The business software landscape seems to be growing more crowded every day. However, this is also creating a widespread case of information overload as organizations deal with trying to capture, manage, store, preserve and deliver content, both structured and unstructured, as well as documents that are related to organizational processes. This is leading to an increase in the number of companies that are adopting enterprise content management (ECM) systems.

ECM, like most other software solutions, is available through the the cloud or in a hybrid system. According to a recent article from MS Dynamics World, some experts, including IDC analyst Melissa Webster, believe ECM has become a solution for the mixed deployment environments that will characterize IT for years to come.

The piece goes on to say that this should be the time where businesses that use Dynamic ERP systems should start considering pairing it with a cloud or hybrid version of ECM. Brian Anderson, the CTO of a software provider in Kansas, said that for typical Dynamics ERP customers, the motivation to explore hybrid ECM options would typically be driven by how the company interacts with vendors.

"If you're hosting Dynamics or having it hosted by someone else, then you should absolutely get close to the hybrid concept," Anderson said. "Or, if you're allowing your vendors to do self-service, for example, then you should get closer to the hybrid concept because that's going to give you a real and immediate bang for your buck."

Despite the benefits of moving to the cloud, a majority of organizations continue to rely heavily on the on-premise versions of the solutions. With the cloud gaining popularity, however, it should only be a matter of time before more enterprise business software solutions are converted and consumed primarily through a virtual platform.

Greg Milliken, the vice president of marketing for Dallas-based M-Files, told the news source that hybrid solutions are a  "huge, untapped opportunity," that more companies will start to invest in once the idea becomes more mainstream. Companies that have already invested in an on-premise Dynamics ERP solution will not make the switch easily, but organizations that are jumping into the waters for the first time are more likely to start with a cloud-based system.

This idea is something that Microsoft is already working toward. According to an article from ZDnet, earlier this month Microsoft launched Dynamics AX 2012 R3 ERP. It is also available through Microsoft Azure. This is the third of Microsoft's four ERP products that is available through the virtual platform, the others being Dynamics GP and Dynamics NAV.

"May 1 marked not only the general availability of Dynamics AX 2012 R3, but also a new apps and services framework for developing "Modern," a k a Windows 8/Windows Store apps that connect to Dynamics AX," the article reads. "Microsoft officials announced at Convergence in March 2014 plans to make this framework available to third-party developers for free."

The manufacturing software landscape is clearly growing more complex as the days go by. Trying pick the right solution can be complicated. This is where a software solution provider can help any company pick the right system.