Someone recently asked if we see a convergence between structured and unstructured information - data and content. I believe there is a convergence going on. I think that as unstructured information (content) becomes increasingly transportable (think XML) and reference-able (think micro formatting, semantic structures, RDF attributing etc) it becomes more and more data like. That means it becomes easier for machines to understand, parse, remix, and analyze - Just like data in data warehouses today.
Furthermore, I think there is increasing demand for context around data that is produced by, stored in, and leveraged by fairly sophisticated data management systems (e.g. databased, data warehouses, transactional systems). In the BI community there is a growing awareness that the contexts provided by content flavors the analysis / results that is easy to produce on/for structured data. That awareness is breeding calls for a convergence of the information (structured and unstructured) to provide a complete picture.
The reality is that Enterprise 2.0 is facilitating end user participation. But that begs the question of what are they participating in? They are participating in processes that are inherently creative and consumptive. But that begs the question of what is being created and consumed? The answer is information - typically unstructured information. But remember, that unstructured information is part of a larger process. Those processes involve other people, other systems, automated production, search, as well as archival and compliance systems. These systems typically expect inputs of structured or semi structured information. Unstructured information inputs are typically wrapped in structured containers (envelopes) and passed along as unknown/unknowable blobs of bits (as far as the transporting, invoking, and consuming services are concerned).
But that is all starting to change with the convergence of structured and unstructured information - and by extension - information management systems.
This brings up unique challenges for point vendors. They have increasing demands put on them to interact with the processes that are fed by or targeting their system. For customers, managing the growing aggregate of specialized technologies to deal with bits and pieces of the overall process is ungainly and expensive. Its a Rube-Goldberg monstrosity.
Advantage platform vendors who can bring technology to bear on each step of the processes in an organized and inherently cooperative way.
As organizations boot-strap themselves with home grown systems that bring together content and data for specific purposes, they see the clearer, sharper, stronger results but pay the price in maintenance, upgrade headaches, and management issues.
The convergence of unstructured and structured data management into what some analysts have called Enterprise Information Management structures is the mechanism by which the enterprise data picture goes from blurry to sharp.
