Part 1: Higher Productivity For Higher Education

Many colleges and universities are turning to their IT departments for help, as they struggle to manage student records more securely and efficiently. Government regulations like the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) are upping the ante, while external security threats just seem to increase. "According to Gartner's [Kenneth] Brant, the post-2010 recovery in American education IT will come about more quickly in higher education than in K-12. In 2011, higher education IT spending will increase 2.9%," and the overall Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2009 through 2014 will top 3%.

A conversion to enterprise content management (ECM) technologies can help manage the pressures of secure student records administration. Many registrars around the United States are implementing these technologies. They're finding improved productivity, better record security, and cost savings among the measurable benefits. With cloud-based ECM, the benefits may come more quickly, because the start-up is easier than you might think.