first solutions that can help them even further.
With OpenText™ Capture and Intelligent Document Processing , ISVs can embed advanced OCR (optical character recognition) and data extraction capabilities directly into their applications. This transforms paper-based and image-heavy processes into streamlined, automated workflows—turning unstructured content into structured, usable data in real time.

By integrating OpenText™ Capture, ISVs can offer clients:
1. Faster credit evaluations
2. Seamless onboarding experiences for new clients
3. Accurate, AI-powered data recognition from IDs and documentation provided at time of applications
4. Reduced manual data entry and human error

2. Enhancing Compliance and Accuracy with Intelligent Document Processing
In financial services, compliance is non-negotiable. Regulatory bodies demand strict controls over how data and documentation are handled, stored, and tracked.  Even internal business units within these institutions demand internal teams to find a solid way to process documentation in such a way that ensures protection from falling into liabilities, legal action or affecting their reputation.
 OpenText™ Capture uses AI and machine learning to automatically classify, tag, and organize documents based on regulatory rules. By embedding this functionality, ISVs can help their clients stay audit-ready—reducing risk and ensuring data governance is built into every process.

Benefits for ISVs and their clients include:

1.Automated regulatory compliance workflows
2.Accurate data capture with full traceability
3.Secure archiving and retention policies
4.Reduced exposure to regulatory fines

3. Turning Data into Actionable Offers with Predictive Analytics
Customer data is an untapped goldmine—if you know how to harness it. One of the biggest challenges for financial institutions is turning fragmented data into targeted, actionable insights that drive engagement and growth. If you think about it, Financial Institutions manage massive amounts of data across their organizations, whether it is credit initiation information, transactional records, claims and investment historical transactions, interaction history via contact centers. digital channels and at branches. This means that making sense and generating value of such a large amount of information can be problematic and, let’s be honest, quite complex.  But it doesn’t necessarily need to be that way.
OpenText™ Analytics Cloud solutions, also available via the OEM portfolio, enables ISVs to build powerful analytics features into their client’s platforms—helping clients consolidate data silos and uncover key trends in customer behavior, churn prediction, and cross-selling opportunities. 

Data Lakehouse & Analytics as well as Business Intelligence, Visualization and Reporting solutions are the core foundations of solutions ISVs can build and help clients achieve:

1.A 360° view of customers across all services
2.Predictive modeling for churn and acquisition
3.Automated report generation for actionable decision-making
4.Up to 70%+ accuracy in cross-sell predictions
5.A measurable increase in per-customer profitability


4. Elevating Customer Engagement with Personalized Communications
In today’s market, customer experience is the new currency. Financial institutions want to build meaningful, consistent, and personalized engagement across channels as a way to better manage relationships with clients and better understand their needs. The presence of multiple channels such as in person, phone calls, e-mails, social media, and several other digital channels, makes the process quite complex, but not when technology can be leveraged to drive a new and improved engagement experience—and ISVs can help them do just that.
Through OpenText™ Experience Cloud, ISVs can embed tools like OpenText™ Contact Center Analytics, OpenText™ Digital Fax Solutions, OpenText™ Core Messaging, and more to help clients communicate more effectively with their customers—wherever they are, and however they prefer. As an example, an Insurance Broker can be ready to reach out to customers at the time of relevant and important milestones, such as the purchase of a property and not only congratulate them for the purchase, but rather provide additional critical information that can elevate the whole experience and generate higher engagement. Providing tips, additional information on related services and even providing access to workshops and webinars related home improvement, can indeed make a substantial difference when personalizing and building meaningful relationships. 

There are several benefits of OEM-ing the services of the Experience Cloud Solutions, but some of the most relevant are:

1.Personalized and timely client communications
2.A quiet seamless creation of Omnichannel engagement strategies
3.AI-powered content recommendations
4.Scalable personalization using OpenText Experience Aviator – via the use of generative AI

All the capabilities highlighted on this document, can help financial institutions transform customer interactions into loyalty-building experiences—something ISVs can deliver as a turnkey enhancement.

The Takeaway for ISVs
Financial institutions are actively seeking innovative solutions that solve complex, real-world problems—but they don’t want to build them from scratch. This is where ISVs, backed by OpenText OEM Solutions, can shine. By embedding ready-to-use, enterprise-grade functionality, ISVs can:

-Speed up product development
-Differentiate their offerings
-Ensure compliance and scalability and
-Unlock new market opportunities in banking, insurance, and fintech

The demand is there. The pain points are real. And the tools to help are ready.

