Silver Spring, MD, USA -- After years of virtually ignoring handheld devices, Enterprise Content Management vendors are starting to focus on mobile computing needs, according to new research released today by independent analyst firm, CMS Watch.

"Information within ECM systems typically remains highly secured, but outside the application environment it becomes uncontrolled and unsecured," noted CMS Watch Principal Analyst, Alan-Pelz-Sharpe. "The move by ECM vendors to develop and support applications for remote and offline environments is an important step toward dealing with that challenge."

Other findings from CMS Watch's research include:

• Proliferation of Industry-Specific Solutions. SpringCM is building a network of VARs with solutions from its SaaS offerings, while Nuxeo is creating packages for diverse sectors like museums, libraries, and energy. This trend will continue, particularly among vendors in the tiers below the platform offerings of EMC, IBM, and Oracle.
• SharePoint Coexistence. Almost all vendors can sell SharePoint "connectors." Although these vary widely in quality and functionality, most ECM vendors continue to try to work with SharePoint, rather than compete with it. MOSS clearly has energized the market, but it has complemented the traditional ECM market -- not replaced it.

Customers should recognize that mobile support among ECM vendors remains in a nascent stage. "Much of what we see today from Enterprise Content Management vendors in terms of mobile support is little more than eye-candy," concludes CMS Watch Analyst, Jarrod Gingras. "But based upon industry directions, ECM customers will see more mobile-related functionality later in 2010/11, and this will bring new options for ambient information management to those enterprises that carefully assess their vendor choices."

These findings come from the latest version of CMS Watch's ECM Report 2009, which evaluates twenty-eight Enterprise Content Management vendors head to head. Vendors reviewed include IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Alfresco, EMC, Xerox, Pitney Bowes, Open Text, Newgen, Saperion, HP, Nuxeo, KnowledgeTree, and Autonomy.

The ECM Report 2009 is available for purchase online from CMS Watch (/ECM/Report).