Content in the Cloud: Making the Right Decision - AIIM

30 Pages·2012·1.76 MB·English

AIIM Market Intelligence
Delivering the priorities and opinions of AIIM’s 65,000 community
Industry
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Content in the Cloud
- making the right decision
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About the Research
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underwriters, who are:
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Process Used and Survey Demographics
While we appreciate the support of these sponsors, we also greatly value our objectivity and independence as a
non-profit industry association. The results of the survey and the market commentary made in this report are
independent of any bias from the vendor community.
The survey was taken using a web-based tool by 364 individual members of the AIIM community between
August 02, and August 28, 2012. Invitations to take the survey were sent via e-mail to a selection of the 65,000
AIIM community members.
Survey demographics can be found in Appendix A. Graphs throughout the report exclude responses from
organizations with less than 10 employees, and suppliers of ECM products or services, taking the number of
respondents to 311.
© 2012 AIIM - The Global Community of Information Professionals 1
About AIIM
AIIM (www.aiim.org) has been an advocate and supporter of information professionals for nearly 70 years. The
association mission is to ensure that information professionals understand the current and future challenges of
managing information assets in an era of social, mobile, cloud and big data. Founded in 1943, AIIM builds on a I
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strong heritage of research and member service. Today, AIIM is a global, non-profit organization that provides d
independent research, education and certification programs to information professionals. AIIM represents the entire Wu
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information management community, with programs and content for practitioners, technology suppliers, integrators t
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and consultants. y
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About the Author
Doug Miles is head of the AIIM Market Intelligence Division. He has over 25 years experience of working with users
and vendors across a broad spectrum of IT applications. He was an early pioneer of document management
systems for business and engineering applications, and has produced many AIIM survey reports on issues and
drivers for Capture, ECM, Email Management, Records Management, SharePoint and Social Business. Doug has
also worked closely with other enterprise-level IT systems such as ERP, BI and CRM. Doug has an MSc in
Communications Engineering and is a member of the IET in the UK.
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© 2012 AIIM - The Global Community of Information Professionals 2
Table of Contents
About the Research: Issues and Opinions:
About the Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Issues and Opinions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 In
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Process Used, Survey Demographics . . . . . . . .1 IT Staffing: Wu
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About AIIM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 IT Staffing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 atr
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About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 t
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Overall Experiences: h
Introduction: Overall Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Key Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Conclusion and Recommendations:
Conclusion and Recommendations . . . .22
Stairway to the Cloud: Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Stairway to the Cloud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
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Pro-Cloud or Anti-Cloud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Appendix 1 - Survey Demographics: ao
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Cloud Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Survey Demographics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 ingt
Cloud Strategies for General IT . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Survey Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 then
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Drivers for General IT in the Cloud . . . . . . . . . . .9 Organizational Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 rigt i
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Geography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 t d t
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Cloud File-Sharing: Industry Sector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 c
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Cloud File-Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Job Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 ion C
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Content Management in the Cloud: Appendix 2 - Overall Comments:
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Content Management in the Cloud . . . . .14 Appendix 2 - Overall Comments . . . . . . .25
Preferred Cloud Supplier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Underwritten in part by:
Cloud Collaboration: Acquia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Cloud Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Reveille Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Cloud Capture and Archive: Viewpointe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Cloud Capture and Archive . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Workshare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
AIIM Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Cloud Governance:
Cloud Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
© 2012 AIIM - The Global Community of Information Professionals
3
Introduction
Cloud computing is not new. Web-based email, cloud web-development and a host of useful SaaS (software-as-a-
service) applications have been available for over 10 years. Social applications used within and beyond the business
are also more than likely to be SaaS-based.
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What seems to be new is the growing realization that mainstream enterprise applications and core office applications d
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are heading for the cloud with a degree of inevitability. Decision makers are facing a choice of whento move core
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functions to the cloud rather than whetherto move them. Included amongst those enterprise applications are t
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document and records management systems, and corporate collaboration suites, and these throw into sharp relief the
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issues of security and governance that can often be weighed off in other web applications in favor of cost-saving or c
flexibility.
