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The 2025 Nucleus Research CSC Value Matrix shows how artificial intelligence, low-code accessibility and increasing demand for smarter, more flexible digital workplaces are affecting the content services and collaboration (CSC) market.
"Much like other areas of enterprise technology, large language models (LLMs) are dominating R&D investment across CSC vendors," said Evelyn McMullen, research manager at Nucleus Research, who wrote the report. "But we're also seeing a sharp rise in usability improvements, verticalization and increased configurability tailored to specific departments and industries."
Takeaways From This Year’s Report
CSC offers a unified suite of cloud-based solutions intended to capture, organize, process, store, analyze and deliver digital content across an organization. These services centralize essential functions on one platform, bringing together content management, process automation and internal and external collaboration.
While the Matrix identifies multiple different trends every year, this year’s Value Matrix can be summarized in four themes:
- Access to Data: Artificial intelligence (AI) is at the core of many advancements, including smarter document handling, more intuitive collaboration and new ways to extract value from information. The result is a smarter, more connected digital workplace that fosters both efficiency and inspiration.
- New Opportunities for Users Through Low-Code Tools: More low-code and no-code workflow solutions means that everyday users — not just developers — shape their own processes and drive change within their organizations, making digital transformation a truly collective effort.
- Reinforced Security and Improved Experience: Alongside feature innovation, there is a renewed focus on robust security measures and user experiences that feel smooth and supportive. These improvements do not just protect data; they help people work and connect more easily and confidently.
- Diverse Paths to Leadership: Leaders in the 2025 Matrix distinguish themselves by combining advanced functionality with usability and reliability. However, value is found across the spectrum, from innovators to providers focused on dependable, cost-effective solutions that meet the diverse needs of businesses today.
Globally, it charts how far content services technology has come, and celebrates the creative possibilities it continues to unlock, all while maintaining a focus on real-world outcomes and responsible innovation.
AI Builds on Existing Value
In the case of CSC, AI is improving what already works. "The interesting thing about AI is that it's not necessarily creating net-new value," McMullen told Reworked. "Instead, it builds on existing capabilities to deliver better outcomes."
"CSC is moving from file storage to strategic content activation," said Patrice Williams-Lindo, a former Deloitte and KPMG executive turned visibility strategist. "We're seeing a convergence of AI, low-code and cross-platform interoperability."
Williams-Lindo pointed to emerging features such as smart metadata tagging, contextual search and AI copilots embedded into workflows. "These aren’t just bells and whistles. They're cutting hours of manual labor and surfacing knowledge that used to be buried,” she said.
Natural language querying, for example, expands traditional metadata search into more intuitive, conversational interfaces. Intelligent document processing (IDP) automates data extraction, classification and handling, whether structured or unstructured. "Natural language search and IDP are the most adoption-friendly features right now," McMullen added. "We're also starting to see investment in contextually aware AI agents that can take on content-centric tasks autonomously."
Still, McMullen cautioned that widespread adoption of autonomous agents will take time: "More groundwork is needed to build organizational trust around hands-off applications of AI," she said.
AI is also making strides in adaptive workflow automation and proactive compliance. Vendors are experimenting with machine learning models that suggest improvements to document workflows or flag policy violations based on usage history. "We're moving toward a future where the system doesn’t just store or surface content — it interprets it in context," McMullen noted.
AI works best when it helps, rather than replaces, human effort, said Interact Software CEO Simon Dance. "At Sideways 6 [which Interact acquired in 2023], we use AI to connect similar ideas and help teams solve shared problems faster," he explained. "But the human element must stay central. The best tools support creativity and collaboration."
Adding Low-Code Tools to CSC
Another defining theme in this year's Matrix is the democratization of development through low-code and no-code tools. "These tools reduce the gatekeeping around process innovation," McMullen noted. "More users, even without deep technical knowledge, can now build and adjust workflows that improve their daily operations."
The availability of visual drag-and-drop builders, reusable components and AI-assisted app design is encouraging departments such as human resources, finance and legal to create workflows tailored to their needs. "We’re seeing non-technical staff stand up automation in days that previously took weeks," McMullen said.
