New Research from Outsell Indicates Tipping Point for Information Management

    Outsell, Inc., the world’s only research and advisory firm focused on media, information, and technology, today announced publication of a new report, The State of Information Management: Not a Recipe for Success. Outsell’s latest survey of information managers and libraries identifies main areas where change needs to happen for information management to thrive.

    Based on a survey of almost 300 information managers with budget responsibilities, the data shows that meager budget increases for 2016 will strain already flat IM budgets. Faced with rising information content costs, managers will have to do more with less, a reality that is becoming increasingly common.

    “Unless there’s a profound change in the profession, and a redefinition of what it means to be an information manager, the current state of information management especially in the corporate sector will continue to disintegrate,” according to Jim Hydock, Outsell’s VP & Lead Analyst and author of the report.

    “Roles and skills around data and analytics present a wealth of opportunities — after all, data is just content, and information managers have been managing content for years. But it’s up to information managers to carve out a role for themselves.”

    Among the key findings from the report:

    • Overall budget predictions for 2016 for libraries and information centers hover at slightly less than 1%, with corporate IM budgets dropping considerably from previous years.
    • Staff counts appear to be slipping downward, a trend that bears watching.
    • Leveraging new roles and technologies centered on data and analytics presents opportunities, but information managers have been slow to take advantage of them.
    • Close to 50% of managers report that the biggest skills gap on their teams is with data and analytics.

    For media inquiries, please contact Dawn Ringel, Warner Communications, at dawn@warnerpr.com, or call +1 781-449-8456.

    For more information about this report, please contact Srini Gomatam at contact_us@outsellinc.com, or call +1 650-342-6060.