Vitrium Systems

Organizations that produce content for sale have a number of challenges set before them that they need to overcome. Besides the fact that PDF security is crucial to maintain, businesses need to be able to market their products to consumers effectively. This requires having the right documents on hand to begin with, so document analytics are important for accomplishing this goal.

Document analytics are used to track what customers have read in the past and how they go about reading the products that a business sells them. It would be excellent if companies could poll all consumers and discover how they read news stories and articles, but this is usually expensive. Additionally, many consumers might not know what they actually like and need to be observed rather than asked to discover their preferences. Here are some measurements that document analytics can collect and the changes that organizations can make to improve their products.

Topics
Many companies that produce online content use categories or tags that are attached to their stories so they can better ascertain which subjects and genres are read the most. This should also be applied to any content that people download to their mobile devices or are read on-the-go. Such a practice can shed light onto the sorts of news stories and opinion pieces that can be produced in the future.

Media types
Text documents are often offered with few adornments, but more and more companies are realizing that hyperlinks, video, audio and other kinds of media are useful for providing news and enrichment. Unfortunately, many businesses aren't able to understand which additions to their products are most appealing to customers. Document analytics can help planners to understand if videos are even being watched or if hyperlinked references are being followed.

Article lengths
When companies provide many sorts of articles of varying lengths, they might not have any idea which are most popular. More importantly, some sizes of text might be more attractive to certain kinds of customers. For example, repeat clients may find themselves drawn to lengthy descriptions of news stories or recent events, while infrequent shoppers may instead prefer to simply read short summaries. Carefully choose which ones are available to which sorts of people (or what kind is most popular overall) by using document analytics. 

One of the most important phenomena that has affected companies thanks to the rise of the internet is analytics. From search engines to customer feedback to social media marketing, organizations are finding success by understanding their customers, clients and competitors better than ever before thanks to the glut of data that is available to those who have the proper tools to collect and parse it.

There was a time when only certain types of enterprises had the means (or the motivation) to gather information in such large quantities and analyze it for profit. For example, web analytics have long been used by online organizations trying to take advantage of search engines and the algorithms that they use to figure out what people look for on the internet.

Today, even nonprofit organizations get in on the analytic game. For instance, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania reports that the American Red Cross has recently begun a push for greater analytic capabilities so that it can better reach out to donors and concentrate on the people who are going to contribute the most toward its fundraising operations. This signals an increasing availability of analysis for many different sorts of companies.

This includes businesses that produce content and documents. While many of these enterprise might have previously put most of their efforts into pdf protection or other similar strategies, it is becoming more important to track the movement of content from user to user and group to group for the purpose of improving content production than for security purposes.

Consequently, document analytics are revolutionizing how businesses cater to customer needs. One of the most important pieces of information that such tools collect is simply who is reading the words and documents created by organizations. Demographic information might be the single most useful data set that is available to content producers today.

Additionally, companies can now understand which pages appeal most to readers as well as how much time they spend on particular passages and portions. This goes even deeper than the question of who is reading text and absorbing media because it allows companies to see which types of people like which portions of documents better. This allows for the creation of multiple types of documents or diverse offerings within single publications. When coupled with effective pdf digital rights management, document analytics can help content producing companies find a great deal of success. 

Many educational organizations have recently started realizing that there are tremendous advantages available when selecting electronic documents and e-books as teaching tools. These files and the platforms they run on are portable, can be accessed at any time and allow for a media-rich experience that is immersive. Consequently, more and more schools are adopting tablets and other devices for use in classrooms at many different levels.

Unfortunately, it will be a long time before the majority of education is conducted using these devices. For the most part, that's because traditional paper textbooks still have some practical advantages over their electronic counterparts. One of the most glaring is the cost. While it may be true that iPads or portable devices will be cheaper given a long enough period of time, short-term purchases of regular books will likely be less expensive.

Additionally, textbooks can be somewhat easier to handle. They can be written upon, highlighted and suffer more wear and tear than today's electronic devices generally can. This is not to say that one day such benefits will be negated by the many advantages that modern technological e-books offer, but there are certainly some hurdles that must be overcome before adoption of such software can be universal.

Another challenge that electronic devices suffer from is the threat of piracy and data insecurity. Textbooks are singular copies of the content they contain and are very cumbersome to copy without authorization. In fact, part of the profits that textbook companies receive is from the act of providing physical delivery platforms for books. This means that copyright infringement is virtually impossible (in practical terms), which is not the case when it comes to digital books and files.

