<I generally consider RM as a technology to be a subset of ECM as a technology>

Jesse:
From a technology perspective, you are correct that ECM generally does not allow full RIM functionality, and therefore may be considered not RM.  However, as a term defined as "Enterprise Content Management (ECM) is the strategies, methods and tools used to capture, manage, store, preserve, and deliver content and documents related to organizational processes. ECM tools and strategies allow the management of an organization's unstructured information, wherever that information exists," ECM does relate to RIM concepts, more so than technologically.  

It is common to refer to ECM as a product - usually an application or software - but to the practitioner (and, often, also to the employer) ECM is the management of all content in all media including records.  To truly manage records, one must find them and identify them, and this means identifying and eliminating "non-record" material.  So RMs must manage draft, work product, or superfluous content in order to properly manage records.  This has been a part of the profession since day one.  

Unfortunately, in my opinion, we've lost sight of the full RM concept with the application of electronic technology over the years.  It's so much easier for a company or government to buy a "magic" software that will do all the work that people use to do, only to find out that it is indeed not the "magic" they thought it was.  No matter how much the industry tries, software cannot think and apply abstract concept to reality.  We in RM know that software is a means (tool) to the end (accomplish good RM), not the end itself.  Now stepping off my old grouch soapbox.

Ginny Jones 
(Virginia A. Jones, CRM, FAI) 
Records Manager 
Information Technology Division 
Newport News Dept. of Public Utilities 
Newport News, VA 
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