2012 – Predictions Scorecard & Year in Review December 23, 2012
Posted by Lee Dallas in Acquisitions, Content Management, Documentum, Dropbox, ECM, EMC, Open Text.Tags: Cloud Computing, Documentum, Dropbox, ECM, EMC, Microsoft, Open Text Corporation, VMware
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Since we have averted the Mayan apocalypse I am collecting my 2013 predictions for the ECM market, Before that a few words about my scorecard for last year’s predictions. On average I have had better years. Still there was one or two predictions I can feel good about from last year’s post.
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You Were Listening – HP Buys Autonomy August 19, 2011
Posted by Marko Sillanpää in Acquisitions, Autonomy, Content Management, ECM, eDiscovery, Open Text.Tags: Autonomy, ECM, HP, Microsoft
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Well in the news yesterday, HP announced its plan to acquire Autonomy. I know “this is not the acquisition you were looking for” but it’s another major consolidation play. Back in the Summer of 2009, the rumor was Microsoft would buy Autonomy. I really didn’t see that happening. For me Microsoft had made its major play in ECM and Autonomy just didn’t fit the bill. My prediction, HP would buy Autonomy. I like the platform idea and how it fits well into HP multi-server strategy. There was some healthy debate on the subject.
So why now?
The Adobe Microsoft Rumor’s Bad Aftertaste October 9, 2010
Posted by Lee Dallas in Technology.Tags: acquisition, adobe, Microsoft
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Adobe and Microsoft – This is one of those rumors that make my skin crawl. While I happily use technology from both I have very different opinions of the two organizations and their relative impact on my life. I can’t help but think that Microsoft will ruin the sweet Adobe experience. (more…)
Witnessing the Birth of a CEVA Ecosystem December 2, 2009
Posted by Marko Sillanpää in Content Management, Documentum, ECM, EMC, SharePoint.Tags: CCA, ceva, Documentum, ECM, EMC, firstdoc, FirstPoint, Microsoft, NextDocs, SharePoint
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Those of you that have read my articles before know I’m big on CEVA’s. I think Content Enabled Vertical Applications (or if you now prefer Composite Content Applications) are the future for enterprise content management. I believe that ECM would gain stronger visibility and penetration in the enterprise by allowing and supporting the development of out-of-the box end solution. Yesterday’s CSC Trends Conference was a showing of just what can happen.
Rumors of Autonomy and Microsoft. Say What? September 30, 2009
Posted by Marko Sillanpää in Content Management, ECM.Tags: Autonomy, dell, Google, HP, Microsoft, Open Text
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A friend sent me a link to a Reuters article speculating the acquisition of Autonomy by Microsoft. At first glance one says, “Not so fast, what about FAST!” But hey, “not so fast?”
Autonomy is an interesting combination of survivors of the internet boom. Not following the Computer Associates model like Open Text appears to be doing by buying competing companies. This year both acquired WCM vendors, Autonomy acquired Interwoven and Open Text acquired Vignette, but Open Text already had one in Red Dot. That’s why I’m a little confused with the Microsoft rumor.
Open Text Ripe for Takeover, Eh? March 23, 2008
Posted by Marko Sillanpää in Content Management.Tags: Content Management, Google, Hyland, Microsoft, Open Text, SAP
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When a local paper starts to speculate on acquisitions, I’ve learned to take notice. You see those of us in the industry have our contacts usually with either an NDA or FrieNDA in place. But papers have theirs sources, some friend of a friend to a journalist.
So the article over the weekend caught my attention. Was this some journalist with a hot tip trying to make his mark or a piece to beef up the Saturday business section? I read the article from the Waterloo Record hoping to discover a tip but discovering it was more filler. But it did bring up an interesting candidate, though the author didn’t see it himself. So while Lee looked at where Open Text was today, I thought I’d look at where they might go. I loved to see the quote, “Representatives of … said their company doesn’t comment on acquisition speculations.” But we can speculate. So let me look at the two motioned in the article and one that I can’t believe that wasn’t.
Microsoft’s Mid-Life Crisis February 22, 2008
Posted by Lee Dallas in Technology.Tags: Microsoft, Open Source, Yahoo!
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Sometime between the age 30 and 45 men loose their minds. It’s called a mid-life crisis. You go to your high school reunion compare yourself to the jocks, cheerleaders and geeks you went to school with and take stock of your life. The old joke is that you hit this phase and get a new wife, a new car and a new job. Congratulations Microsoft – at 33 you’ve hit your crisis.
I can’t help but think that Microsoft took a good look at Apple and decided to start dating again. (more…)
Warning to CMS Vendors – SharePoint Doesn’t Need You February 14, 2008
Posted by Lee Dallas in Content Management, SharePoint.Tags: ECM, Ektron, Microsoft, MOSS, SharePoint
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Every CMS vendor I know of is falling all over themselves to release a SnarePoint connector. (yes I meant to spell it that way) It’s like the scene in Shrek where Donkey bounces up and down yelling “Pick Me! Pick Me!” Ektron just announced their integration a few weeks ago. Marko covered the Case Management Framework from Open Text just the other day. On the surface it seems like a great idea to take advantage of the 1 billion dollars in sales the Microsoft has managed to amass and give users something useful to do with it. The problem is – as SnarePoint matures, it will improve. There is no incentive for Microsoft to hold back and not add capabilities that real CMS vendors offer while you are out there peddling their wares for them. Eventually, past and potential customers of these pimped out packages are going to start to say “Tell me again. Why do I need you too? ” The fact will be – they won’t need you. What are you going to do then?
Open Text Winking or Surrendering to Microsoft? February 13, 2008
Posted by Marko Sillanpää in Content Management.Tags: Case Management, Content Management, Microsoft, Open Text
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Well if this week’s announcement that Open Text will be offering case management on top of Microsoft SharePoint isn’t a wink across the bar to Microsoft then it must be a white flag of surrender. The support that they are offering the SharePoint platform has one major component missing that similar applications have, an integration to their repository and some of the features they do mention I believe Microsoft would say they already do have them like records classification, search, and a rich client, though not desktop. It seems to me like they’re giving up and basically saying look we have a client that works on top of MOSS and if their’s been one major selling point for MOSS it has been that they have a great UI. But I guess the real question is how much will the product cost. Maybe someone at Open Text read our blog.
Note – For those of you not familiar with how a press release works the fact that there is neither an “About Microsoft” section nor a Microsoft press contact means that this was written exclusively by OpenText with no endorsement from Microsoft. Also known as, “this was not a joint announcement.”
Not So FAST – Microsoft Buying Yahoo! February 1, 2008
Posted by Lee Dallas in Content Management.Tags: FAST, FAST Search and Transfer, Microsoft, Yahoo!
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Today the other shoe dropped and Microsoft announced a bid for Yahoo! But wait, didn’t they just buy a search company? Now – what was it called again. Oh, never mind that. Yahoo! is much cooler and comes with those nifty ad revenues.
