ECM Report

ECM: Selling Compliance-related Solutions

rtaylor — Mon, 14 Jun 2004 17:32:16 +0000

Much has been made of late of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), HIPAA and various other regulatory compliance related issues. Supposedly, these initiatives were going to drive Enterprise Content Management (ECM) sales in much of 2003 and 2004. Yet, for the most part, ECM vendors have left a lot on the table and not capitalized on this major trend to the greatest extent possible. Let’s examine why I believe vendors are struggling in this area, what they need to do to get the right message out, and the best way to approach compliance-minded organizations. (more…)

Poll Results: Vignette and Tower

rtaylor — Tue, 18 May 2004 06:16:44 +0000

The Vignette and Tower acquisition poll is closed and the results are in. This is a bit interesting… (more…)

Initial Take: Mobius and eManage

rtaylor — Wed, 28 Apr 2004 15:24:08 +0000

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. (more…)

I wonder…? Stellent Market Position

rtaylor — Fri, 19 Mar 2004 15:26:07 +0000

I was recently posed an intriguing question regarding Stellent’s acquisition of Optika that I had not really given much thought to. The observation was that some in the industry might view the acquisition as a commitment by Stellent to the mid-market. I immediately gave an opinion but chose to dedicate some additional brainwaves to the topic. After giving it some additional thought I am happy to say that my original opinion has changed little. The answer was a resounding… maybe. (more…)

I wonder…? OpenText Strategy

rtaylor — Wed, 10 Mar 2004 15:28:02 +0000

After all of the acquisitions in the ECM space over the last year or so, it is interesting to finally see some execution of vision and long term game plans. OpenText appears to be flying out of the gate in getting their vision of ECM to market. (more…)

Why you need to buy an ECM solution… TODAY!

rtaylor — Fri, 05 Mar 2004 15:31:31 +0000

The recent and continuing convergence in the ECM industry while certainly interesting for vendors, analysts and investors has managed to leave potential customers dazed and confused. The activity undoubtedly bodes well for the future but what about the present? If you have been contemplating various ECM-related initiatives you are probably wondering if now is the time to get in, get out, or wait. Well, I would say to you, buy buy buy buy and buy. Now. Here’s why… (more…)

ECM: Another Day, Another Acronym

rtaylor — Thu, 04 Mar 2004 15:33:55 +0000

In the never-ending battle for all that is good in pure in the world, I lost. Again. I am speaking of course, of the fight against the cumulative marketing mind power behind the relatively new, ever broadening and completely nondescript acronym that is “ECM”. It’s been around for a couple of years, but I was sure hoping it was just another fad soon to go the way of parachute pants. I am not sure where it came from exactly, nor does is really matter at this point. What matters is that there is an entire industry of consumers wanting to buy this stuff, and yet, they have no idea what it is. I feel their pain. In the constant struggle to develop brand recognition and product differentiation, industry marketers have managed to completely disenfranchise their entire constituency! (more…)

ECM Convergence: Where do we go from here?

rtaylor — Tue, 03 Feb 2004 16:28:52 +0000

The trend towards the single source content provider has triggered many recent acquisitions within the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) space. Thus far, the convergence has been about bringing under a single umbrella established technologies that have been around for a long time. Everyone has scrambled to acquire and/or build the requisite components that make up the generally accepted definition of ECM. So what’s next? (more…)

Poll Results: Stellent and Optika

rtaylor — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 15:36:41 +0000

Our poll regarding the consensus on the Stellent/Optika deal are in. The results are a bit interesting. (more…)

Tracking ECM Consolidation: The Age of Dis-Content

rtaylor — Thu, 22 Jan 2004 15:45:30 +0000

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… (more…)

Initial Take: Vignette and Tower

rtaylor — Thu, 22 Jan 2004 15:42:29 +0000

Complementary product stacks and similar infrastructures should benefit customers in a relatively short period of time. (more…)

Initial Take: Stellent and Optika Merger

rtaylor — Tue, 13 Jan 2004 15:44:12 +0000

Nice product synergy and what appears to be a good price make this deal a win for the Stellent community. But what of the Optika community? (more…)