If e-book manufacturers and producers want to soon be on equal footing with traditional materials, they need to be able to overcome their shortcomings and not overcompensate for the threats they receive from would-be digital pirates. Above all, content and documents need to be portable, mutable and able to be shared easily. Digital rights management and content security that are too harsh counteract these benefits and make regular books all the more appealing.

Therefore, make sure to use a DRM solution that is both strong and measured. Don't put conditions that are too draconian or binding on files since bothersome software, passwords and agreements will render the use of these tools less common for organizations. There's no question that digital methods are better than analog counterparts, but it will be more difficult to convince consumers and clients of this when lingering problems persist. 

There are many reasons for consumers to embrace mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. For a lot people, the allure of instant entertainment on the go is justification enough for these futuristic machines. There are also many commercial applications developing for products such as iPads, whether its to quickly display and review text or through the use of detailed software applications.

One of the areas that is likely to experience a big explosion in mobile technology use is education. That field is well positioned to start adopting these machines at a high rate. The challenges that schools at any level face also dictate that organizations should embrace the use of these devices as soon as possible.

For example, Hood College in Maryland is the site of an experiment in educational tablet use. All 318 freshman (class of 2015) have been furnished with free iPads. The intention is to increase the extent to which they can learn the material in all of their classes, however, it is also an excellent way for educators to see how well the items are used and what changes can be made to their operations.

One advantage that this kind of education provides is that learning will occur faster. Students don't have to wait to receive their materials and can work at their own pace when necessary. Another benefit comes from the fact that young people will be especially engaged with the new devices they've been given. Kids are very good at figuring out new technology and optimizing its functionality, so the use of iPads is sure to help them learn to some extent.

However, another skill that many young people possess is the curiosity needed to circumvent security and copyright procedures. With all of the data being downloaded and shared in classes at any level, it's important for companies to make sure that they protect their intellectual property and content. Additionally, organizations need to be able to allow for the transfer of information or else the advantages of using mobile devices are moot.

That's why businesses should assess the media that they're making available. The educational landscape is likely to change radically in the coming years as classes will be taught using videos and software interfaces as much as they will be with text and notes. Digital rights management and software protection are essential if the textbooks, educational videos and other data-rich files that companies produce are to remain secure. 

The rise of mobile devices and computing among consumers has made it easier than ever to share data and information. However, there is a very strong need to make sure that companies are able to do so without letting products that have been invested in, developed and paid for by customers fall into the hands of people who haven't reimbursed a company and certainly won't contribute to future product development.

In the past, this kind of problem wasn't very common. Those that knew how to use computers were able to find whatever documents they wanted, while the majority of people were simply happy to be able to receive instructions, media or pictures in the comfort of their own homes in ways of their choosing. Those days, unfortunately, are long gone, which means businesses need to properly protect their investments.

This leaves companies with a number of choices as they decide how to deliver content. With more and more types of software and mobile devices being introduced to the public every day, it's crucial to pick the best option.

Unprotected
When businesses decide that they aren't going to give very much protection to media or content, they may have valid reasons for doing so. Some may decide that the free spread of text or images will help them with their marketing or promotional strategies, while others might suspect that their materials are only interesting to people who have already bought and paid for ancillary items such as software or technical products. However, this approach sets a dangerous precedent that companies will need to follow with subsequent release.

DRM
Digital rights management protection for file types from PDFs to executable software programs is very useful for stemming the tide of illegal or unwanted software piracy or content theft. DRM solutions can be customized for any sort of device and many different kids of content, no matter how a company goes about delivering its products to customers. As a result, it presents one of the single best methods for keeping the work of companies and content creators out of the hands of those who would steal it and into the hands of loyal paying customers.

Proprietary apps
Some companies decide that they want to go the whole nine yards and elect to make use of proprietary apps. This means that they release content and other media that can only actually be viewed or used through a particular program of a business' design. This is a very secure way of protecting information, but it runs the risk of making certain information inaccessible to some customers. 

Computing in the past was a relatively straightforward affair. There were people who had no idea how to use PCs and therefore never even went near them. There were also some individuals who enjoyed working on computers and were able to manipulate files and explore directories to their hearts' content. Life was a lot simpler for software and hardware developers then because they were able to assume some technical knowledge on the part of the user.

