The ECM Channel

and OOXML WINS!, Close game folks

It looks like again Microsoft bullied a standard into the industry. On Monday August 27^th there was a vote held to determine if the new standard OOXML would be inducted into the industry. OOXML is an XML based file format for documents, spreadsheets, and presentations that increases the efficiency, portability, and extensibility of applications using it. Today Office 2007 already leverages the technology.

It looked like in the beginning the technology had strong opposition, but magically at the time of vote there were 20 new companies most of which were apart of the Microsoft ISV Family to tilt the favor for OOXML. The reason I write about this is you have to wonder what this is alluding to in Microsoft’s future. The OOXML format is not far from XPS another xml based file format spearheaded by Microsoft. Both will allow for the intimate marrying of documents, OS security, and databases. I say one step closer to Microsoft becoming an ECM giant.

- Chris Riley, Artsyl Technologies

The War on Information Security

I recently attended the capital area’s first Information Security & Wireless Technology Conference hosted by Fishnet Security*, Check Point Software Technologies**, and Secure Passage.***

In the age of security threats, business professionals must improve their knowledge of Information Security (INFOSEC) issues, solutions, and evolving technologies. The face of data security is rapidly changing and strategies must take a “data protection, data leakage” approach.

It's time to arm yourselves with expert advice in the war on information security.

Janelle Julien

Associate Editor

AIIM E-DOC Magazine

Search this: Google vs. Microsoft

Google and Microsoft continue to butt heads in the search market. The latest in this tug-of-war between the two tech giants has seen Google accusing Microsoft of anti-trust violations. Considering Google's dominance in the search market (a market they control about 65 percent of, according to Hitwise), Microsoft is within rights to limit Google's search capabilities on its desktop.

There are known problems with Google's search capabilities, including its opaqueness and unresponsiveness to customers. With organic search, Website operators are continually frustrated by trying to maintain a prominent position with Google. They are always left guessing about how to stay near the top of Google search results.

With paid search, customers don't know where their money is being spent. Although Websites pay for the clicks they get, it's difficult to know where those clicks are coming from. What is the dynamic of how your paid search ad is ranked? Attempting a paid search strategy requires a third-party search market agency to handle Google.

Who’s the real monopoly here? Google and Microsoft should continue fighting for search market share.

Janelle Julien

Associate Editor

AIIM E-DOC Magazine

Understanding end users: An opportunity for dealers

Dealers can position themselves above the competition by becoming more educated on solutions in scanning and document management in relation to enterprise content management (ECM).  Learn how.

~Janelle Julien, Associate Editor
AIIM E-DOC Magazine

RFP ( “really frustrating process” )

Well maybe a bit brash with the title, but this post is in response to the upcoming RFP season, share my experience in the response process, and get others thoughts about the same.  Please take the time to share your thoughts as it’s very useful for the channel community to clearly understand how to deal with these labor intensive events.

This year my organization participates in several RFP responses in the content management and analytics spaces.  From our experience RFPs are generated for the following reasons or combination there of.

1.)    Satisfy due diligence and price shopping

2.)    To gain market understanding and vendor landscape

3.)    To use competition for the “fittest solution”

What scares us most about the process is an un-educated RFP creating outlandish un-educated responses.  For example in the case of OCR technologies an RFP that asks for 100% accuracy and no verification with a vendor response confirming this possibility and guaranteeing it.  Anyone who is experienced with OCR will realize this is an incorrect response in any case and would not attempt to claim such.  We have seen such vendors win in such a case and in the end cause a very bad situation that is hard to get out of.

What does the channel think about RFPs?  There are so many situations, some organizations welcome open communication prior to responses, others shut off all communication.  Some organization understand what they are looking for and are educated to the solutions, others are not.  In bids where there are several companies responding you get interesting situations like competing with customers, vendor consolidations, and unfortunately a handful of politics.  Share your thoughts

- Chris Riley, Artsyl Technologies, Inc.

Sharepoint: what are you doing about it?

I recently posted about the interest in Sharepoint vs traditional ECM technologies expressed by end users all over the country.  Thanks to all of you who have contacted me directly with your opinions on the subject. 

The interest continues to grow, from users as well as suppliers!  AIIM has responded to this interest (and clear need for education) in the subject, by incorporating it in the educational programs of two of our most important upcoming events.

I mentioned that one of the keynote speakers at our 32nd annual Document Management Service Providers (DMSP) Executive Forum will present on "Sharepoint:  the 800 lb. Gorilla".  This lively discussion invites service companies, resellers, and integrators to weigh in on whether Sharepoint poses a threat to, or opportunity for, their businesses.

We have just made the decision to theme the Fall 2007 AIIM seminar series with the title “SharePoint Meets ECM”, and dedicate the educational sessions to this topic. This theming will both expand, and energize, an audience that wants to know where their needs fit with SharePoints capabilities.  For traditional ECM vendors, the event offers an effective way to differentiate core competencies.  For Microsoft partners, and providers with MOSS integration/application hooks, the speaking and demo opportunities are ideal for reaching AIIM's audience of buyers from Fortune 1000 companies as well as the growing mid-size market. 

Sharepoint's entrance in the ECM space is impacting our industry.  Let's work together to understand and leverage these implications for growth and success.