Partner with OpenText OEM Solutions to help financial institutions navigate digital transformation—smarter, faster, and more securely. For more information, visit our website or contact us at oem_global_sales@opentext.com

The post Unlocking Opportunities in the Financial Services segment appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

Let’s face it: plain old SMS is starting to feel... well, a little 2005. Customers today expect more from their omnichannel messaging experiences — and guess what? OpenText™ Core Messaging is stepping up in a big way. 

We’re excited to announce that rich communication channels such as WhatsApp and RCS are on the horizon — and they’re bringing with them a whole new world of interactive, secure, visually rich business messaging. 

What’s new? It’s not just text anymore 

Say goodbye to boring SMS text threads. With WhatsApp and RCS (Rich Communication Services) Business Messaging, you’ll be able to deliver: 

• Media-rich content (images, videos, maps!) 
• Location sharing 
• Quick reply buttons 
• Cards and carousels that let users browse, book, or buy — all in one chat 

It’s not just messaging. It’s an interactive experience. Whether you’re confirming an appointment, promoting a new product, or helping someone book a service — everything happens inside one sleek, seamless conversation. 

Security? It's built right in 

Worried about spam or sketchy senders? Don’t be. 

• WhatsApp Business requires strict Meta-verified registration — you have to prove you're legit before you can message at scale. 
• RCS, backed by Google, has its own vetting standards to keep bad actors out. 
• And while OpenText Core Messaging gives you seamless access to both platforms — we just make sure you're plugged into the right, verified ecosystem. 

Your messages? Safe. Your brand? Trusted. Your customers? Confident. 

Why it matters — especially to Gen Z (and the rest of us) 

Let’s be real: Gen Z doesn’t just want to receive a message — they want to interact with it. Scrollable carousels, tappable replies, media-rich previews... it’s the new standard. 

These upcoming features are purpose-built for the next generation of digital customer experiences — and businesses that adopt them early will stand out in a sea of static text. 

TL;DR: Messaging, but make it awesome 

With WhatsApp and RCS channels, OpenText Core Messaging will help you: 

• Engage customers where they are 
• Create richer, smarter, automated conversations 
• Build trust with verified, secure interactions 
• Drive better outcomes (and look really good doing it) 

So go ahead — ditch the dusty SMS templates and step into the future of omnichannel messaging. Your customers (and your ROI) will thank you. 
 
Want to be among the first to roll out rich messaging at scale? Stay tuned — the future of business messaging is arriving soon, and it’s looking very good. 

The post Messaging just got a major glow-up appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

The cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve, presenting complex challenges for security operations teams. Organizations today face increasing volumes of alerts, evolving threat vectors, and the daunting task of managing security across hybrid environments. Addressing these challenges requires advanced solutions that not only detect threats but also provide actionable insights to neutralize them effectively. 

Key security operations challenges

1. Alert overload: Security teams often face an overwhelming number of alerts, making it difficult to identify and prioritize genuine threats amidst noise. This overload hampers response times and increases the risk of missing critical incidents. 
2. Evolving threat landscape: Cybercriminals leverage sophisticated tools and techniques, such as AI-driven attacks, to exploit vulnerabilities. Staying ahead of these threats requires continuous innovation in detection and response strategies. 
3. Resource constraints: Many organizations struggle with limited security personnel and resources, making it challenging to monitor and respond to threats effectively across expansive digital infrastructures. 
4. Integration complexity: Security tools that operate in silos create fragmented environments, complicating data correlation and delaying incident response. 

How OpenText™ Threat Detection and Response solutions help 

OpenText’s comprehensive suite of threat detection and response solutions directly addresses these challenges: 

• Automated threat detection: Leveraging AI and machine learning, OpenText solutions sift through large volumes of data to identify high-priority threats with precision, reducing alert fatigue. 
• Comprehensive visibility: These solutions provide unified visibility across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments, ensuring no blind spots in threat detection. 
• Streamlined response: With automated workflows and advanced analytics, OpenText accelerates incident response, enabling security teams to neutralize threats faster and with greater confidence. 
• Seamless integration: OpenText’s open architecture ensures smooth integration with existing security tools, fostering a cohesive and efficient security ecosystem. 

By empowering security teams with cutting-edge tools and actionable intelligence, OpenText Threat Detection and Response solutions help organizations navigate today’s complex security landscape with resilience and confidence. 

The post Tackling security operations challenges with OpenText™ Threat Detection and Response solutions  appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, 2025, the financial services industry was in the spotlight, navigating a landscape of opportunity and challenge. With global economic growth forecasted at 3.3% by the IMF, financial leaders discussed how technological innovation, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, could drive resilience and growth in a dynamic global economy.

