ECM Report

Though this deal will have little impact in the market, it nevertheless serves to further validate how the industry players define ECM and the components they feel are critical to realizing a complete vision and offering.

It is important to note that Mobius did not acquire eManage. Instead, they acquired certain assets including eManage’s records and email management technologies. As such, it remains to be seen how many (if any) deals this brings to Mobius. Regardless, eManage is a very small company and however the deal was done it is unlikely to add much to the Mobius bottom-line any time soon. 

While the deal may have little to no financial affect, it is nevertheless interesting to look at what the deal means in the broader scope of the ECM industry as a whole.

First, it is an obvious continuation of the convergence we have seen recently. Smaller, niche players, with tools that handle pieces of the ECM umbrella, have seen their technology become better suited as a portion of a broader offering.

Second, and in my opinion, more importantly, this deal reflects and helps further refine the actual definition of ECM. Few would dispute that records and email management are core components of a complete ECM offering. But when organizations like Mobius act on this definition it serves to clarify and remove doubt about where the industry is headed.

Simply defining ECM through practice and not press release is, nevertheless, a double-edged sword. On one hand, it helps consumers by making it easier to compare the merits of the various offerings. On the other hand, it can appear as if many of the vendors in the space are being reactive to market pressures instead of proactive. They are checking features off of lists instead of innovating bigger, better and broader levels of functionality.

What is happening in reality, however, is probably just a matter of how each player is executing their long term plans. The bar has been set and the big picture of ECM has been defined. A likely step one in a game plan would be to simply fulfill the designated requirements. Step two will likely take us to the next level of additional functionality and additional differentiation.

Records and email management, in particular, are two of the more timely and important areas of concern for many organizations. With Sarbanes/Oxley and other regulatory compliance issues being thrust to the forefront of corporate initiatives, these technologies have leapt out as a major catalyst for reviewing wider ranging ECM initiatives. To the ECM vendor with the right offering, email and records management is an excellent way to get a foot in the proverbial door. No doubt, Mobius and others see this and are executing accordingly.