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The decision process is made more difficult by an almost emotional belief that seeing and touching a given server or
database at a given location means that the content is safe and secure, and above all, the ownership is clear and
compliance is satisfied. But when we look beyond the emotion and create a decision matrix based on experience and
judgement, we can see that there are potential benefits to the cloud of cost savings, flexibility and access, and
potential risks of security and continuity. Each organization needs to set its strategy based on that balance, and, most
importantly, review that decision as they gain experience of cloud offerings and as these services grow and mature.
Part of this balance is to understand that there is a broad spectrum of cloud services from local outsourcing to
consumer-style apps, and often it is the latter that make the running in the perceptions of stability, security and
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compliance. However, business users and managers are often prepared to disregard these shortcomings if it helps get m
the job done more quickly and simply. Indeed, a reluctance on the part of IT, and in particular records and compliance ao
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managers, to provide official, cloud-based file-sharing and collaboration platforms has resulted in the wide-spread in
acodmopetsio tno osfe ucnu-rgityo vaenrdn erdig hfiltes- mshaanriangge ampepnlitc. ations, many of which can best be described as “consumer-grade” when it g thten
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In this report, we look at the issues, experiences and decision-making around general cloud computing, cloud rigt i
platforms, content storage in the cloud, cloud collaboration and cloud governance. hn
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Key Findings io
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IT in the Cloud lo
n 41% of respondents consider cloud will become the de-facto deployment for general IT u
applications in their organization within 3 years. 46% consider that document and content management d
applications will be cloud by choice within 3 years.
n The strongest advocates for a move to cloud applications are business users and consultants.
IT and Records management staff are against it. Heads of IT and LOB managers are split, but the net is
that they are more likely to support than resist. Finance and C-level are split but overall slightly against.
n 26% are currently using cloud file-sharing services, 20% are creating social media and web
content in the cloud and 15% are using a SaaS sales & marketing application. 38% are not using
any cloud applications.
n Only 4% have had incidents of data loss, security intrusion or long-term unavailability from
cloud or SaaS applications. Of those, only 2.5% reported actually losing data. 70% have been
completely trouble-free, and 26% have experienced minor incidents.
n 37% do not see data in the cloud as any more vulnerable than on-premise, including 10% who
feel it is safer. For smaller organizations (less than 500 employees), this rises to 47% and 17% respectively.
n 13% have a strategy committing them to cloud or outsource for all future applications. 45% will
chose between cloud and on-premise per application, depending on experiences. 36% have no
plans. Only 6% have a policy specifically notto deploy applications in the cloud.
n The strongest driver given for a move to IT in the cloud is reduced head count in the IT Dept.
(45%), along with a lower skills requirement (20%). Next (34%) comes the view that cloud is cheaper
than expanding in-house data centers, and then the preference for operational expense over capital spend
(30%).
n The biggest inhibitor given for a move to IT in the cloud is the perceived security risk (61%),
followed by the need to demonstrate compliance, and custody (53%). Integration issues with back-
office applications is given as number three (31%).
Cloud File-Sharing
n 30% are seeing increasing use of unofficial cloud content management and file shares. Only
5% have an “official” cloud-based option. 19% prevent access to non-approved sites.
© 2012 AIIM - The Global Community of Information Professionals 4
n The need to share content with project groups outside the firewall is given as the most likely
reason users and managers are by-passing on-premise content management.Convenience and
simplicity are next, followed by better mobile access.
n 45% have policies limiting the use of “consumer” cloud-based file shares, although for 12% they
are not enforced. 37% have no policy. 17% encourage use if it benefits the project, but only 11% specify that
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a business-grade system should be used. n
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Content Management in the Cloud t
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n 42% of responding organizations have strategic plans to use some form of 3rd party cloud y
content management. 15% have specific policies against cloud content, and 42% have no plans as yet. t
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n Of those organizations with a defined cloud strategy, 20% intend to move their document and h
content management systems completely to the cloud, whereas 38% are choosing a hybrid of
linked cloud and on-premise. 8% are already outsourcing their documents and records management to a 3rd
party. The remaining 34% seem happy to create new content silos in the cloud.
