Organizations now have greater choices to integrate Enterprise Content Management technology platforms with diverse environments and repositories to deliver enterprise-wide benefits, but cost and complexity remain serious barriers, according to new research evaluating ECM products from independent advisory firm Real Story Group (formerly CMS Watch).
Most larger organizations now utilize ECM systems for business-critical documents, but the profusion of documents stored in disparate silos remains a challenge. Major ECM vendors such as Autonomy, EMC|Documentum, IBM, and Open Text, have traditionally taken very proprietary routes, hoping that enterprises will consolidate all their content in one system, within a single repository.
That approach proved unrealistic, and vendors are now focusing more heavily on practical integration points with other systems. Several ECM vendors have recently released:
- Support for emerging repository integration standard, CMIS
- Connectors to Microsoft SharePoint and Office
- Improved integration with major business applications such as those from SAP and Oracle
- Support for the next generation BPM standard, BPMN 2.0
With an ever-widening array of integration tools and approaches at their disposal, organizations therefore have more choices for applying management services like search, re-use, and retention to documents stuck in remote repositories.
Nevertheless, buyers should not assume that these integration efforts will automatically bring relief. "Buyers should validate and test any integration points, demand proof of concepts, and not just take the vendors' word that they can in fact integrate at the level required," notes Principal Analyst Alan Pelz-Sharpe.
Meanwhile, the old challenges of cost and complexity remain serious hurdles. "Integration is never simple," added Analyst Apoorv Durga. "Any buyer should understand the implications and cost of integration work before moving forward with one of these systems, especially since many 'connectors' are less proven, and come at extra cost."
About Real Story Group
The Real Story Group provides research and advisory services to support you through content technology selection and implementation. Through highly detailed technical evaluations, advisory papers, and education courses, The Real Story Group helps you to sort out the complex technology landscape, so that you can minimize time and effort identifying technologies suited to your particular requirements. The Real Story Group evaluates Web Content Management, Digital Asset Management, Document & Records Management (ECM), Enterprise Collaboration & Social Software, Enterprise Search, and SharePoint Ecosystem vendors.
To retain its independence as an impartial analyst firm, Real Story Group works solely for solutions buyers and never for vendors.
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