Esta noticia viene a continuación del anuncio esta misma semana de la compra de un fabricante de Digital Asset Management, Ancept, por Stellent, y de la compra el mes pasado de iManage por Interwoven.
Si a esto añadimos las compras que hizo Vignette en su momento de Epicentric nos encontramos ante un panorama de consolidación del sector. Esto, para los consumidores es positivo y se traduce en mayor claridad y en que poco a poco van a poder tener menos interlocutores – fabricantes a a hora de implementar software corporativo.
Cada vez más el mismo que pone software para Portal, pone Gestión Documental, Herramientas colaborativas, Workflow, Web Content Management o BI, si se apura.
Con esta adquisición Open Text, que ya en febrero adquirió la empresa de herramientas de colaboración Corechange, se posiciona como uno de los agentes más importantes en lo que se refiere al mercado del Enterprise Content Management enfocado al Portal Empresarial.
Habiendo desaparecido Divine en ese terreno de los «pure players» de portales, es decir, que sólo se dedican a ésto, Vignette y Plumtree parecen situarse como principales competidores de Open Text, aunque el mercado de los portales esté capitaneado por la omnipresente IBM.
Vignette lleva desde el año pasado en esa carrera de la unión entre el ECM y el Portal Empresarial, que comenzó fuerte comprando Epicentric.
En el terreno más volcado hacia el Document Management o Gestión Documental, la batalla es otra, aunque a veces se toquen. Ahí reina Documentum y marca los tiempos, aunque empresas como Interwoven se hayan lanzado a morderle mercado con la adquisición de iManage.
En España el software de Open Text es implementado por la consultora Azertia. Gauss tiene varios partners en nuestro país.
Hay que recordar que Gauss compite más en la parte puramente Web Content Management de alto nivel y en Gestión Documental mientras que Open Text se inclina más hacia el portal empresarial y herramientas de colaboración y Gestión de Procesos empresariales.
Habrá que esperar para conocer si Azertia en España implementará también el software de Gauss y Corechange, y si los partners que hasta ahora llevaban Gauss en España lo seguirán haciendo. Siempre que se producen movimientos empresariales de calado se suelen producir cambios en uno u otro sentido que finalmente terminan por afectar a nuestro país, los partners de cada empresa y, por ende, sus clientes.
NOTA DE PRENSA DE OPEN TEXT EN CANADA
WATERLOO, Ontario & HAMBURG, Germany–Aug. 27, 2003–Open Text Corporation and Gauss Interprise today announced that a wholly owned subsidiary of Open Text will acquire the common shares of Gauss for cash by way of agreement with certain of the shareholders, who will hold 73 percent of the shares at closing after conversion of indebtedness and a tender offer for the balance of the shares. Total cash consideration for the shares is expected to be approximately US $11 million. Open Text expects that the transaction will close, subject to certain conditions, in the second quarter of Fiscal Year 04 (the quarter ending December, 2003).
Open Text confirms Q1 (September, 2003 quarter) guidance is unchanged as the tender offer will not be completed until Q2. Based on a successful completion of the tender offer, Open Text will be increasing its guidance for Fiscal Year 04 to $225 million and $1.32 eps from $215 million and $1.30 eps to reflect the partial year inclusion of Gauss results. Open Text expects the transaction to be accretive to earnings.
Together, the companies will present a powerful combination in the market for enterprise content management (ECM) software, with Gauss adding its extensive Web content management, and high-throughput business process management solutions to Open Text’s Livelink suite and its integrated collaboration and content management capabilities.
Gauss (www.gaussvip.com) is Europe’s leading developer of Web content management software, serving more than 1,100 customers worldwide through headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, and Irvine, CA. Gauss’ advanced Web content management solutions are used for high-profile Websites of major global customers such as BMW, USA Today and Korean Air. Through its Irvine office, Gauss provides Integrated Document and Output Management (IDOM) software for ERP systems. These products automate processes such as invoicing, ordering and insurance claims, allowing customers to convert large volumes of paper into electronic documents via imaging technology and processing them through highly structured workflows.
«This agreement brings us the expertise of the Gauss team and the ability to combine leading complementary technologies,» said Tom Jenkins, Chief Executive Officer of Open Text. «Once we have completed the acquisition, we will work with the Gauss team to integrate operations, while continuing to support Gauss customers. Over the long term, we will be well positioned to deliver the most complete ECM suite in the industry at a time when customers are looking for more integrated solutions from fewer software vendors.»
«By joining with Open Text, a leader in delivering integrated collaboration and content management, we can offer new applications, support and services to our customers,» said Ron Vangell, Chief Executive Officer of Gauss. «It is clearly the right move for both companies to position us for future growth in a sector of the software market that is changing rapidly.»
Complementary Technologies
For Web content management, the companies’ solutions will offer customers a complete range of capabilities for corporate Websites, intranets and extranets. Gauss’ VIP ContentManager offers sophisticated site management features to meet the demands of dynamically changing, high-value, high-profile corporate Websites. The product complements and extends Open Text’s Livelink for Content Management and its tight integration of sophisticated collaborative tools for developing, reviewing and publishing content to intranets and extranets.
Gauss’ IDOM product line extends Open Text’s IDOM offerings and complements Livelink’s workflows, which are designed to apply business processes to the unstructured content companies maintain in Livelink to improve collaboration. Gauss also extends Open Text’s ERP connectors by adding J.D. Edwards and a variety of ERP applications on IBM AS/400 systems to existing connectors for PeopleSoft.