2010 Content Management Predictions – A Retrospective

I came across a great blog post today by Lee Dallas of Big Men on Content. It was entitled 2010 Content Management Predictions from Lee Dallas and had several great points. I tried to comment to his blog, but it would not allow comments so I thought I’d take the same comment I wrote and create it as a blog post. Here it is.

Lee - Good post. Thanks I needed this. A nice reality check of the "ECM Industry" and I mean the word Industry in every sense of the word. Companies and countless individuals have created their living in the ECM Industry. The good news is ... under the surface it won't really change. That's the nature of the beast for every industry. The names change to match the times, but the underlying processes stay pretty much the same.

Ironically, back in the days when I worked for FileNet (before they were acquired by IBM) everyone threw around the term BPR, short for Business Process Re-Engineering, which was in vogue at the time due the popularity of Hammer & Champy's "Reengineering the Corporation.” Soon enough end users realized that a BPR process meant downsizing and the term lost favor. It was replaced by BPM and ECM.

People may not want to buy ECM by name, but people do want to classify and categorize their purchases in nice & tightly named packages --- even if the underlying challenges are daunting and complex. In fact, especially when the underlying challenges are daunting and complex.

btw - Open Text will likely be bought by SAP or HP. Both could use what OTEX has to create a compelling competitive offering.

What do you think?

• Do you think Lee is onto something?
• Who do you think will be acquired next?
• What should the “new” term for ECM be?

Share your comments here or drop me a line at one of my contact points listed below.

About The Author:
I have spent the better part of the last 16 years working in various aspects of the ECM industry. I spent time at Kofax, Microsoft, FileNet, K2, and most recently Captaris (which was acquired by Open Text in Nov 2008). Prior to that I was a Unix VAR running my own company. Follow me on Twitter, check my blog, send email or find me on Facebook or LinkedIn.

** I am available for speaking engagements and consulting projects. My areas of emphasis are business development and alliance management where Social Media and Enterprise Content Management intersect.

Image Credit: Big Men on Content
Source: http://bigmenoncontent.com/2009/12/17/2010-content-management-predictions-from-lee-dallas/