SharePoint ECM message getting through....

A few of the organisations on my most recent consultancy stints are perhaps showing indications that IT Managers are maybe realizing that SharePoint isn't always the answer to ECM within their organizations, or that collaborational solutions do need a tie in with their existing corporate ECM solutions.

The messages of SharePoint ECM failing at an Enterprise level regarding:

• Governance - multiple copies of the same documents can be stored in numerous place, giving version up to date issues, security and storage sizing issues.
  
• Storage - storing content in SQL Server blobs - no tiered cheaper storage for their massive SQL Databases!
  
• Records Management and Compliance - how can companies be sure of the audit history, version history and applicable retention policies on a formal corporate document record?

.... are finally being discovered and investigated. For small businesses and disconnected business units it's ECM functionality is great and I wouldn't knock it. Anything is better than shared network drives!

On the SharePoint side of the fence, a big concern with Documentum WebTop is useability for the non trained, (non intuitive!) business user.

This has been remedied somewhat with Documentum TaskSpace, and the future Knowledge Worker clients, but a SharePoint front end with the clean Document Libraries (using Documentum Archive Services) and the Documentum Content Services for SharePoint (web parts) to access the repository gives a refreshing user interface that will give any Windows literate user an easy to use interface to Documentum.

This can only mean good news for organisations - they can ensure that their content is being saved to the repository, at the right time, with the correct object types, with the correct retention policies and only the once. There are some fantastic business problems and great ROI that can be made ....

I want a nice busy May 2008 please, so let's pass on the SharePoint and Documentum joint message!