EDMS in the SaaS format

Until recently in our country, according to experts, growth of penetration of "cloud" services was interfered in many respects by the fact that the level of development of infrastructure and capacity of communication channels did not allow to render "cloud" services up to standard. But everything changes promptly: fast improvement of a scope and technical characteristics of the infrastructure necessary for the organization of access to Network leads to the fact that the increasing interest and the increasing distribution receive the solutions based on "cloud" technologies.

Among them - sales opportunity of the services on the EDMS organization based on the principle of SaaS at which the user gets access to products by the principle of a subscription and pays not for acquisition of the license on corresponding to software, and for use of a product in that volume which is necessary for it.

The trend of "leaving" in "clouds" of services on the organization of electronic document management and, in particular, providing solutions on the SaaS model became one of the main in the considered industry. This direction, of course, has the unconditional pluses as for those who render these services, and for users of the services organized on the specified model. At the same time, experts say that there were a lot more questions how to organize the scheme of sale uslugpo the SaaS models how to create the price at such model of work and so on.

Noting the existing aspects which need to be overcome for successful development of such consumption pattern of services as SaaS, applicable directly to EDMS, market participants specify the following: "We as the producer and the supplier of the solution are faced by an important issue as when providing service in this model to organize optimum level of technical support that users could use our solutions productively. We aim at simplifying work with products as due to standard settings of the solution and friendly interface, and by formation of the methodical recommendations and materials giving the chance to the user independently to resolve the issues arising at the organization of document flow in electronic form", - the CEO of PV EOS Group company of Yakovenko Vitaly tells.

Experts also say that during the work with software products on the SaaS model there is a complexity connected with need of ensuring fault tolerance of a system at the level of infrastructure to ensure correct functioning with a product in the "cloud" environment. There are also certain barriers from users, hotyavo much these barriers have psychological character. It is often difficult to consumers to accept that, chtovnutrenny information within electronic office-work is stored "somewhere there, on unknown servers". The question of safety of information and its unavailability to third parties under a working condition in "clouds" is nearly the basic concerning potential consumers of "cloud" services today. Experts at the same time say that providing the sufficient security level in the "cloud" environment is quite possible (for example, at the expense of the VPN organization at the level of communication channels and the conclusion of SLA with the operator to minimize risks of leak or loss of information).

The web services which are actively extending in the corporate sector begin to influence also development of the sphere of electronic document management. In spite of the fact that still not the really big percent of subjects of business uses the Electronic document management systems constructed according to the SaaS model for some organizations "cloud" EDMS become the only possibility of reasonable resource management and costs.^[1]

According to specialists, the trend of placement of EDMS in "clouds" will amplify in the near future, in particular among subjects of medium and small business. Such organizations do not need to organize own servers, DPCs, to train users and it is not even necessary to implement anything. Costs in this case are proportional to use. It is possible to change at any time the number of users and other parameters of solutions. EDMS from "cloud" in these cases can become ideal option.

As for the large companies, specialists are sure that they of their EDMS will develop in the so-called "private" clouds allowing to centralize means of document flow of the geographically distributed companies in uniform data center.

Legislative activity in the field of electronic document management and interest in this subject from the country leaders also positively influences development of technologies of the protected exchange of documents, including, based on "cloud computing". That fact, in the country the possibility of exposure and obtaining electronic invoices is legislatively approved will lead to emergence of new "cloud" service on behalf of operators of EDMS who will control process of the movement of documents and to have powers to certify invoices.

However so far process of mastering of "cloud services" including in the field of document flow, slows down the fact that users still have fears and doubts concerning their security.

Actually, the majority of the reasons which the companies fence off themselves from use of web services have under themselves no logical justification.

So, for example, many consider that "cloud computing" - the phenomenon new, and therefore poorly studied and unsafe. In fact development of "clouds" began those far years when computers were huge machines and occupied several premises, and even floors. These services called all this time online services and storages of different information, photos, video, backup copies of data were used for communication. But arisen from where a metaphor "cloud" entered users into confusion and generated mistrust to the services which are already checked by time.

Other reason of unwillingness to use "cloud services" in activity of the company it becomes frequent confidence in uniqueness of the business of processes and in impossibility of their automation using "clouds". There are 2 solutions:

• The analysis business of processes for the purpose of determination, than their "uniqueness" is caused. Frequent the reason that business processes of the organization differ from standard is the following to traditions, in practice meaning that business processes were not reviewed for a long time and were not optimized.
• The second option assumes customization of a cloud service. So, use of infrastructure as service allows to create a virtual pool of resources on which it is possible to set usual software. Or as service it is possible to use a software platform, and the necessary application is in that case designed according to specific features business of processes of the organization.