12 Keys To A Successful ECM Initiative

rtaylor — Sun, 21 Dec 2003 16:27:26 +0000

Beginning in June of 2003, we began to reveal, one at a time, our top twelve ‘Keys to a successful ECM initiative’. Check back here each month to see the complete list to that point. (more…)

I wonder… ? Do industry salespeople really know what they are selling?

rtaylor — Tue, 09 Dec 2003 15:47:53 +0000

Most salespeople in a particular segment can become pretty adequate at selling products within that segment. Even the most simplistic sales strategies call for an understanding (or memorization) of benefits, features, corporate advantages, product differentiators and the overall, generic “value propositions”. (more…)

Knowledge Management: What the…?

rtaylor — Mon, 08 Dec 2003 16:24:23 +0000

I am sometimes questioned about what the term “Knowledge Management” (KM) actually means. My standard, default answer is “I don’t know.” If probed further, you might get something cryptic and useless like “it means something different to everyone” or “it changes every day”. And if I’m in a really cranky mood you may be the unfortunate recipient of the can of worm opening “what is knowledge anyway?”. Setting some of these philosophical discussions aside for the moment, let’s discuss the real meaning of “Knowledge Management”. At least, the real meaning as defined by me. (more…)

I wonder…? Is consolidation really taking place?

rtaylor — Sat, 06 Dec 2003 16:06:40 +0000

My current take is…. yes and no. Yes, obviously, the industry is consolidating. Big companies are buying little companies. Duh. That’s consolidation. But are the products consolidating? (more…)

I wonder…? EMC and Documentum

rtaylor — Wed, 03 Dec 2003 16:07:45 +0000

The more I think about this the more curious I get. (more…)

I wonder…? OpenText / IXOS / Gauss

rtaylor — Tue, 02 Dec 2003 16:09:13 +0000

I liked both of these acquisitions separately but together there seems to be a significant amount of product overlap. (more…)

I wonder…? FileNET

rtaylor — Mon, 01 Dec 2003 16:10:23 +0000

They maintain that they are not looking to be acquired. Is this smart? (more…)

Initial Take: OpenText and IXOS

rtaylor — Tue, 21 Oct 2003 16:19:39 +0000

The announcement that OpenText and IXOS will merge is simply a continuation of the events set in motion last week by the EMC/Documentum acquisition. Make no mistake, the lines have been drawn. Either merge to become big, or become big on your own, but it is obvious that the perception in the industry is that you must have more than a niche offering to compete going forward. (more…)

Initial Take: EMC and Documentum

rtaylor — Tue, 14 Oct 2003 16:20:39 +0000

Following other, relatively minor deals in the industry, EMC’s acquisition of Documentum could start the ball rolling on an even larger group of “mega” deals that will seriously shake the content management industry. (more…)

Poll Results: Interwoven and iManage Merger

rtaylor — Fri, 26 Sep 2003 16:21:56 +0000

The results of what you think of the Interwoven/iManage merger are in and they are seriously mixed. (more…)

Keys to a Successful ECM Initiative (2 of 12) - Ascertain and rigidly define the scope of the initial deployment

rtaylor — Wed, 03 Sep 2003 16:25:27 +0000

There are several common missteps in Enterprise Content initiatives. Some are minor hiccups that are easily remedied and simple to recover from. Others are potentially disastrous and can directly lead to the overall success or failure of the initiative. A very common mistake that many make is not developing or rigidly defining the scope of their initial deployment. (more…)

Analysis: Interwoven and iManage Merger

rtaylor — Fri, 15 Aug 2003 16:23:02 +0000

On August 7, Interwoven (Nasdaq: IWOV) announced it will buy iManage (Nasdaq: IMAN) for $171 million in stock and cash. To most, the announcement should not have come as much of surprise. Interwoven and iManage have been operating as partners since earlier in the year and many believe there is significant synergy in the respective product lines. The following is my initial quick take on the merger and what it will mean for customers and investors. (more…)

Keys to a Successful ECM Initiative (1 of 12) - Assess the community or organization’s willingness to change

rtaylor — Wed, 16 Jul 2003 16:26:32 +0000

I know it seems simple, but it is not at all trivial. Heavily resistant populations are doomed for failure. It’s not their fault. Typically this mentality has been engrained in the populace. So much so, it usually has become part of the corporate ‘culture’. (more…)