n Overall, 12% would prefer to use a branded/public provider for cloud storage, with 35%
preferring a local outsource or a specific local data center, and 20% happy to go with a SaaS
ECM provider or their existing on-premise ECM supplier (20%). Smaller businesses are much more
likely to use a branded provider (23%) compared to the largest organizations (6%).
n When choosing cloud or outsourced services for document and content storage, security (75%)
and cost (51%) are the overriding considerations.Ease-of-use vies with continuity and service levels (25%
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each), followed by integration with back-end systems (19%), and then locale of the data centers (18%). m
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n Due to the variety of national rules and regulations, the locale of the data centre is “Extremely kn
important” for 40% of respondents and “Important” for a further 25%. Extremely important rises to 45% ingt
for the largest organizations and 46% for those outside North America. then
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their Office/SharePoint applications to their own private cloud. 35% are staying with their on-premise arrangement. t d t
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Cloud Collaboration ise
n 68% are looking to use cloud collaboration within the business and between remote sites. 64% ion C
would like to do so with customers - of which only 15% are doing so already. l
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n File sharing is the most-important aspect of cloud collaboration, with 58% considering folder and u
document permissions to be an essential feature. Most would also like features such as approval d
workflows, capture, and annotation.
Cloud Capture and Archive
n Most cloud users are uploading files one-by-one, although 28% are synchronized to an on-
premise repository. 26% are archiving content or emails to the cloud. Around 10% are scanning to the
cloud, either via email, through an in-house server (7%) or via an outsource (6%).
Governance
n 50% of cloud users are attempting to manually replicate on-premise security and records policies
to cloud usage, with a further 40% admitting that their cloud governance is somewhat ad hoc.
Only 10% are automatically synchronizing rights between on-premise and cloud systems.
n 63% see cloud file-share sites as “the new wild west”. A net of 50% agree that “cloud does not yet tick
enough of the security and reliability boxes”.
Overall Experiences
n A net of 60% agree that apps and app stores are changing IT deployment and by-passing IT (net
44%). A net of 41% feel that the true costs of cloud deployment over the long term are being ignored.
n Overall, a net of 32% of respondents see IT staffing across the profession falling because of
cloud, particularly for server and infrastructure specialists (net 61% agree) and storage &
archiving (net 18% agree). A net of 38% feel that the demand for security expertise will grow.
n The most useful application reported by those already using cloud content is for sharing content
amongst specific projects and project teams, particularly those outside the firewall.The second set
of benefits is that cloud sets them free from the limitations of in-house infrastructure, is simpler, allows fast
deployment, and the chance to experiment.
© 2012 AIIM - The Global Community of Information Professionals 5
Stairway to the Cloud
For many organizations, the adoption of cloud computing has been a step-by-step process: starting with useful SaaS
applications for a host of marketing, engineering and banking applications, followed perhaps by a bigger step to a
true cloud application such as SalesForce in order to tie-in dispersed or remote employees. Cloud archive of emails
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and cloud back-up have also been attractive in specific situations. More recently, social applications, web- n
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collaboration and cloud file-sharing have created an almost de-facto deployment of cloud, often in order to satisfy a Wu
local need or as part of a specific project. s
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Alongside these needs-driven choices, there has always been a financial debate around the potential for cost-cutting,
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and the benefits of removing intermittent IT infrastructure investment from the capital budget (capex), and paying for c
it on a service basis as a continuing operational expense (opex). There has also been a rationalization of costs within
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most large, multi-national organizations, initially virtualizing servers within subsidiaries, and then consolidating
national and international requirements into a small number of strategic data centers, in effect creating their own
private clouds.
