An
information governance gap among global corporation is causing
operational problems, says research from the Economist Intelligence
Unit (EIU).
The
EMC-sponsored report called The Future of Information
Governance urges organisations' senior leadership to accelerate
implementation of company-wide information governance programmes
that can help increase the strategic value of information
throughout its lifecycle, while minimising costs and risks.
The research is based on an EIU survey of senior executives from
leading companies around the world about the benefits, challenges
and risks associated with developing an enterprise-wide information
governance strategy.
The research found that 77% of respondents expect
information governance to be important to their company's
success through to 2011, whilst 68% also expect the complexity of
their company's information governance issues to grow during that
same time period.
But nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents said their companies
had no formal information governance programme in place, a
concerning trend that may leave many corporations unprepared for
new compliance mandates and open to preventable risks to sensitive
information.
"Even though the standards for good governance are rising, we
find that much of today's focus around corporate governance leaves
information out of the discussion," said Frank Hauck, EMC executive
vice-president for global marketing and customer quality.