Guest post by Alan Pelz-Sharpe

The problem is managing information; the answers, though, are many and often contradictory. You fix one element and another is broken. You do one thing well and you find your priorities change to another area you hadn't considered.

Information management represents one of the most critical areas of concern, we face today. Many of these problems could be resolved via the application of common sense. However, common sense doesn't build a multi-billion dollar industry--let alone one that is set to grow further still--while bolting one product onto another and charging ever-more for the privilege does.

Where do we really stand in 2010? Well, in the past year we have already seen a number of fairly sizable acquisitions--Vignette by Open Text, and Interwoven by Autonomy--but are these really indicators of consolidation? The M&A rumor mill is busy for sure, with multi-billion dollar deals in the pipeline. Many of the rumors surround Open Text and Autonomy as key acquiring parties, but just as often, the companies are mentioned as the targets of acquisition.  

Yet, the ECM market is ultimately a mythical market, it consists of whatever is fashionable in the world of information management at any one time. It remains a theory and maybe even something of a practice, but its a market in its infancy and is far from any point of 'maturity'. Acquisitions occur at one end of the market, and more enterprising software developers flood the opposite end.

ECM will likely morph further in the coming years, and may absorb other sectors as it lumbers along. However, it's just as likely that ECM will ultimately merge into an adjacent IT sector. Whatever happens one thing is for sure, the ECM story ain't over yet...

Alan Pelz-Sharpe is a Principal with the Real Story Group, covering and advising on ECM technologies and practices. He oversees all research on EIWatch.com, and focuses his own research in the areas of document management, enterprise collaboration, SharePoint and email archiving. 

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