In the last two or three years, we have seen a much stronger debate within most organizations about commitment to
a cloud computing strategy for the future. Indeed, as we can see from Figure 1, for most of our respondents, it is not
whethercloud will become the default model, but how soon. In fact, 41% of our respondents feel that cloud will
become the de-facto deployment for general IT applications in their organization within 3 years, which is quite a
dramatic change from the 7% currently doing so. Looking over 6 to 8 years, 77% of the respondents to this survey
feel that cloud will be all-pervading. -C
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Given some of the reservations expressed later in this report, it is perhaps surprising that even more of our ao
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respondents (46%) feel that document and content management applications will be cloud by choice within 3 years, in
with a particular boost predicted for next year (2013). g thten
Figure 1: When do you think cloud will become the de-facto deployment in your organization for general IT applications, and e
for document and content management applications? (N=271) rigt i
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0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% isioe
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General IT applica!ons
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This year d
Document and content
Next year
management applica!ons
2 years out
3 years out
4-5 years out
6-8 years out
Never
Pro-Cloud or Anti-Cloud
Unlike most technology-enabled advances, cloud has mixed support amongst IT staff. Many consider that cloud
does not offer the optimum user experience where network bandwidth is crowded, that security is an issue, and that
it may not offer the best long-term financial result. However, top of mind for most, as shown later in the report, is that
it is likely to result in an overall reduction in IT staffing, and a general de-skilling in local centers. This is reflected in a
net reluctance by IT staff (-8%) to drive the cloud initiative. For IT managers, there is more acceptance of the vision,
but still only a small net support of +5%.
It would be easy to believe that C-level managers (-6% net), and in particular finance managers (-1% net), are strong
supporters, but in our survey they are not in favor overall, probably due to risk aversion. The real drive seems to be
coming from the business side, and in particular, business users, with a net of 15% in support of a move to the cloud.
Advice from external consultants would also seem to be strongly in favor of cloud.
© 2012 AIIM - The Global Community of Information Professionals 6
Records and information managers share a similar level of reservation to that of the IT staff, but as we might expect,
security and governance drive their concerns rather than possible staff reductions.
In some countries, governments have set very strong pro-cloud policies, but this seems to vary considerably,
particularly in North America, with an overall 2% of organizations discouraged by government mandates.
Figure 2: Who would you say are the strongest-advocates/least-in-favor of a move to cloud applications in your organization? In
(N=275, inc. 60 “None of these”) d
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-25%-20%-15%-10% -5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% t
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Business users h
External consultants
Internal consultants/business improvement
Line of business heads
Head of IT
Finance department
Top level management
IT department members
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Informa!on/records managers kinn
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Business users are creating the biggest pressure for a move to cloud, with IT staff and records staff holding back c
somewhat. The finance department also seems reluctant to move in the cloud direction despite the potential cost ise
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benefits, but perhaps due to a level of risk aversion. Heads of IT are close to an equal split, but are on the whole in nC
favor. l
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Cloud Experiences
As we have seen, most users and organizations have some experience of using cloud applications across quite a
broad spread. File-sharing is the most popular application, and we will explore this in more detail in the next section.
Surprisingly, 38% say they make no current use of cloud or SaaS even for specialty applications such as bulk
emailing, customer surveys or web analytics.
Figure 3: Which of the following application data types are you currently generating within a cloud service? (N=306)
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
File-sharing services
Email
Social media content
So"ware/web dev./web content
Sales/marke!ng data (e.g., Salesforce)
Office applica!on data (e.g. Office 365)
Analy!c/web-tracking data
Customer/membership/ci!zen data
Engineering/scien!fic data
Other important cloud/SaaS apps
None of these –do not use cloud apps
© 2012 AIIM - The Global Community of Information Professionals 7
Based on the use of these existing applications – which in many cases will be somewhat ad-hoc and frequently used
at the “free” end of the “freemium” spectrum – we asked about any incidents of data loss, security intrusion or long-
term unavailability. 70% consider that their usage has been completely trouble free, with just 4% reporting incidents.
