Pressroom

New York, NY - May 23, 2013 - Data Conversion Laboratory (DCL), an industry leader in organizing, converting, and enhancing content, which allows its clients to expand their offerings and create new revenue streams, in partnership with the Center for Information-Development Management (CIDM), which facilitates collaboration regarding information development among skilled managers in the information industry, recently surveyed over 200 colleagues with some surprising results as to how quickly things were changing. Overall, 74% of respondents expect to publish 76-100% of their content electronically by the end of 2013, but as the half-way point of the year comes closer, and the deadline nears, 54% report their business content is either not ready or that they are uncertain if it is.

“Better, faster, content distribution means content can stay flexible, meeting customers’ quickly changing needs, resulting in a better customer experience,” said Mark Gross, President of DCL. “With the need to support more mobile content and new devices we expect a movement towards more flexible e-content formats such as XML with declining dependence on PDF.”

The expected use of mobile applications among respondents over the next two to three years rises from 23% to 55%, and publishing for mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablets, rockets from 22% to an astonishing 72%. Fully 78% believe the necessity to digitize their content is sufficient enough to justify the investment. It is the ‘how-to’ and ‘who’s going to do it” that they consider the more difficult question, said Gross.

“DCL recognizes the importance of tailoring the conversion process to each individual company’s specific needs. Considering 53% of respondents expressed they don’t have the time or resources to convert their content and 46% plan to use a combination of in-house and outsourced resources, a hybrid approach is critical to most.”

In planning for long-term success, companies make updates to essential systems on a regular basis and content must not be the exception. The need to publish flexible content digitally is no longer something that can be put off – it is here and now and essential to driving new revenue streams and improving overall efficiency. As demonstrated by this survey, businesses are increasingly coming to that realization.