Today, there is a tremendously large blurred line between computing experts and relatively novices. Some people already know quite a bit about how to work with technology but are cautious when downloading files, while others are relatively ignorant but aren't afraid to experiment with their devices. Additionally, every other type of computer is possible thanks to the prevalence of mobile computers and inexpensive PCs.

This discrepancy between people's computing needs and their knowledge makes it very important for people to be able to access files and documents on multiple devices at will. Consequently, software developers that work to protect documents, either for commercial use or artistic protection, need to take into account the fact that users may need to view multiple files on more than one device. Here are some situations to which this applies.

Media consumption
More than ever before, people are consuming all kinds of media on portable electronic devices. In addition to movies and music, books and other text publications have become common fixtures on personal computers. Unfortunately, some people like to enjoy them on multiple systems, from tablets to e-readers to laptops. If files can't be ported from one to another, consumers are likely to respond negatively.

Work
People who need to use their wide array of personal computing devices are likely drawn to using digital tools because they can function in multiple settings. Both students and telecommuters might enjoy the fact that they can either sit at home, ride public transportation or relax in a coffee shop while doing work. If files can't be transferred (and altered) between devices, there is a lack of functionality that users won't appreciate.

Information
More and more important documents and forms are being shared with people digitally. Tax returns can be downloaded from the internet while appliances and machines have instructions that can be found online. Consequently, the information that they contain is only valuable to some users if it can be transferred to and from whichever device a person desires. This means that companies or governmental agencies that don't take into account the migration of data from one machine to another aren't going to be appreciated by consumers and citizens. 

With the proper study and investigation, it isn't difficult to optimize documents for specific types of technology. For example, files that can be viewed on tablets can be used by a company that wants to be able to see its documents on those mobile devices when workers have to be on the go. The same is true for smartphones, laptops and regular PCs running different operating systems.

However, some of the trouble that a multi-tiered technological set-up poses comes from the fact that sharing files between different platforms can be very difficult. Documents and programs that are easy to open on one type of machine might not display on another, which makes creating an agile and streamlined workforce that can be on the go more difficult.

Consequently, companies need to be able to transfer spreadsheets, articles and presentations from one device to another at a moment's notice. There are applications available on, for instance, the iPad that can display Microsoft Office suite files on that type of machine. However, they can be prohibitively expensive. For example, Documents to Go offers access to Excel Spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations but costs $16.99 per device.

Conversely, apps such as Documents Free can open these kinds of extensions with little trouble at no cost at all. Unfortunately, they posses a lot less of the functionality and even fewer of the features that paid software offers. This means that companies need to strike a balance between cost and ease of use if they're going to deploy a technologically varied workforce with many different devices.

Another important consideration that organizations need to make is how they're going to protect the security of their data when pursuing this kind of strategy. The constant transfer of files from one device to another means that there is a strong possibility that files could be used by workers who don't need them or companies that shouldn't have had access to them in the first place.

This calls for a digital rights management solution that isn't only very protective of company's information. It also has to work on multiple devices and offer no impediment to the exchange of important files. One solution that many organizations attempt to use is a remote viewing application such as File Browser. It provides the ability to view documents on other devices without actually downloading them onto a mobile PC. However, this doesn't allow for editing or functionality and also gives a bit too much access to computers that may contain sensitive information. Choose DRM protection instead of any sort of remote access for the utmost in security. 

It is difficult enough for companies to protect their documents from unauthorized copying and usage on traditional computers, but the rise of new technology is complicating matters a great deal more. Wireless internet and tablet PCs add a whole new level of challenges to organizations that want to be able to distribute files to customers but are afraid that their data will be too easy to share with other users.

The sheer number of mobile devices that consumers are purchasing is staggering, especially considering the fact that people want easy access to things that they've purchased. For example, a study by NPD DisplaySearch found that around 73 million tablet PCs shipped in the United States throughout 2011, a figure that accounted for over a quarter of all mobile computer units that year.

That figure is expected to grow, meaning that businesses in the content and information industry need to step up their games when it comes to making sure that users aren't illicitly copying and sharing data, whether intentionally or not. This requires the application of digital rights management (DRM) software for all manner of content that's commonly distributed on the internet.

