Manufacturers need better protection for electronic content

Content management systems (CMSs) should be about managing information throughout its lifecycle, but today most fall short. They lack the ability to protect digital information – so as electronic files, documents and spreadsheets are distributed, the originator loses control. That’s among findings of a survey of CIOs commissioned by ‘enterprise digital rights management’ (E-DRM) software firm SealedMedia among companies that had invested $1 million or more in a CMS. Users were most concerned about information being at risk of improper exposure, manipulation or distribution while being edited or collaborated on and when the final content is distributed. E-DRM extends CMS control outside content repositories to remote desktops, laptops, wireless devices, exchange servers and so on so that users solve the problem by gaining remote control over confidential data and intellectual property. The firm’s survey shows that 76% of companies are now seeking additional content protection and control functionality for their CMSs. Kit also suggests that current CMSs are too complex or expensive for enterprise-wide deployment. Only 45% of firms’ employees use CMSs and about 50% store sensitive information outside the CMS repository – leaving them vulnerable to information loss or manipulation. Survey participants included 12 Global 500 companies, five Fortune 50 companies and mid size organisations. Tanya Candia, SealedMedia vice president, says: “Companies are beginning to understand that since they need to collaborate with other companies, they need to manage this better. They need to take the next step and wrap protection around their documents or protect them wherever they go. And that’s what we do.” She concedes that at first glance this looks little different to current offerings from, for example, Microsoft and Adobe, with extended protection for their electronic content. But she insists that those rely on users moving entirely to those environments. “You can’t dictate to your business partners what rev of that software they’re on,” she says. “Our approach assumes a heterogeneous infrastructure. We have worked with our customers to understand what works and what doesn’t, and our systems can protect massive content.” Users include Johnson-Matthey (three years), Panasonic, Audi and BMW, and Candia expects uptake rates now to increase with the release of v5.0 last month, which makes the system easier to deploy for manufacturers wanting to outsource services like engineering or manufacturing. “Our Express line is for the operational level, and that’s very well suited to SMEs,” she says. “Then Sealed Media 5.0 is for larger companies wanting complete enterprise classification initiatives.”