Cloud and mobile drove content management trends in 2015
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Cloud computing and increased demand for mobility were major enterprise content management (ECM) trends in 2015.
While on-premises ECM remains the norm, companies are increasingly planning at least some cloud migration, for a variety of reasons. Common motivators include downsizing IT costs, improving mobile support or providing access to more agile, easily updated software.
Cloud file sharing came into its own as an ECM feature in 2015. After years of enterprises coping with their employees’ shadow IT practices -- where they might circumvent IT and bring other applications in-house that are easy to use -- ECM vendors made inroads toward integrating cloud file sync and share (FSS) applications, which users perceive as easier to use than traditional ECM software, into the ECM toolkit.
Cloud file sharing is poised to play an important role in enterprise mobility. Enterprises increasingly need the ability to manage files and documents remotely, regardless of device, and cloud file sharing can facilitate that collaboration. Employees have also favored cloud-based FSS because of their ease of use and ease of implementation; these applications tend to be simpler user interfaces and don’t require IT approval to deploy. Cloud-based FSS has been particularly beneficial for remote and mobile workers by providing access to information, regardless of a worker’s location.
As these technologies mature, the landscape of ECM is changing rapidly, and it presents an opportunity for the ECM market to rethink processes and do things better. But it also creates challenges: For example, Microsoft is pursuing a cloud-first strategy with Office 365, even though its SharePoint collaboration platform has strong market position, and the majority of its users remain on-premises. Balancing those two factors was a key concern for Redmond throughout much of the year.
This guide compiles podcast coverage of the key content management trends and news from 2015, drawing on expert perspectives about the challenges facing ECM and where the industry is headed.
1Mobile
The proliferation of mobile devices is changing how consumers access the Web, and it's fueling changes in the enterprise sector as well. Companies increasingly demand technology that displays well, regardless of device, and can improve the effectiveness of field workers. But this also creates new security and design challenges as well.
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Podcast
Mobile device management will shape ECM market in 2015
Consumer mobile devices have become standard in most workplaces, but many enterprises haven't developed thorough strategies for managing this shift and ensuring it doesn't put information at risk. Listen Now
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Podcast
Responsive design gains currency for mobile
Web content management (WCM) technology is adapting to meet the needs of mobile users. One example is responsive design, which automatically adjusts display according to the devices. Listen Now
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Podcast
From mobile-first design to delivering digital experiences
Mobile is facilitating a shift in Web usage, from a desktop publishing environment to providing digital experiences that take into account the user's location, preferences and behavior. Listen Now
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Podcast
Mobile backend as a service facilitates digital experiences
Digital experiences often draw information from multiple applications behind-the-scenes, and mobile backend as a service (MBaaS) can help make that process seamless for users. Listen Now
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Podcast
Mobile content strategy must incorporate location and context
Mobile technology that's location and contextually aware can assist workers in the field, by serving up content that anticipate their needs, without a time-consuming search process. Listen Now
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Podcast
Mobile content enables new business tasks
Companies are increasingly looking to boost efficiency by linking business processes and activities to mobile applications. Listen Now
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Web personalization gains currency
Traditional Web browsing is giving way to personalized digital experiences, which can draw on factors such as location and user history to provide tailored experiences on a variety of devices. Listen Now
2Vendor news
Cloud and mobile support are increasingly becoming company must-haves, which is disrupting the status quo for ECM and cloud-file-share and sync vendors. Cloud file sharing is a major factor here; vendors recognize that enterprises want user-friendly tools, so consumer file sharing services, such as Box, are increasingly becoming part of the ECM market. Similarly, some legacy ECM vendors are struggling in competition with newer, more agile cloud systems, prompting long-established brands to change hands as the market shakes out.
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Podcast
Dropbox for business API signals new trend for file-sharing apps
User friendly file-sharing services in many cases carved out a niche within the enterprise as Shadow IT, but integration with other ECM tools was the trend in 2015. Listen Now
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Podcast
Box IPO signals winds of change for ECM trends
Wall Street's reception of the Box IPO suggests that the market is buying into cloud file-sharing applications. Listen Now
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Podcast
What does the Dell purchase of EMC mean for Documentum?
Dell's bid to purchase EMC has fueled speculation that the Documentum ECM platform could be on the market soon. Listen Now
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Podcast
Will EMC deal help Dell compete in data center infrastructure?
The EMC deal could help Dell compete in the data center infrastructure market that's being disrupted by the cloud, as enterprises look to downsize. Listen Now
3Office 365
Microsoft is taking a two-track approach to cloud disruption. On one hand, it’s pledging continued support for on-premises users of the SharePoint collaboration platform, but cloud-based Office 365 services are clearly the priority. Microsoft is promoting hybrid SharePoint deployments, which draw on both cloud and on-premises technology, as a bridge between the two tracks, using new cloud collaboration features to encourage cloud migration.
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Cloud features help Microsoft sidestep SharePoint woes at Ignite
The focus was squarely on new cloud features at Ignite, as Microsoft billed hybrid deployments as the way to improve on-premises SharePoint performance. Listen Now
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Podcast
Hybrid SharePoint moves to the fore at Ignite
Microsoft is taking a cloud-first approach, but most SharePoint users remain on-premises. Hybrid deployments could be a middle ground for companies that want a cloud aspect, but aren't ready to migrate everything. Listen Now
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Podcast
The confusion around Office 365 cloud services
Office 365 offers a wide variety of collaboration features, but there's some overlap within the roadmap, and that's creating confusion for some users. Listen Now
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What Office 365 means for traditional SharePoint features
Office 365 is deconstructing SharePoint as we know it, and recasting it as a collection of services. Listen Now
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Podcast
Users want resolution for SharePoint Online issues
Cloud-based SharePoint Online has gotten mixed reviews, and one expert suggests a key factor is whether users migrated from SharePoint on-premises or started fresh in the cloud. Listen Now
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SharePoint Online gaining parity with SharePoint on-premises
SharePoint Online appears similar to SharePoint on-premises, but the initial cloud version of the collaboration platform was hampered by stripped down functionality. Listen Now
4Content management trends
User expectations are increasingly driving content management trends, as vendors strive to facilitate a collaborative, user-friendly workplace. That overarching trend requires seamless integration of multiple systems behind the scenes, as ECM adapts to accommodate new techniques and technologies.
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Podcast
ECM is upending front-office-and-back-office dynamics
Increased interoperability between office applications is pushing ECM away from its traditional role as a document repository and toward a platform for facilitating collaboration. Listen Now
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Podcast
ECM success is increasingly about customer journeys
Enterprises can refine work processes and improve efficiency by applying the principals of customer journey mapping to internal processes. Listen Now
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Podcast
ECM tools strive to balance ease of use and security
Increasingly challenged by consumer file sharing services and products, ECM vendors are making strides toward offerings that balance security with ease of use. Listen Now
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Podcast
Enterprise search still falls short
The ability to locate and retrieve content as needed is a core ECM function, so why does enterprise search still lag Web engines, like Google? Listen Now
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Podcast
Should the paperless office be the end goal?
Should enterprises strive for a paperless office? Our expert advises it's likely more productive to take an incremental approach and focus on how technologies can help reduce reliance on paper. Listen Now
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Podcast
Smart cities initiatives chart the future of IoT
A California city is testing out applications for Internet of Things technologies, but immaturity of the technology creates integration challenges. Listen Now
5Social media
Enterprise social media strategies are still maturing in many cases, but there's reason to believe internal and external social content will need to co-exist with ECM and collaboration systems.