E-books
The Guardian reports that in the United Kingdom, Amazon sold 242 e-books for every 100 traditional tomes. This means that people are embracing new ways of reading, but it also indicates that there is the increased chance that people will be sharing books with others. After all, readers are notorious for wanting to lend works that they've enjoyed with friends and family. The reduced price of e-books over regular books is intended to counteract this trend and discourage people from illegally copying their favorite stories, but it may not be enough to stop consumers. DRM is therefore essential if the growth of digital text is to survive.

Magazines
The entire reason that magazines were popular for almost a century is that they were cheap and could survive on a mixture of advertising and subscription fees. However, the internet has made high-quality text and images incredibly easy to come by. Consequently, the only way that magazines can survive in the digital era is by focusing on good stories and exclusive media. Without digital rights management protection, there is little expectation that companies will be able to sustain their previous business models, especially considering the ease with which much of their content can be come by through other means. 

Media is more mutable and fungible than ever before thanks to an explosion of digital technology in the past decade. However, while the commercial applications of such devices have been important to this trend, it is the increase in consumer use of technology that has largely driven increases in the number of files that are transferred across the internet every day.

Many publishers and creators worry about video, audio and software piracy, but the most danger likely comes from the theft and transfer of documents. Not every person is capable of – nor interested in – torrenting a ripped DVD or getting the latest game for their hacked console. However, more and more people are turning to e-books and have since become familiar with ways to get their hands on text documents.

What's more, digital books and articles take up very little memory. Many movies can approach a gigabyte in size when converted to a digital format, but books, magazines, essays and newspaper articles are rarely  more than a few megabytes in size. This means that there is even more of a reason to seek out these easy-to-download files and transfer them to an electronic device.

Additionally, the past year has seen an enormous explosion in the number of devices that consumers are using. According to WBIR, over 44 percent of children ages 6 to 12 asked for an iPad 2 this Christmas. Adults have been buying the device in record numbers, but even cheaper alternatives are flying off of the shelves. Between its debut in November and the end of the Christmas shopping season, Amazon was shipping an average of over a million units of the Kindle Fire per week.

This perfect storm creates a very potent need for digital rights management on documents that companies produce for consumers. Commercial entities should understand that their products or internal text is easier than ever to download and view, while organizations that disseminate text on the internet need to realize that they're at risk for piracy to undercut their entire operations.

However, it is important to make the right choice when it comes to DRM. Consumers are notoriously fickle, and if encryption or document protection is too rigorous, they may decide that a certain company is not worth their time. Make sure to strike a balance between accessibility and protection that will guarantee the loyalty and dedication of customers while simultaneously safeguarding a company's profits. 

There's no question that companies often deal with sensitive information that needs to be tightly guarded at all costs. The release of certain information isn't just detrimental to the operation of an organization – it can also lead to run-ins with governmental bodies. Consequently, security is both in the best interests of businesses as well as legally mandated.

However, there are reasons to use encryption and other DRM-related techniques in industries such as law, healthcare and pharmaceuticals. In many ways, a move to secure digital records and documents has the effect of streamlining an entire company. Consider the following arguments on behalf of document protection that have less to do with security and more to do with improved operations.

Reduced storage
When forms, signatures and contracts are written on paper, they need to physically be kept somewhere for employees to access. The more sensitive they are, the more room needs to be dedicated to keep them safe and untouched. However, the use of secure document encryption makes it unnecessary to put so much emphasis on hard copies. In fact, some can be eliminated entirely without the need to worry about their security.

Easy retrieval
The aforementioned steps that need to be taken to safeguard important documents that are physically printed doesn't just consume space and resources – it also puts unnecessary barriers between workers and the papers they may need access. Digital copies (so long as proper passwords and authorization are given) can be retrieved in an instant, making work processes quite a bit more smooth.

Simple indexing
Shuffling through physical documents is a chore for any employees, so reducing the number of pages any business has on hand should be a priority. It is much easier to find a name, figure or single word in digital copies of things than on actual papers, so companies should ensure that their data is more useful and fungible by securely digitizing it.

Compliance
It may be the case that sensitive data needs to be protected from prying eyes per government regulations, but that doesn't mean there is an enforced method of keeping data secure. Some organizations instead choose to use outdated methods of ensuring that information is protected. However, digital records are much easier to use to demonstrate full compliance with local and national security standards.