New Research: Taking Control of Long-Term Digital Information

"Long-Term Digital Information is increasingly driving business value and proliferating like never before.

Last year our think tank completed a benchmark study, together with Preservica, on the critical issue of governing and preserving long-term digital information (we define “long-term digital information” as that information we need or want to keep for 10 years or longer). That research found a troubling dynamic: while virtually every organization (98 percent) needs to keep digital information for longer than ten years, very few (16 percent) have a viable approach for proper governance and preservation.

We recently completed our 2017 benchmark study on this issue, digging even deeper into an apparent dysfunctional dynamic to try to learn what information professionals are doing about it. Our 2017 research could not be clearer: long-term digital information is more important than ever. It’s driving business value and protecting organizations from risk. It is also proliferating, and can be found in more business functions and systems than before. Finally, the consequences of failing to properly govern and preserve long-term digital information only grow graver, with the impact felt all the way up to the CEO and board of directors."