Cloud not only easier to implement, but easier to do business

One of the great advantages of the cloud model for enterprise content management is that you buy it on a subscription basis for what you need.  It's pretty clear for what you've paid, and what you're using.

Contrast that with the on-premise model, where often times the things you have to buy don't come in the size you want, whether its the on-premise content management software, middleware, hardware, etc.

A recent story by Alan Pelz-Sharpe of Real Story Group points out yet another downside to the legacy on-premise model: neither the vendor nor the customer may really know for what the customer paid, or what they are using.  In his piece describing software audits commissioned by ECM Documentum and conducted by KPMG, Pelz-Sharp notes "Despite customer fury, EMC & KPMG continue to invoke out-of-the-blue audits on some of their best licensees."

What makes this particularly troubling to Pelz-Sharp is that "... these particular audits do not seem to be motivated by a suspicion that you the buyer have been in default. Rather they seem speculative -- and though they may generate a short term gain for EMC, they are sowing long term anger and disillusionment."

He closes with the comment that buyers have much more choice today, in many cases at a much lower cost.  So not only do you get to pay more for legacy on-premise content management, but you get the privilege of being audited, not on fact, but at least according to Pelz-Sharp based on the vendors sense of opportunity. 

How exactly does this contribute to getting business value from the technology?

Using cloud for your document management and workflow applications not only has all the standard benefits around being easier, faster and more affordable as a delivery model, but is easier in terms of doing business.