Information Governance as a Service

Cloud storage is usually available at a very affordable price and is often a preferred way to store high volumes of data. Sometimes the content is already in the cloud and was originally created by a cloud-based collaboration system, social media applications or by a cloud-based ECM system. In other cases, use of the cloud means that an organization's content has to leave the confines of the internal corporate network to be relocated to the cloud.

These cloud storage systems are usually billed on a per-usage basis and are dynamically extensible by the customer according to his storage needs. They are usually very affordable and represent a real cost-effective alternative for storing terabytes of archives which need to be kept for several decades for compliance reasons, but are not frequently accessed by the business end users any more.

The key here is most of the cloud-based storage solutions don't offer core lifecycle and records management capabilities. As content is migrated to these new generation of cloud content object stores, information governance must be applied in an automated, audited, cost-effective and non-intrusive manner.

Adding to IT's Arsenal

When the IT services related to information governance programs are freed up, policies are managed and enforced consistently across all repositories and jurisdictions. This allows IT resources to be more strategically deployed. They are able to quickly respond to business and legal mandates with minimal resources and investment. Manual and redundant tasks are eliminated by automatically governing information throughout its lifecycle across the enterprise. The management of business information is simplified for the entire organization, and IT is freed to improve service to business units by optimizing storage media and enterprise archiving solutions. This leaves IT with the ability to be more strategic with corporate information and infrastructure solutions. Their role in the organization is enhanced because they will spend less time on manual and maintenance tasks, and more time improving business processes.

Innovate for a Competitive Advantage

Significant innovation continues in the field of information management technologies and practices. The key factors driving this innovation are the explosion in the volume, velocity and variety of information, and the huge amount of value—and potential liability—locked inside all this ungoverned and underused information. These changes in technology and information growth are demanding that information management technologies and disciplines continue to challenge traditional assumptions

According to Gartner, cloud computing, mobile communications, social networking and strategic use of information (identified as the "Nexus of Forces") are reshaping enterprises and entire industries. Combined, they are changing the nature of business and even how individuals think of business, finance and risk. It is imperative that organizations consider cloud deployments for information governance in order to stay ahead of competitors.