EMC Intros IIM

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Storage World Conference -- EMC is planning a new set of software technologies, which it describes as Intelligent Information Management (IIM), as part of an ambitious strategy to lock down firms' unmanaged data.

Speaking during a keynote here today, George Symons, CTO for information management at EMC's software division, described the initiative as a way for users to get even tighter control on their back-end systems.

"I have tiered my storage, put my applications in the right places, but now I need to classify it," he said. "IIM is about managing the information types in terms of policies."

Information in the form of PowerPoint presentations, emails, and so-called unstructured data that may not be covered by a content management product -- such as Documentum -- can be classified and controlled. Symons told Byte and Switch that most corporate data currently falls into this category. EMC will launch specific software to tackle this issue in the second half of this year.

According to Symons, EMC is already dealing with a handful of beta customers as it rolls out its IIM strategy. These include a financial services firm and two businesses in the manufacturing sector.But IIM, which also ties in with EMC's Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) strategy, may be as much a hindrance as help for users, according to Herb Goldstein, a consultant at HDG Enterprises. (See Statera, EMC Team on Tiers, Economy Trumps Security, and EMC Earnings Credit ILM Uptick.) "It's another acronym that they need to explain to management," he said, adding that it brings an additional layer of confusion to the storage marketplace.

Other execs attending the conference were more positive about the benefits of IIM. "It makes sense," explained one IT exec from the manufacturing sector, who asked not to be named. He also noted that controlling unmanaged and unstructured data is an "ugly problem" for him at the moment.

Despite some high-profile successes, many users are still wrestling with ILM technology. They cite the challenge of data classification and a lack of effective tools for moving information around their storage infrastructures as problems to overcome. (See Users Cite ILM Shortfalls, Quicken Loans Advances With EMC, and Warner Bros..)

Hadley Pullen, a consultant at Forsythe Solutions Group, feels that IIM could fill a gap in the market. "To go beyond ILM, the next step is defining and analyzing data [and] it's really tough," he said. He noted that Sarbanes Oxley and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) will bring this issue to a head. "Nobody wants to go to jail because they didn't save an email that dealt with a business issue."

Certainly, compliance is high on the agenda for CIOs and their IT managers. Regulations are expected to boost storage spending this year. (See Users Splash Cash on SOX, Compliance Takes IT Bite, and AMR Sees $6B in SOX Spending.)Although he did not reveal EMC's full IIM masterplan, Symons explained that the software will target application-level data and metadata as well as drilling down into traditional content: "It could be as simple as searching PowerPoint presentations and finding the words 'company confidential.' "

While EMC's acquisition of ProActivity yesterday will not play into its IIM push, Symons told Byte and Switch that technology from the vendor's acquisitions of Smarts and Authentica will have a part to play. (See EMC Bolsters Documentum, EMC Stays Smart, and EMC Acquires Authentica.)

Barely a week seems to pass without EMC flashing its cash for one company or another. Symons hinted that this could continue as the vendor fleshes out its IIM strategy. "There may be more acquisitions over time that continue to expand capabilities here," he said, although he admitted that there are no specific plans in place.

A number of startups, including StoredIQ and Kazeon (a NetApp partner) currently play in the unmanaged content space. (See Kazeon, Google Search, Sneak Preview: Kazeon IS1200 v1, and StoredIQ, CynergisTekTeam.)

James Rogers, Senior Editor, Byte and SwitchOrganizations mentioned in this article: