An AIIM 2012 preview, while the cloud can be liberating, like any tool it needs to be understood in the context of your overall business strategy.
Laurence Hart joined AIIM in 2012 as the Chief Information Officer where he is working to bring the Information systems supporting the AIIM Community to the leading edge of the industry. Prior to joining AIIM, Laurence spent nearly two decades as a consultant helping organization develop and implement strategies for managing their disparate information.
On Twitter: @piewords
You can hear his session, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Cloud-Based Content Management (But Were Afraid to Ask), on Wednesday, March 21 at Noon.
Duhon: Most frequent misconception of the cloud?
Hart: That really depends on the group you are talking to about the cloud. A common misconception is that moving to the cloud can save money. That isn’t always the case. When looking at Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), there is no up-front license cost but you do have to spend time and money to migrate Information to the cloud. In addition, the monthly charges can add up quickly. The true gains come from increased productivity because many of the mundane aspects of managing infrastructure and services are being handled offsite.
Duhon: What is the most important thing to keep in mind when deciding to move to the cloud?
Hart: The why. I remember a lot of people moving to web interfaces in the 90s because they fell in love with the glitz and the benefits of no longer having to manage desktop applications. Now we are talking about moving Information outside of the organization. The benefits of the cloud are real and tangible, but there are benefits to not moving as well. Every organization will benefit differently from moving part or all of their Information to the cloud and it is important to clearly define that up-front.
Duhon: As a CIO, what worries you about the cloud?
Hart: The loss of control over my Information is the greatest worry. Not having the information in-house isn’t the issue. The issues come when trying to move the Information to another provider or bringing it back in-house. The benefits of the cloud are great, but proper planning and controls need to be in place to protect the Information.
Duhon: What excites you about the cloud?
Hart: The ability to focus on the mission of the organization and less upon the day to day details of managing servers and applications is better than exciting. It is liberating. The CIO’s goal is to help business focus on their goals with technology serving as an enabler, not as a stumbling block. If most of an organization’s effort is being focused on just managing Information and the systems upon which it resides, there is no time for Innovation. When you really get down to it, that is the true goal -- delivering Innovation to the rest of the business.