AI: transforming financial services

AI dominated conversations as a transformative force for banking and insurance. According to McKinsey, the financial services industry could see a 40% increase in productivity. Most of this will be through AI-driven automation by 2030 and across the banking industry. Generative AI could deliver value equal to an additional $200 billion to $340 billion annually. At Davos, banks highlighted real-world applications:

• Faster loan decisions: banks have already reported a reduction in loan processing time to as little as 30 to 60 seconds using AI-powered algorithms.
• Fraud detection: Machine learning algorithms are preventing $1 billion in financial fraud annually.
• Personalized services: AI chatbots handle 70% of customer inquiries, cutting costs and enhancing engagement.

Cybersecurity: the non-negotiable priority

With cyberattacks costing the global economy $8.4 trillion in 2024, cybersecurity emerged as a critical focus at Davos. Financial institutions are under pressure to protect sensitive data and maintain trust. Key insights included:

• Investment Surge: 64% of organizations plan to increase their IT budgets in 2025
• Third-Party Risk Management: Regulations like the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) emphasize safeguarding third-party providers.
• Real-Time Defense: AI-powered cybersecurity tools detect threats faster than traditional systems.

Regional trends: optimism vs. caution

In the U.S., financial leaders predicted robust IPO activity, fueled by AI innovation and strong economic fundamentals. Europe, however, faced hurdles, with growth projected at just 1%, highlighting the need for digital transformation to remain competitive.

Key takeaways from Davos 2025

• The financial services industry is investing heavily in AI and cybersecurity to enhance resilience.
• Emerging technologies like AI are reshaping customer experiences and improving operational efficiency.
• Cybersecurity remains non-negotiable as firms defend against increasing threats in an interconnected world.

As the financial sector evolves, leaders at Davos 2025 agreed: embracing AI and bolstering cybersecurity aren’t just strategies—they’re imperatives for success in the next era of global finance.

How OpenText empowers financial services

OpenText stands out as a trusted partner for financial services organizations aiming to harness the power of AI and bolster cybersecurity. By integrating advanced solutions across the industry’s digital ecosystem, OpenText helps institutions achieve resilience, compliance, and operational excellence.

AI-Powered automation: OpenText solutions like AI-driven analytics streamline loan application processing, fraud detection, and customer interactions. For instance, automated document summarization and content search ensure faster, more accurate loan decisions.

Enhanced cybersecurity: OpenText’s cybersecurity suite provides real-time threat detection, incident response, and third-party risk monitoring, all critical for meeting DORA requirements. Simulations and penetration testing improve system resilience against evolving cyber threats.

DevOps and DevSecOps: OpenText embeds security into development processes, ensuring secure and compliant software deployment. Automated workflows reduce downtime and enhance ICT risk management.

Secure information management: OpenText’s Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solutions provide centralized data storage, enabling quick access to compliance documentation during audits and fostering secure information sharing across financial institutions.

Connected supply chains: The theme from Davos this year was collaboration for an intelligent age. OpenText Business Network supports secure, seamless exchange of financial data with third-party vendors and partners, ensuring compliance with DORA’s third-party risk management mandates. The focus on

By leveraging OpenText technologies, financial institutions can enhance customer trust, streamline operations, and position themselves as leaders in innovation.

The post Davos 2025: Financial services embrace AI and cybersecurity for a resilient future appeared first on OpenText Blogs.

Ensuring everyone has equal access to online content and services isn’t just good practice – it’s becoming law. The European Accessibility Act represents a significant step forward in making digital content accessible to all users, regardless of their abilities. Let’s explore what this means for businesses. 

What is the European Accessibility Act? 

The EAA is a piece of legislation that sets comprehensive accessibility requirements for digital products and services across the European Union. Its aim is to consolidate EU regulations and eliminate barriers created by divergent accessibility rules put into place by member states. Some of these divergent laws that may be more stringent include:

• UK – Equality Act 2010
• Spain – Legal Royal Decree 1/ 2023
• France - Law N° 2005-102
• Germany – German Accessibility Improvement Act
• Greece – Rights of Special Persons in Greece
• Czech Republic – Web Accessibility Initiative
• Portugal – Decreto-Lei n.o 83/2018
• Italy – Decree 82/2022

Each of these laws have their own sets of fines, but are also largely based off the same criteria as the EAA.

Why does it matter?

For businesses operating in or selling to the EU market, compliance with the EAA is crucial. If you do not comply you may:

• Be blocked from doing business in the EU
• Face fines of up to 6-7% of a company’s global revenue
• Adversely affect your reputation

You may say: “my users don’t complain about accessibility. I may not get fined." That’s possible, but there are other factors at play that are important to consider: only 10% of people report accessibility issues with the other 90% clicking away when frustrated.¹ That’s lost business – and according to the World Economy Forum, the disability market has spending power of $13 trillion. That’s a significant addressable market that would impact your bottom-line, fines aside. It’s no surprise that according to Accenture’s analysis of the Disability Equality Index companies that prioritize digital inclusion are:

• Twice as likely to have higher shareholder returns
• Have 28% higher revenue
• See 30% better performance in economic profit margins²

Who does it affect? 