One more complex of fears is connected with a question of control of information which is stored in "cloud": data are stored unclear where, they can be lost, become available to competitors, can steal them.

Actually, all questions connected with information security can be solved, having covered them in the contract, the regulations, the agreement or other document determining the volume of the rendered services (SLA – service level agreement). In it it is possible to determine the level of providing service, the operator liability for violations of an order of providing service, standards of data recovery after failure. And often happens so that cloud providers can provide much more operational system recovery, than specialists of IT service of the specific company. Responsibility for the services rendered by service provider is defined at the level of the legal entity, and an important part of security is the nondisclosure agreement (Non-Disclosure Agreement) which legally protects data. Obligations of the parties and responsibility for disclosure of data register in it. Naturally service providers who made serious investments in business organization will avoid in every way violations as all their activity is constructed on trust.

As for questions of data access of other users, it is worth learning from the operator here as sharing of resources is organized. Implementation options set. And in fact most often users have an opportunity to control the data, the main thing, to competently exercise this control.

Besides, from such threats as data theft, DDoS attacks and intended "breakdown" of service are not insured also traditional solutions, and a big difference whether the server at office at the customer or in data center is installed, no. But, trying to get data access, stored at service provider, malefactors will face the professional hardware and software of protection (for example, Cisco ASA 5500 Series and IronPort devices), specialized solutions for protection at the level of applications, experienced system administrators who deal only with security issues.

The operator can solve a mistrust problem, for example, using independent certification of cloud solutions. The procedure can be both voluntary, and obligatory. So, in the USA exists several standards of certification which are used for ensuring compliance to requirements of management of the organization, security, availability of service, integrity of data processing, confidentiality. The global nature of the Internet assumes that the provider legally and physically can be located worldwide if only his conditions met customer requirements. Therefore, compliance of the operator to the strict cloud standard of other country can be considered as its competitive advantage.

If to speak about those questions which can really arise when using cloud solutions then here it is possible to make at least 2 remarks.

1. Not all information systems can be transferred to a cloud. The cloud option of existence for some of them is simply inexpedient. It is possible to carry to such systems: systems working with production and other specific equipment, including real-time systems the high-integrated systems, the custom systems developed 15 — 30 years ago. These systems can use an obsolete equipment, more unsupported operating systems and platforms. Often developer already stopped their support; systems providing life activity of the enterprise. These are systems which idle time can lead to catastrophic effects or loss of business. For example, for bank such system is the core banking system.

2. Problem of reliability of connection with Internet service provider. When using online services the company becomes dependent on availability, speed, reliability Internet soyedinenniya. To estimate this risk, it is necessary to determine its probability and damage (for example, by assessment of statistics and the arising problems in the last periods). The most obvious option of minimization of this risk – the organization of reserve connection.

In fact it is worth thinking of use of web service for work with documentation if:

• in the organization document flow volumes promptly increase. Online services allow to automate quickly and rather effectively management of flows of documents with such advantages as lower costs of acquisition and simpler administration of the IT system. The supplier is responsible for infrastructure management and support of service, the user should not buy something, to support or to manage something. It is considered that in most cases large enterprises can potentially save more than 50% of costs for infrastructure and management in comparison with traditional implementation of the software product, having selected the SaaS model for management of documents. For the small companies workflow automation by means of "cloud" EDMS will come out even less costly since the relative cost of infrastructure and also administration cost at the same time considerably decrease.
• direction of business of the company high-growth. Use of EDMS from "cloud" can reduce expenses of the company on software management considerably: changes in a system happen once for all without installation at the same time of additional software. The supplier of the solution performs updates on the server which become instantly available by means of Web access therefore updating of versions takes place imperceptibly for the operator and in addition is not paid.
• You do not want to spend money and time for holding procurement procedures, negotiations, testing, execution of works on implementation and setup. Selecting cloud EDMS, the customer will see the application in work already during test operation, an implementation time will be much less, and the payback will come much earlier.
• in your organization rather large number of transactions. "Cloud" workflow systems usually allow to automate not only internal document flow of the organization, but also the movement of documents between the different organizations that rather relevant presently. If the company actively works with clients, suppliers, partners, - web service for work with documents can become for it ideal option.

Anyway, transition to use of "cloud solutions" should become for the company evolution, but not revolution: the choice to install servers and software at itself, to use "cloud" service or to select hybrid model, is always.

See Also

• EDMS (more detailed)
• ECM – Enterprise Content Management
• EDMS (Software technologies)
• EDMS (implementation technique)
• ECM (world market)
• Main trends of ECM
• EDMS (market of Russia)
• EDMS in Russia: industry specifics
• Trends of the Russian market of ECM
• EDMS/ECM projects geography
• EDI - Electronic Data Interchange

Notes