Shattering stereotypes with IG skills.

• Author: Wiler, Vicki
• Position: IN FOCUS: A Message from the Editor - Information governance - Editorial

Far from fitting into the outdated stereotype of those toiling among musty boxes in subterranean spaces, today's successful records and information management (RIM) professionals are stepping into information governance (IG) roles that more directly contribute to their organizations' ability to meet their strategic goals. If you are aiming to shatter an outdated stereotype in your own career, developing skills across the IG landscape--including in the areas of information technology (IT), legal, risk, and business, among others--is imperative.

For example, if your organization is among the majority of those considering contracting with a cloud services provider (CSP), you must be proactive in ensuring that it has considered not only the benefits, but also the IT, legal, and business risks of doing so.

In this issue's cover article by Brian Boyd, J.D., CIPP/US, the author writes that contracting with a CSP means giving up a measure of control over--but not responsibility for--the information's security, availability, and quality. He goes on to explain various cloud services models, how to determine cloud solution requirements, and what due diligence you must do to ensure a successful relationship from inception through termination.

Forrester Research analyst Cheryl McKinnon also focuses on technology in her report on the results of the just-completed 2014 survey tracking key trends and challenges facing RIM. In combination with other Forrester research, the survey results suggest that IG programs need to be rebooted to focus on what her company is calling the "business technology agenda" that has organizations "investing in new technologies and changing their systems and processes, specifically to attract, retain, and serve their customers."

This means, McKinnon writes, that RIM pros must anticipate moving to the cloud, prepare for digitation to accelerate, address risks in new sources of ESI, and focus as...