AIIM: Content management in the cloud

Over the past couple of years, cloud computing has become increasingly prevalent. While many questions persist about cloud computing, it's clear that more types of software including content management are being offered as cloud solutions. Consider that:

• Microsoft has introduced a cloud version of SharePoint 2010;
• Google offers collaboration tools around its Google Docs as a way to share and collaborate in the cloud;
• Box.net recently started offering a light-weight content management solution, which it sells directly and through the Google Apps Marketplace, which expands the universe of cloud-based applications Google enterprise customers can tap into;
• Meanwhile, vendors like Clickability and SpringCM offer cloud-based content management solutions; and
• Others like Nuxeo give you the choice of cloud or installed.

There's certainly an attractive element to cloud-based computing for IT departments. While you still have to configure your content management or collaboration solution, you are free from all of the headaches associated with hardware maintenance. You also don't have to worry about upgrades because those happen incrementally over time, rather than as one huge, new version. What's more, the updates happen automatically behind the scenes. The vendor is responsible for servers and upkeep. 

But the vendor also controls your valuable data, and for some IT executives, there are a still a lot of question marks around governance, security, uptime and all of the issues associated with moving data to the cloud. These are not insurmountable issues if you do your homework up front (as I wrote about recently in "Five keys to managing cloud computing risk" on Enterprise Efficiency). And it's important to remember that things can, and do, go wrong with in-house installations as well.

While you're at AIIM this year, if you're considering a cloud solution, don't be afraid to ask the vendors the tough questions and to make them answer your concerns whatever they may be. The cloud certainly offers some advantages and efficiencies, but there are trade-offs and you need to understand them before you make purchase decisions.

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