A key component of document management systems is cloud storage. If you’re planning to incorporate a document management system for your business, then you’ll have to choose between on premise storage systems and cloud storage systems, sooner or later. However, even though it’s been a while since cloud storage technology showed up, it is still developing and evolving.
What this means is that businesses are still finding new ways of using cloud storage systems. Every time a new variation in cloud storage application is developed, it is picked up by the industry on the whole provided everyone finds it as useful as the first business did. This is what leads to the development of cloud storage trends. So, what were the cloud storage trends of 2015? Get ready to find out.
Cloud Storage Trend #1: Hybrid Cloud Storage Solutions
There was a time when the development of cloud itself was a cloud storage trend. This was a time when people would use data management systems but only those that were on premise in nature. In 2015, businesses were already using content storage. A few had shifted from on premise storage options to cloud storage options.
Therefore, the next step in the development of document management systems was going to be a hybridisation of cloud storage options. Thus, cloud storage trends where some documents can be stored on premise and some in the cloud developed.
Cloud Storage Trend #2: Increased Demand for Mobile Options
Mobile technology is growing exponentially, both in terms of what it is capable of and how many people have adopted it. It is fairly common for mobile technology trends to give birth to connected trends in other sectors as well because mobile technology is so adaptable.
Thus, mobile technology trends resulted in users of Electronic Content Management (ECM) system asking for better mobile mobility related experience when dealing with the cloud storage elements of ECM.
Cloud Storage Trend #3: Introduction of Content Analytics
Content analytics haven’t been big in the field of cloud storage. Content analytics can be defined as analysing content being used by an organisation so as to arrive at information pertaining to the nature of the content being used as well as the manner in which it is being used.
Content analytics, from that perspective, is a process that helps in understanding the content related requirements of an organisation. This information can then be used to make improvements to cloud storage and ECM dynamics. The inclusion of content analytics features in existing ECM systems can be seen as a cloud storage trend of last year.
Cloud Storage Trend #4: Record Keeping To Big Data Management
The content analytics related cloud storage trend is a part of an even bigger trend.
This is the trend where businesses evolved from just focusing on record keeping with their ECM systems to actual Big Data management.
Big Data is a trend that has been there in the business world for a considerable amount of time now.
In simplest of terms, Big Data is the analysis of huge amounts of data so as to find critical associations, patterns, and trends that can be used to improve various aspects of the business in questions. For instance, Big Data is often used to improve aspects such as supply chain management, profit margins, customer profiling, associated sales etc.
In 2015, one of the most potent cloud storage trends was that of businesses moving away from simple record keeping of data to actually managing Big Data. The focus was on using cloud storage technologies not only for secure storing of critical documents but also ensuring that the data is easily accessible for evaluation.
Cloud Storage Trend #5: Improvement in Searching Dynamics
You must’ve noticed a close association between the various cloud storage trends of 2015. Each of them leads to the next one. That is the case with this one as well. The previous cloud storage trend was related to Big Data analysis.
However, Big Data analysis is not really possible without the system being capable of providing a reliable and dependable searching dynamics. Therefore, one of the cloud storage trends of 2015 was the improvement in searching dynamics of cloud storage technologies. This allowed businesses to actually move away from simple record keeping to Big Data analysis.
Cloud Storage Trend #6: Development of Content Based Security Features
You’re most probably already aware that modern cloud storage systems tend to rely on system wide security features. The latest cloud storage trend related to security is to include security features within the content as opposed to depending upon system wide security measures.
This cloud storage trend is a result of increased mobile connectivity and hybridised ECM systems, where content needs to travel from one system to another. What these new security protocols do is allow the security features to travel with a specific piece of content which means that wherever the content may be it will remain protected.
Cloud Storage Trend #7: Greater Integration with Other Technologies
The availability of storing documents and data in a common location from where multiple people can get access with minimal fuss and hassle is that it allows greater integration and collaboration. However, this is only possible if the online storage system is compatible with other technologies and can be integrated with other types of systems.
According to experts, one of the most prevent cloud storage trends from 2015 is that ECM technologies are no longer static content repositories. Instead, they’re turning into cloud based, central hubs that allow access to data from multiple situations.
Cloud Storage Trend #8: Gradual Growth of Predictive Social Media Analytics
Social media networking has become so important in the current social setup that most businesses have some sort of a system in place for monitoring social media chatter.
In fact, some businesses even have systems in place for monitoring relevant chatter all over the internet including blogs and forums.
Supposedly, according to experts, social media monitoring can be turned into social media predictions which can be used to formulate future strategies. The 2015 cloud storage trend from this perspective is more interest in the predictive element of social media chatter monitoring technologies.
Cloud Storage Trend #9: Creation of Online Communities
Finally, businesses and enterprises that are using cloud based ECM systems are also becoming interested in creating online communities where their clients and customers can have constructive discussions. These discussions are important because they keep customers and clients engaged while letting a business know what they are expected to provide.
While most businesses have had company websites and social media network pages for customers and clients to leverage. Blogs, forums, and mixed online communities tend to be more facilitative of these types of discussions than social media networks. Effectively, the creation of these online communities based on cloud technologies is one of the fastest developing cloud storage trends from 2015.
As you can see from the above cloud storage trends pertaining to ECM technology, the focus of most organisations and enterprises in 2015 was on enhancing their applications so as to include more inclusive technologies. 2015 showed us that businesses are becoming more open to relying on cloud technology not only for storage purposes but also computational and audience engagement purposes.
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