AIIM Conference Summary

Well another year and another AIIM Conference has closed out. Overall I have been pleased with the Conference and the networking that I have been able to do, plus the ability to get around and see all the vendors in one space.

The presentation streams that were run by CMS Watch were informative and entertaining, plus this year there was an audio capture of all the streams so I can now listen to all the presentations in my own time and catch up on the ones that I had to miss out on because you cannot be in two places at one time.

During the course of the show Microsoft came up again and again and the main issues seems to be the uncontrolled release of SharePoint sites that spread through the organisation. Well the resolution comes back to policy and planning before "Setup.exe" is executed as if this wonderful technology is just left to go by itself there will over time be SharePoint hell in the form of isolated silos of Site collections.

So get planning and do it right, or if you already have it out there get a stock take going and get some Information Management professionals involved.

Microsoft taking AIIM

Here is the Microsoft Stand for AIIM 2008. What it not cearly evident is the partner stands off to the left of the main area. There are a number of partners that also have thier own stands elsewhere on the floor.

Vendors of all shapes and sizes are clearly looking to put their stake in the ground as to how they co exist with SharePoint. Pretty much ever ECM player that I visited today had a demonstration and or a strategy for Microsoft. Well with $800m in sales since the MOSS 2007 launch the software is a monster in size and sales.

What was interesting however, was to hear the discussion around how MOSS is being implemented. The universal mantra that I am hearing is that there are SharePoint Sites everywhere and they are out of control. Looks like there is a good old fashioned requirement to plan before you hit "setup.exe" but this is not happening because the right people are not being involved to provide Architecture.

Bold and beautiful, AIIM report #1

Here are the vendors, all in a row, touting there wares way down below. The day has just dawned and all are awake, with exhibitors seeking a punter to take. Come buy, come try, my wares are the best. Don't look at the other, for mine stands the test.

While others are shonky, mine is robust and the price is all nicey and delightful on purse, but my maintenance will quick become the CFO's curse.

So it don't all rhyme, well that is why I don't make money from poetry. Today was exhibitor day two for the 2008 AIIM Confer fence. It is great to see the floor covered with the many and varied all showing off what they have to offer. There is a real contrast this year with where the vendors are placed and who seems to be bigger and who is smaller.

I have noticed that Microsoft has certainly decided that this is an event to be at with year two of being bold and beautiful. The stand sure has a lot of partners grouped around, but what is interesting is that some of those partners also have their own stands as well. What this says to me is that all the players are working out how to dance with Microsoft and provide an option to customers where they provide coexistence as well as their own offering.

Some of the big players have certainly shrunk. OpenText for example is relegated to the back wall. Hyland once the darling of centre court has reduced it foot print and moved sideways.

FileNet now part of the IBM empire has gone with IBM preferring to hold private sessions outside of the main arena. This continues to be a great what is happening event. I have always found that it is the reading between the lines that gives you the best information at the event and if you network and talk you pick up very interesting inside info.

Ready, AIIM, Conference

Well this week I am at the AIIM Conference in Boston. It is really not the place to be at this time of the year. I am certainly not going to get a sun tan here at all. But then again that not why I am here, as I keep telling myself. So what is the AIIM Conference. Well it is a major event on the east cost of the States and is run in conjunction with the AIIM organisation.

Now a disclaimer here. I am an AIIM Professional member and have been for over three years now. For more information on AIIM follow the link. My advice is if you are looking for information and or education around ECM especially and to a lesser degree aligned areas such as BPM then head on over and check it out.

As mentioned I am currently at the yearly AIIM Conference being held this year in Boston. I come to this specific Conference for three reasons:

1. Firstly, sharpen the Saw, as Mr Stephen Covey would aptly put it. I also get to network and absorb a much larger environment that I can ever get in NZ or Australia. Personally this is very important to me to keep my ECM skills on edge and ready to help my customers and Gen-i succeed and move forward.
2. Secondly. I get to see trends that are emerging and what players seem to be either driving or riding the trends. The market is moving in a very dynamic way and it is important to see the trends emerging early. Last year when I was at AIIM the rise of Microsoft was just so evident, this is something I would not have been alerted to just sitting in Wellington.
3. And last but not least, I get to see a great show, and take in information from a range of presentations that I can then feed back into our delivery and sales teams when I get home.

If you have not been to a show and you are in the ECM space then I encourage you to go sometime, especially if you are residing in the States.