"Low-code removes IT bottlenecks and encourages innovation across departments,” said Milankumar Rana, software advisor at FexEx. “It helps organizations respond quickly to change without increasing technical debt."
"Low-code empowers employees to take ownership of change, not just IT teams," Dance noted. "That diversity of input drives more impactful innovation."
Cloud-Native Evolution and Migration Realities
Cloud-native design is gradually becoming standard in CSC, but the shift is not universal yet. "While cloud-native will eventually become essential, CSC vendors are still supporting on-prem customers," said McMullen. "They're offering real support for migrations, not just pushing customers off legacy systems."
"Without it, you sacrifice elasticity, resilience and reach,” Williams-Lindo said. “Cloud-native platforms are non-negotiable for hybrid workforces."
But migration challenges go beyond technology. "Any on-prem to cloud migration involves heavy preparation and change management," McMullen added. "Vendors are easing that burden with readiness assessments and dedicated consulting resources."
"The technology is only half the battle,” Rana agreed. “Training and user buy-in are critical to unlocking the full value of CSC platforms."
Compliance and Security Concerns Remain
Security remains an important concern. "Buyers expect more than just basic encryption — they want native governance frameworks, auditability and automated classification," McMullen said. "Especially in regulated industries, cloud-native platforms must prove they’re ready to handle sensitive workloads."
"It's not just about features," Williams-Lindo agreed. "Enterprises still demand audit trails, version control and access governance. Innovation must meet compliance."
"Records management, adjustable access controls and version control remain essential for compliance and productive collaboration," Rana said. "They’re not optional features — they’re mission-critical."
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Vertical Solutions Drive ROI
Tailored solutions also offer a better return on investment. "Verticalized software reduces configuration time and helps buyers hit the ground running," said McMullen.
This year’s Matrix saw a sharp uptick in solutions offering out-of-the-box templates for industries such as healthcare, financial services and government. "That saves months in deployment and training time," McMullen said. "Vendors that understand industry pain points are gaining a competitive edge."
"We often see customers hit ROI within four months," agreed Dance. "Some achieve a 7-15x return."
CSC Legacy Strengths Still Matter
Despite all the innovation, foundational capabilities continue to anchor CSC platforms. "Storage, access control, records management and compliance aren't going anywhere," said McMullen. "These legacy features are even more important today as the ecosystem grows in complexity."
Legacy functionality still underpins adoption, agreed Dance. "Flashy features only matter if the basics work," he said. "If the experience isn’t intuitive, people simply won’t engage."
McMullen added that customers expect a smooth experience from these core functions, with stronger integrations into broader enterprise systems such as ERP, CRM and HCM platforms. "CSC doesn't operate in a vacuum anymore — it must support business continuity and risk mitigation at scale,” she said.
"The biggest trends in CSC are about making collaboration tools simpler, faster and more useful," Dance said. "The most successful platforms blend into how people already work," Williams-Lindo agreed. "UX must feel natural. If it doesn’t, adoption will stall."
McMullen reiterated the importance of UX: "If a solution isn't intuitive, it won't be used. UX is critical to productivity and return on investment."
The 2025 CSC Value Matrix paints a picture of a space on the brink of full transformation. With AI driving intelligent automation, low-code making innovation more accessible and cloud-native platforms setting the foundation for scale, CSC platforms are changing how organizations create, manage and activate content.
"We're witnessing a shift from passive content storage to intelligent content services that empower people to work smarter, faster and more confidently,” McMullen said.
Editor's Note: Read up on what some of the vendors in the CSC value matrix are up to:
- Box Is Building Its AI Agent Vision, One LLM Integration at a Time — Box has been incorporating new LLMs as fast as vendors release them. A look at how this fits into the company's vision of the AI-first enterprise.
- Why Hyland's New CEO Says 'ECM Expertise Is One Thing We Don't Need' — A new leadership team, a future vision focused on content intelligence, a customer base hungry for innovation: Hyland is primed for its great pivot.
- Zoho's Zia Hubs Makes Unstructured Data Searchable and Smart — Zia Hubs applies AI to transform fragmented enterprise content into organized, context-rich knowledge, reducing search time and enhancing decision-making.