The Act impacts any company doing business in the EU – you don’t have to be headquartered in the EU to be affected by the law. You will be affected if you are a North American or APAC company doing business in the EU.

The Act impacts a wide range of services and products:

• Consumer and hardware
  • E-commerce sites
  • E-books
  • Audiovisual content on websites and apps 
  • Consumer terminals (routers and modems)
  • Computer hardware
• Financial services and identification
  • Banking and financial services information 
  • Payment terminal software
  • Payment terminal hardware
  • Identification methods, such as e-signatures and payment services)
• Public sector, transportation and ticketing
  • Public sector web sites
  • Transportation services
  • Web and mobiles services for ticketing and transportation
  • Emergency electronic communications

When does it take effect? 

The EAA takes effect on June 28^th, 2025.

Key requirements for digital content 

Under the EAA, digital content providers must ensure their materials are accessible to users with various needs. Companies need to follow EN 301 549, which is based off WCAG 2.1 AA and focuses on products and assets being:

• Perceivable - Information and interfaces must be perceived by users through more than one sense.
• Operable – You cannot have an interface with interactions a user can’t perform. Users without vision, perception of color, hearing, or vocal capability and / or have limited vision, hearing, manipulation of strength, reach, or cognition must be able to user the product or service.
• Understandable – The information and the interface of the digital product must be easy to understand.
• Robust – The content should be able to be interpreted correctly by a wide array of devices including screen readers.

Some other requirements included within the EAA for digital documents such as PDFs, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files that build on the POUR model above include:

• Physical accessibility: Services must be operable for those with limited manipulation or strength 
• Visual accessibility: Content must be usable without vision or with limited vision, including proper contrast and color alternatives
• Alternative text for images: Images must include descriptive text to articulate the purpose of the image and the contents within so screen readers can convey information to users who can’t see images. 
• Navigability: Bookmarks, links, and a logical reading order help users navigate documents.
• Color contrast: Text and background contrast must be sufficient to make content perceivable to those with visual impairments.
• Forms: Interactive elements, such as forms, should be labelled and easy to navigate using a keyboard.
• Technical compatibility: Products must work seamlessly with assistive technologies 
• Document accessibility: Digital documents must be properly structured with features like screen reader compatibility and clear navigation 

Important deadlines and exemptions 

Businesses should note that while the Act is comprehensive, it includes some important exemptions.

• Accessibility compliance cannot impact the free movement of goods and services
• Companies with fewer than 10 employees are exempt from the legislation
• Accessibility requirements do not apply to products and services that would be fundamentally altered as a result of this directive causing disproportionate burden
• Digital documents published before June 28, 2025, are not required to meet the new standards unless they’re updated or republished after this date. 

Universal design: a core principle 

The EAA emphasizes “universal design”—the concept that products and services should be usable by all people without requiring specialized adaptation. This approach benefits not just those with disabilities but creates a better user experience for everyone. What if you just wanted to more quickly navigate a file to find the information you wanted? The keyboard hotkeys based off the accessibility tags (headers and paragraphs) enable that. What if you suddenly broke your wrist and can’t use a mouse? You know have a temporary disability! Accessibility regulations are here for you. It really is for everyone.

Business implications 

For businesses operating in or selling to the EU market, compliance with the EAA is crucial. Key considerations include: 

• Documentation retention for 5 years after product launch 
• Tracking of non-compliant products and services 
• Potential penalties for non-compliance 
• CE conformity marking requirements for market access 

Moving forward

How OpenText can help accessibility in-design and post-composition 

The European Accessibility Act represents more than just regulatory compliance—it's about creating a more inclusive digital world. By embracing these accessibility requirements, businesses can: 

• Expand their market reach 
• Demonstrate social responsibility 
• Improve user experience for all customers 
• Stay ahead of evolving digital accessibility standards 

As we move closer to the implementation deadlines, organizations should start evaluating their digital content and services against these requirements. If you’re looking for post-composition accessibility software or customer communications management software with accessibility built in the design, OpenText has the right solution. The investment in accessibility today will pay dividends in both social impact and business compliance. 

Turn accessibility into your advantage

Make accessibility a cornerstone of your customer communications! Join us Thursday, January 30 at 11 a.m. E.T. to explore how accessible documents can go beyond compliance and drive meaningful customer connections. Reserve your spot! Register now.

The post Are you ready to meet the European Accessibility Act 2025? appeared first on OpenText Blogs.