2007 Trends in Capture

Understanding the needs of users is critical to success.  It’s more than perfecting your pitch.  It’s about timing and meeting a need.  The issues at the forefront of user needs included:   

• Audit compliance (Basel II, IFRS, SOX, Patriot Act, Bank Secrecy Act, Check 21)

• Legal disclosure (SEC 13A, Code of Federal Regulations (21,36))

• Privacy protection (Family Education Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA), HIPAA, Gramm-Leach-Bliley)

Much of the discussion at this year’s eCopy Paper Connection Forum focused on efficiency, cost, and compliance, which span all verticals. Three key management issues facing users include records/document management (auditability), privacy protection (confidentiality), and information availability (portability, legal disclosure).

With audits, users are held accountable to document the process, follow the process, and prove that the process was finished. Many of these business processes are augmented by paper-based procedures where ROI is usually determined by time-to-completion metrics.

Food for thought…

When tailoring your approach to the end user, keep this in mind:

• If improved efficiency is a major driver, then justifying the investment is a logical sales obstacle.

• If risk reduction and compliance are business drivers, then use this as a means to get executive sponsorship.

• Recognize that as buyers move to integrate capture with business systems, employee commitment will be an obstacle.

What does this mean to you?  There are many opportunities for business growth and a connection with users:

• Solutions providers need to understand core business processes (order entry, service requests, benefits EOB).

• Less than half of business processes that could benefit from capture are currently using it.

• Use ROI sales tools: almost 50% of users believe that capture ROI surpasses traditional IT projects.

• Organizations are looking to better leverage MFP investments.

~ Janelle Julien, Associate Editor, AIIM E-Doc Magazine

Sharepoint Meets ECM

I've been doing a lot of speaking at industry and vendor events over the past few weeks, and it seems that I can't go anywhere without being asked about Microsoft's role in the traditional ECM space.  Users want to know the difference between the capabilities inherent in traditional ECM solutions versus those of newcomer, Sharepoint.  AIIM will be producing a variety of educational activites on this subject.  We'll also have a very candid discussion with resellers and service companies when we hear from Dan Elam at our 32nd annual Document Management Service Providers Executive Forum in November.

Until then, I invite you to tell me what you are hearing in the marketplace from your clients.  Tell me how you plan to leverage Sharepoint and/or differentiate your products/services.

AIIM 2007

If you were present, good for you, if not, you missed out. This year’s AIIM event was quite good. The location was pleasant (although the timing was not great with the Boston Marathon), and the crowd was decent. I could write about the new products announced in the area of hardware and software, or about the gossip and rumors that always emerge, but I won’t. Instead I will write about the miss-conceptions about these events. Exhibitors mistakenly think they should close business (this could be the result of pressure put on marketing departments) and attendees think they will find the new solution to that nagging current ECM issue either with an already-implemented system, or one planned.

Both are right, but miss the real reason you should attend, and that is for relationship and understanding of the market. Have you ever had a favorite magazine subscription you regularly read, and then suddenly dropped? Only finding yourself picking up an issue a year later thinking geez look what I missed. Missing industry events like these is the same thing. Look at the shows as a periodical.

Exhibitors should be leveraging their partnerships with vendors, and staking a claim on the market.

Attendees should be taking the time to be critical of their current or possible vendors and getting answers face-to-face to your questions.

I will admit AIIM this year is mostly a partner event. The addition of the company tours was a good idea maybe not the best implemented. This year there was quite a bit of shirt changes and commotion surrounding this. It’s a fun industry in this respect, always refreshing. In my opinion the people who should be attending this particular event are all resellers in the industry and managers in the companies implementing solutions (this is a key place to find that hidden solution for the ever-nagging ECM problem). And don’t forget that not only are the breakout sessions and exhibits important, but also the more casual after events.

See you next year!

- Chris Riley, Artsyl Technologies, Inc.

Healthcare and ECM

With HIMSS around the corner I thought it would be a good time to talk about ECM technologies in the healthcare vertical. If you are not familiar with HIMSS, it stands for Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. This organization puts on a large event every year. This year it is in New Orleans. You usually are comforted that you are in the right location for HIMSS as soon as you make it to the baggage claim and have huge healthcare signs starring you in the face. Because the event is so large it covers a broad range of healthcare tools from portable x-ray machines to database back-ends. And of course there is ECM everywhere. In the area of scanning, ability to scan cards becomes important, and image dropout quality is a top concern. In the area of capture there is current buzz on how to handle the new HCFA and UB04 extraction. Technologies already exist on the market to accurately OCR HCFA, UB92 and a few now supporting UB04. Also the always challenging EOB capture has been solved by a few, and partially solved by many. For content management systems there are critical requirements around security, accessibility, and also support for input and output of the 835 file format. EDI is the keyword sounding digital information. Really for content management systems this is a challenging vertical that is dominated by several very large medical only companies. Healthcare also brings some other interesting content driven niches such as speech recognition, tablet PC notes, document codeing, and HUGE amounts of rich media such as x-ray images and video. There are specialized content systems just around managing this information. One aspect of healthcare that makes it a little easier is the fact that how information is stored is more or less static system. The healthcare vertical is one that understanding the technologies and lingo are critical to keeping and closing any deal. It is also critical to understand how all the pieces fit together, because your prospect will ask.

- Chris Riley, Artsyl Technologies, Inc.