Obtree/IXOS’ claim that together they now represent
Europe’s largest enterprise content management (ECM) provider is all well and good, but one has to look closely at what this actually means
Teaming up will of course make the new company bigger, but it will essentially only represent the amalgamation of two disparate solution sets.
The issue with ECM is singularity, not multiplicity. In the same way that a car is more than a chassis, engine and wheels - it’s a way of getting from A to B - ECM amounts to more than separate technology areas moulded into one.
The issue is that of integration between the two companies’ solution sets. This can take a very long time to happen, if it occurs at all. The point is, you don’t know if issues exist or whether technologies are really open and scaleable until the fate of the companies and their respective solutions has been sealed.
Cultural issues are another thorny matter that Obtree and IXOS will have to overcome. Even if the technology solutions do integrate seamlessly, personnel issues will inevitably be thrown up as the businesses join. It’s virtually impossible for two companies to merge without introspection. Resources, time and money will be invested in doing this and in bringing the disparate parties together, which will ultimately take the focus away from the customer and from providing the best possible service.
Another consideration to bear in mind is research and development.
With so many different areas of specialization and such a number of solutions, it’s not clear which technology areas the merged company will invest in - it certainly won’t have the capital to spend on all of them. This means that some of Obtree or IXOS’ current customers might find that the solution they invested in will not undergo the same sort of developments and improvements that it might have done had the companies remained separate entities.
What’s important is to focus on best of breed solutions, and to have the time, resources and personnel to maintain an open and honest dialogue with them.
Ultimately, what’s not important is being able to claim you’re the biggest in the marketplace.
Alun Cope-Morgan is managing director at Tridion UK and Ireland.

Comments
Post new comment