The business value of information changes over its lifecycle.The business value of most information decays over time. Information is relevant, in use, and of greatest value shortly after it is created. As business needs change, information lifecycle management recognizes that data may become less relevant and may be a candidate for archiving. Occasionally and unexpectedly, some older information may suddenly become crucial and need to be quickly, completely, and accurately retrieved. An example of this may be a legal matter where failure to produce this information may result in severe penalties.

Strategic Data Management (SDM) is a data management company specializing in Information Lifecycle Management. In conjunction with our partners, we offer a comprehensive set of ILM processes, products, and services to address our clients’ ILM needs at every step of the data lifecycle.

Why ILM?Consider a seemingly simple piece of information, such as a sales order:

In a typical sales cycle, the salesperson • would enter the order information into the system. This is when the order goes “live”. Creation and storage of the sales order in a highly available system are critical at this point. Data must be accessible and actionable to begin the process.

Multiple types of information may be • created before this order is completed and fulfilled: amendments from the customer via e-mails, SKU information in a database,

scanned copies of the actual order in a file server, and so on. The diverse pieces of information for this order must be stored and tracked in a composite manner for you to properly service your client.

As the order is being processed, this order • information must be protected in case a disaster strikes. Your client doesn’t want to hear about any of your internal issues, he wants his order. Availability and continuity of this information is very important.

Sales personnel may need to access order • information from the field via mobile phones or other handheld devices. In such a scenario, mobile security becomes essential.

Simultaneously, your business may wish • to access aggregate sales information via a dashboard, and then dive into specific order information for analysis and forecast purposes.

Post-processing, the sales order is no longer • as valuable and should be moved from an expensive SAN to lower-cost storage. The data must be archived, but still available, for later use in audits and other regulatory processes. The archive must be searchable for e-discovery and compliance needs.

When regulatory commitments expire, • the sales order would have finally reached the end of its lifecycle. However, the information must be deleted and related assets destroyed in a secure manner as required by law.

Why Information Lifecycle Management?

Information Lifecycle ManagementInformation Lifecycle Management (ILM) is a comprehensive paradigm to manage the flow of data and metadata through your company’s systems, from creation and storage to the time when it becomes obsolete and needs to be discarded. It is a practice which recognizes that protection, security, availability, and the value of information changes over time, and attempts to align these needs with appropriate IT infrastructure and business process and at any given point in time. During the cycle, costs are aligned with the business value of this information at each point in time. Information Lifecycle Management is based on the following three fundamental principles.

Information must be classified. Before a value can be placed on information or the right infrastructure, or security protection can be assigned to information it must be classified and the appropriate business process wrapped around it. Unless a company understands how various types of information should be handled, protected, or stored all information is treated the same and eventually a company ends up with an information “junk drawer”.

Information has a lifecycle.Information is not static. It is created, used, archived, perhaps used again, and eventually disposed of. Information Lifecycle Management dictates that data is handled differently depending on the lifecycle state.

The business value of information changes over its lifecycle.The business value of most information decays over time. Information is relevant, in use, and of greatest value shortly after it is created. As business needs change, information lifecycle management recognizes that data may become less relevant and may be a candidate for archiving. Occasionally and unexpectedly, some older information may suddenly become crucial and need to be quickly, completely, and accurately retrieved. An example of this may be a legal matter where failure to produce this information may result in severe penalties.

Strategic Data Management (SDM) is a data management company specializing in Information Lifecycle Management. In conjunction with our partners, we offer a comprehensive set of ILM processes, products, and services to address our clients’ ILM needs at every step of the data lifecycle.

Why ILM?Consider a seemingly simple piece of information, such as a sales order:

In a typical sales cycle, the salesperson • would enter the order information into the system. This is when the order goes “live”. Creation and storage of the sales order in a highly available system are critical at this point. Data must be accessible and actionable to begin the process.

Multiple types of information may be • created before this order is completed and fulfilled: amendments from the customer via e-mails, SKU information in a database,

scanned copies of the actual order in a file server, and so on. The diverse pieces of information for this order must be stored and tracked in a composite manner for you to properly service your client.

As the order is being processed, this order • information must be protected in case a disaster strikes. Your client doesn’t want to hear about any of your internal issues, he wants his order. Availability and continuity of this information is very important.

Sales personnel may need to access order • information from the field via mobile phones or other handheld devices. In such a scenario, mobile security becomes essential.

Simultaneously, your business may wish • to access aggregate sales information via a dashboard, and then dive into specific order information for analysis and forecast purposes.

Post-processing, the sales order is no longer • as valuable and should be moved from an expensive SAN to lower-cost storage. The data must be archived, but still available, for later use in audits and other regulatory processes. The archive must be searchable for e-discovery and compliance needs.

When regulatory commitments expire, • the sales order would have finally reached the end of its lifecycle. However, the information must be deleted and related assets destroyed in a secure manner as required by law.

Why Information Lifecycle Management?

Information Lifecycle ManagementInformation Lifecycle Management (ILM) is a comprehensive paradigm to manage the flow of data and metadata through your company’s systems, from creation and storage to the time when it becomes obsolete and needs to be discarded. It is a practice which recognizes that protection, security, availability, and the value of information changes over time, and attempts to align these needs with appropriate IT infrastructure and business process and at any given point in time. During the cycle, costs are aligned with the business value of this information at each point in time. Information Lifecycle Management is based on the following three fundamental principles.

Information must be classified. Before a value can be placed on information or the right infrastructure, or security protection can be assigned to information it must be classified and the appropriate business process wrapped around it. Unless a company understands how various types of information should be handled, protected, or stored all information is treated the same and eventually a company ends up with an information “junk drawer”.

Information has a lifecycle.Information is not static. It is created, used, archived, perhaps used again, and eventually disposed of. Information Lifecycle Management dictates that data is handled differently depending on the lifecycle state.