How startups are changing the rules of information management

In January 2017, Gartner published a blog post that stated that Enterprise Content Management (ECM) was dead, at least from the author's point of view. A new term was sent out to the world: Content Services became a fact. Content Services platform is a collection of services and micro-services that is brought together as an integrated product suite or as separate set of applications with a shared API. The ability to exploit different types of information and content and to provide solutions for a wide range of use cases, as accurately as possible, has emerged. According to Gartner, this change was necessary to overcome the classic challenges of an ECM program and to ensure that the evolution of technology can quickly find its way to reach the user base that is becoming more and more critical.

Co-Creation with innovative startups

When we look at the big players in the market, it is striking that they follow the Gartner's content services philosophy. We are seeing more and more new services appearing on the platforms and coming in a form of suites. Sometimes these are a result of in-house research and development, but more and more often similar actions are being taken through acquisitions of innovative startups. Take Microsoft for instance that continues to expand its micro services on Azure. Here we find more and more support for natural language processing of both text and spoken word. And the services are also used for their product: Delve. Another example is the Microsoft Teams solution; a combination of content and communication services, which is designed to make productivity and collaboration even easier. OpenText bought Hightail to offer an improved solution for collaboration in the field of photo and video editing. Also the smaller, emerging players expand their horizons. A good example is the Finnish M-Files. They bought the Canadian Apprento last year to further shape their vision around intelligent information management.

Getting smarter

In the previous blog we wrote about the impact artificial intelligence and machine learning have on information management. In 2017, OpenText launched its cognitive platform Magellan, with which they want to make companies smarter. Built on an open platform where your data scientists can work with their own algorithms and are armed with possibilities such as sentiment analysis, language processing and data analytics.

Another approach has been introduced by M-Files. Their intelligent engine helps users view uploaded content and automatically identify the type of document and suggest tags relevant to that document. The great thing is that the system is getting smarter and better. In addition, the same engine offers the possibility to consolidate virtually all information while still being spread over multiple systems. This allows users to search from one central location for all the information, regardless of which system they are actually logged-in.

How does the market develop?

An important element in the growth of software companies has always been the execution of implementation. When OpenText in 2016 bought the ECD division from Dell, the market responded very uncertainly. Today we see that panic takes place for enthusiasm: OpenText invests further in development and evolution. So they bring their unique positioning around SAP integration also to Documentum and get other solutions like D2 which is a complete remake of the user experience. They also bought Guidance Software - a manufacturer of one of the most renowned solutions for end-point and data security aspects. This allows them to gain an incredible boost on board to meet the security requirements. In the era of innovative startups we expect more and more acquisitions that renew the market.

What is the next step?

You may be asking yourself what these developments mean for your company. It does not surprise you that there is no "one size fits all" approach to cope with your challenges. However, we give some advisable steps: 

• Consider what you want to achieve within your company when it comes to information management. From less paper to reducing administrative workload to automating certain processes.
• Technology is a tool that can solve a business problem.. Choose a solution that is best suited for your goals and not for the sake of technology.
• Put the end user in the first place and always remember: "What can I do to make the user's life more enjoyable?". Change management is an integral component of information management and digital transformation. A top-down approach is an illusion!
• Start small, make a statement! Define a program of initiatives and start with a simple project with great impact.
• Choose speed and transparency in your approach. At Delaware we use rapid prototyping. 

We are enthusiastic about the changes in the market and look forward to the possibilities they bring. Can’t wait to see which developments are interesting for you? Please contact us!