Ride The SharePoint ECM Wave

This integrator is leveraging Microsoft SharePoint as a means to sell more ECM (enterprise content management) systems and increase revenue 17%. It was a little more than two years ago when the hype began. That was when Microsoft announced that the 2007 release of Microsoft SharePoint would be the first version of the platform to include content management features. The next thing we knew, Microsoft was front and center as a platinum sponsor of AIIM Expo 2006 — the ECM industry's premier conference and trade show. The marketing push promoting SharePoint's content management capabilities continued up to and beyond the release of the platform in early 2007. As a result, SharePoint 2007 has become the fastest-growing product in the history of Microsoft, with more than 85 million licenses of the platform sold in its first year.

The marketing muscle behind SharePoint has done more than line Microsoft's pockets, however. It has also generated a buzz around ECM, the likes of which the industry has never experienced before. Businesses, both large and small, are now interested in how Microsoft SharePoint can help meet the ECM needs of their organizations.

While primarily considered a positive event, the emergence of SharePoint on the ECM landscape is not being met with universal enthusiasm. For example, some VARs and systems integrators fear the impact SharePoint will have on their business models — believing many businesses will abandon the traditional ECM solutions many VARs provide in favor of SharePoint-based solutions. However, other integrators, like Security MicroImaging, are embracing SharePoint as a means to sell more of the traditional ECM solutions for which it is known. In fact, Security MicroImaging believes its approach to integrating SharePoint with its existing solutions' mix will help the integrator increase revenue more than 17% this year.

The channel fears surrounding SharePoint are largely rooted in the atmosphere of confusion also created by the marketing push behind the platform. Channel companies and business end users alike have many misconceptions regarding SharePoint's actual ECM capabilities and the costs associated with accessing these features. VARs and integrators have a tremendous opportunity to educate end users on exactly how SharePoint fits into the ECM mix if they first take the initiative to educate themselves. Security MicroImaging believes taking this opportunity seriously is vital to the future success of its business.