Market research firm Gartner recently reported companies must direct the same focus toward storing their web content as they have with their other data in recent years, according to Reuters.

As social media and other popular web-based communication replaces outdated forms, it”s imperative that it is stored and maintained in accordance with various compliance mandates and other regulations. Gartner reported that, for the first time ever, web content management solutions generated more than $1 billion in revenue in 2009, despite the global economic recession.

Furthermore, Gartner reported the market for such solutions is expected to grow by 14 percent between 2009 and 2014.

“The growth of the online channel for businesses is growing exponentially,” Gartner Research Vice President Toby Bell, who co-authored the report, told the news provider. “I think we”re just beginning to understand the potential of the web, both for commerce and for community.”

A number of courts and regulatory authorities have urged companies subject to compliance mandates to archive social media correspondence to prepare for potential requirements. While there are no rules currently regulating their archival, doing so now will help companies avoid potential issues.