Records Managers are faced with a relatively new problem; one that wasn’t even a concern just fifteen or twenty years ago. Software applications become obsolete over time. This means that electronic records written twenty years ago using WordStar (remember that one?) may not be readable today.
The same goes for hardware. Data from the 1970 US Census, for instance, was recorded on a tape system that could only be read by one specific type of computer. And only one of those computers still exists today. You can go see it yourself; it’s on display in the Smithsonian in Washington, DC.
This becomes a serious issue when you consider that some records must be stored for decades or longer. Fortunately, a few key organizations have taken notice of this problem and are attempting to address it. Most notably, the US National Archives and Records Administration, which is developing a long-term records migration plan as part of their Electronic Records Archives program.
I would argue that software and hardware obsolescence is yet another reason to you should seriously consider using SharePoint as your records repository. I know that a lot of people are uncomfortable with Microsoft’s domination of the software industry and I can empathize. But you have to admit, they aren’t going to disappear overnight. Not only that, but Microsoft sets the standards that other organizations follow, such as creating documents in XML format.
You may not be able to read that WordStar record from twenty years ago, but I can almost guaranty you’ll be able to read a SharePoint record one hundred years from now.
And if you can’t read a record SharePoint record a hundred years from now, please let me know and I’ll apologize.
