Are We Just Doing The 'Information' Time Warp?
By Simon Taylor, Sr. Director of Information Access Management, CommVault
For those that have seen "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", you'll know what I mean when I say "time warp". Predicting trends, however, in information management is hardly just a "jump to the left" or "a step to the right". Where will we be in 2010 with information governance, eDiscovery, Compliance and archiving? For some, worrying about the right strategy isn't something to think about since the world is going to end in December 2012 (according to the Mayan Calendar and of course Hollywood). Right?
Well, despite my personal interest in all things controversially ancient, be assured my mind is very firmly planted in dealing with the present and information alignment is again at the forefront of our minds. Predicting what will happen in the way we access information is a bit like finding the elixir to life: we sense that it might exist, we follow our instincts to move us in the right direction, but we're not sure where the journey will take us.
Consider this question on information access: Will people in 2010 switch from being reactive to proactive in ESI data discovery to deliver a better and more "ready" approach to structured and unstructured information management? I think so. After attending the 8th Annual eDiscovery event in NYC at the beginning of December and the eDiscovey pharma event in Philadelphia in September, it is clear to me that inside counsel in many organizations are faced with litigation costs that are spiraling out of control due to repetitive information discovery tasks. Consequently they are totally turned on to making electronic discovery more efficient and reducing the consequential litigation cost of outside counsel. Their question is more about how to do it, not whether they should. Consequently, I predict that 2010 WILL be a defining year for US organizations seeking proactive information management solutions. For the rest of the world now coming to terms with the underworld effects of discovery, 2010 will be the year of enlightenment.
Let's also consider information lifecycle management (ILM), which is rapidly being enveloped by the topic of Information Governance. For many, this is more of a restatement of intentions around ILM and compliance made 5-7 years ago but there is a difference. Information governance is about a broader strategy focused on minimizing risk through improved access, retention and organization of information.
Will ILM therefore finally come of age? I think so, but I believe 2010 will be the year of practicality when it comes to governing information for compliance and risk. For too long now companies have spent undisclosed millions of dollars on strategies that lead to direction but not to policy and execution. In 2010, organizations will focus on the small steps that make a difference:
- Improved organization and classification
- Better access across the enterprise
- Intuitive mining and understanding on the nature of information, e.g. for data privacy and PCI.
Let's also not forget the lifecycle retention, disposition and proactive deduplication of information assets that are critical to cost management. These small steps are projects that combine stakeholders from IT and business to make measurable differences and lead directly to mapping and policy for broader information strategy.
How will this be possible? Simple – "evolution". Information Lifecycle, Access and Retention solutions like CommVault Simpana software already have evolved to become more flexible particularly when targeting legacy information assets. Others undoubtedly will follow. 2010 therefore will be about making decisions on retention, classification, taxonomy, categorization, records declaration and workflow safe in the knowledge that you CAN change direction if you need to. 2010 will be the year that information lock-in ends; where organizations say no to the continued siloed, constrained and restricted access management of valuable business information.
SOURCE: CommVault Systems