Of those, only 2.5% reported actually losing data. We did not set a time-frame, and it is likely that many users
experience of data-loss with in-house applications will be at a similar level, particularly if data is exchanged between
laptops, desktops and USB drives in an attempt to access it remotely or on-the-move. In
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Having said that, cloud systems can sometimes be less forgiving to user errors than on-premise, for example Wu
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restoration from back-up of wrongly over-written files is not an option on most SaaS systems, although versioning t
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and roll-back features may be available. 26% reported minor incidents, and much as with on-premise applications, y
these are likely to be password issues, upgrades, planned maintenance or credit card expiries. t
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Figure 4: Have you had any incidents of data loss, security intrusion, long-term unavailability, or supplier failure with any of h
these cloud/SaaS applications? (N=197, excl. 109 non-users)
Yes, 4%
Minor
incidents,
26%
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In fact, 37% of our respondents consider the vulnerability of content and data in the cloud to be no higher than for on-
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premise applications. For smaller organizations (less than 500 employees), 47% consider the risks to be similar, o
including 17% who feel their data would be safer in the cloud, reflecting the higher risk involved with in-office servers u
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compared to dedicated data centers.
Figure 5: How do you feel about the overall vulnerability of applications and content in the cloud compared to your on-
premise servers? (N=255, Excl. 30 Don’t Know)
Much safer
in the cloud,
Safer in the 2% Much more
vulnerable
cloud, 8%
in the cloud,
21%
About the
same, 27%
More
vulnerable
in the cloud,
42%
For many, cloud deployment can offer a more controlled and secure environment, particularly in smaller businesses
with on-site servers rather than dedicated data centers, or where security expertise is lacking.
© 2012 AIIM - The Global Community of Information Professionals 8
Cloud Strategies for General IT
Despite the views expressed above as regards the mid-term progression towards cloud as the norm, only 13% of
organizations have a firm strategy driving in that direction. 45% are taking a more pragmatic approach on an
application-by-application basis, perhaps starting with just one or two core applications. 36% have no specific plans
or don’t know, with just 6% having a definite strategy notto go down this route. I
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Figure 6: What is your organization’s overall strategy on moving core IT applications to 3rd party (or government) clouds? Wu
(N=309) s
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0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
We are outsourcing our full IT infrastructure
to a 3rd party
Implemen!ng/planning that our full IT
infrastructure is/will be in the cloud
We are/will progressively move most of our
key applica!ons to the cloud
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We have moved 1 or 2 core applica!ons to then
the cloud to gain experience e
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in the cloud ion C
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Don't know
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0% 5% 10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%
Drivers for General IT in the Cloud
Reduced IT departmental costs/employee
Despite the general lack of enthusiasm by the Finance department expressed in Figure 2, cost reductions are the top
numbers
three most likely drivers for cloud adoption. Reducing IT departmental costs is the dominant driver for 46% of
organizations, largely by reduction of employee numbers This is followed by the view that using cloud is cheaper
Cheaper than expanding our own data centers
than expanding in-house data centers, and then comes the most-used argument that cloud deployment exchanges
intermittent capital expenditure or “capex” into more regular rental payments that appear on the operational budget
Cost model for s/w & h/w (rental/opex vs.
as “opex”. However, depending on their depreciation regime, not all CFOs would consider this to be the preferred
purchase/capex)
option, particularly in view of the potential long term costs of cloud software rentals over more than 5 years.
Speed of s/w fixes and regularity of
Figure 7 lists many further potenutpiagl rdardiveesr/sm, bauint treesnpaonncdeents were limited to just three. For example, we will see later
that simpler access on mobile devices is a driver for cloud file-share services, but has a very low ranking here.
Be#er security, back-up, con!nuity than local
office servers
Improved access from outside the firewall
Reduced skill sets required in IT
Reduced/more flexible premises costs,
virtualized offices
Speed and simplicity of rollout
Simpler access from mobile devices
© 2012 AIIM - The Global Community of Information Professionals 9
None of these