ECM Report

The consolidation currently under way in the CM space is certainly intriguing, fun to watch, and could ultimately breathe new life into a sector that has been stagnating for some time. It is likely that additional mergers and acquisitions will take place over the rest of the year. Read on for a summary of what has happened so far…My first analysis of 2004 will be titled “Making Sense of Merger Madness” and I will dig deeply into what each pairing is likely to accomplish. As I mentioned in my rambling titled “Knowledge Management: The Real Meaning”, as many others have noted as well, on the surface the consolidation seems to be in response to the value add of complementary products and a desire by consumers to procure tools from as few vendors as possible. The desire to purchase a “suite” of technology from one place as opposed to a “best-of-breed” provider is not an insignificant shift in consumer motivation. It is, nevertheless, a compelling trend that has sparked companies to move in different directions in order to remain competitive. There will be much more about the motivations and trends and the good and bad deals in a future article. In the meantime, here is a synopsis of notable mergers/acquisitions that have the potential of changing the way we define the “content management” space.

I will update this list as events dictate. Check back frequently.Note : Updated 1-22-2004