This month we share our cutting edge observations on the ECM, eDM BPM / BPO sector, region by region:
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Paul Carman, VP North America
US Economy – Recession or Downturn? – Who Cares?!
An informative and thought provoking view by our resident expert in the US. To find out how Paul Carman views the US economic future of the industry, please read on
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John Symon, VP Asiapac, reports on the Australasia region
M&A activity warms up"downunder"
Recent M&A activity in the ECM market in Australasia follows the worldwide trend for consolidation and convergence. For an informed overview of the Australasian market,
read more
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Mark Edwards, CEO, Document Boss reports from the UK
Overstated ‘Doom and Gloom’ for the UK Economy
The mainstream press is consistently trying to convince us that the UK economy is on a steep, downward spiral into a repeat of the recessions seen over the last few decades. Document Boss’ Mark Edwards however, begs to differ. To learn why, read on
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Geert Kruiter, VP of continental Europe
European market still going strong…
During the last few months, I have had numerous conversations with companies concerned that the time may not be right to seek strategic buyers or acquisitions in general. They have been influenced by the negative tone of the media regarding potential economic downturn. To find out more about Geert’s observations, read on
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North American Candidates of the Month
More talented individuals from across the US. To discover how these candidates can assist you in your business, read on
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------European Candidates of the Month
More talented individuals from across Europe. To discover how these candidates can assist you in your business, read on
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Boss Index Buzz
Following three consecutive poor months for the Boss Index, March proved no exception. Although overall losses were far smaller this month, individual losses were varied, with the losers outweighing the gainers. To learn how this affected the Boss Index, read more
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Formscan acquires Digital Documents Ltd and grows document solutions remitFormscan – Somerset, UK - the information management solutions and services group led by well-known document management industry entrepreneur Chris Haden, has announced the acquisition of Digital Documents Ltd. This acquisition adds major capabilities to the Formscan service portfolio, including on and off-site document scanning services, secure online document hosting with indexing, storage and retrieval and the development and provision of bureau management software. ReadMore
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EMC To Acquire Iomega
Hopkinton, Massachussetts and San Diego, California - April 2008 - EMC Corporation, an information infrastructure solutions organisation, and Iomega Corporation, a data storage company have announced a definitive agreement for EMC to acquire San Diego-based Iomega in a cash tender offer of $3.85 per outstanding share, or approximately $213 million. The addition of Iomega’s products, brand name, route to market and industry expertise will enhance EMC’s reach and focus in the rapidly-growing consumer and small business markets. http://www.emc.com/about/news/press/2008/20080408-07.htm
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Atex Acquires Polopoly
Reading, UK and Helsingborg, Sweden – April 2008 - Atex, a technology vendor to the global media market, has acquired Swedish web content management vendor Polopoly. The acquisition is an important step in the ambition to create a world-leading offer to demanding web players. The Polopoly technology and organization will form the platform for this initiative, making Sweden the hub for Atex' new technology initiatives. In Helsingborg, Sweden, Atex also owns the Mactive company. http://www.polopoly.com/extra/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=155&a=1488
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IBM and Oracle Serve Midsize Businesses
Redwood Shores, California and Armonk, New York - April 2008 - Oracle and IBM have announced an expanded relationship to serve midsize businesses. IBM will develop, sell and implement Oracle-based enterprise application solutions developed specifically for midsize clients.
This expanded relationship will significantly extend the market reach for Oracle and will allow IBM and its Business Partner channel to deliver industry-specific, end-to-end solutions based on Oracle Applications and IBM hardware and services. Read More
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Vignette to Acquire Video Publishing Capability
Acquisition of Vidavee to create a single unified interface for advanced rich media content
AUSTIN, Texas - April 2008 - Vignette a Web experience management and delivery company, has announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Vidavee, a video Web services company that enables Web publishers to easily upload, share, analyze and monetize Internet video content. Under the terms of the agreement between Vignette and Vidavee, Vignette will pay approximately $6.6 million in cash for all outstanding shares of Vidavee. http://www.vignette.com/
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SDL Tridion Strengthens European Operations
Amsterdam, Netherlands – April 2008 - SDL Tridion, a global provider of Web Content Management software solutions, has announced the appointment of Terry Hall to Vice President of Sales for its European operations. Hall has been running SDL Tridion’s UK and Ireland business unit for over three years where he has managed the company’s considerable growth. He will now be responsible for sales, marketing and general management of operations for SDL Tridion’s European business, with the goal to further increase the company’s presence in existing and new markets. http://www.tridion.com/news_and_events/news/terry_hall.aspx
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Capgemini and Unilever Extend Services Relationship to Include Financial Shared Services for Latin American Operations
Paris - April 2008 - Capgemini, a provider of Consulting, Technology and
Outsourcing services, has announced that it has signed an agreement with Unilever, a consumer goods company, to acquire and manage the Company’s financial shared service centers in Santiago, Chile and Sao Paulo, Brazil. The integration and management of the centers willbegin in early May. In addition, Capgemini and Unilever will enter into a seven-year agreement to deliver a full range of BPO financial shared services to Unilever’s businesses in Latin America, including specific transactional tax services for Unilever Brazil. http://www.capgemini.com/resources/news/
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HP to acquire Tower, strengthening leadership in the e-discovery and compliance software market
Canberra, Australia - March - HP and Tower Software announced that they have signed a pre-bid agreement for HP to acquire Tower, a document and records management software company. The acquisition is expected to extend HP Software e-discovery capabilities beyond information collection and retention to include records management and identification as defined by the Electronic Discovery Reference Model. The acquisition is expected to close within Q2 of calendar year 2008 and is subject to customary closing conditions. http://h20229.www2.hp.com/enterprise/tower/index.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ektron Opens Office in Toronto, Canada
Nashua, NH - April 2008 Ektron Inc., a Web content management software company, has announced the opening of their new office in Toronto, Canada. By opening theoffice, Ektron is taking an important step in increasing its focus on the Canadian market and has appointed Kevin McCloskey as the Director of Ektron Canada to drive the expansion forward. McCloskey commented, “I am very excited to be part of the Ektron Team. The new office will allow us to further extend our skills, expertise and proven experience to the Canadian market, and also allow us to work more closely with our partners and customers as new business activity continues to increase and grow.” http://www.ektron.com/corporate.aspx?id=6106
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Logica selects Autonomy as preferred partner for enterprise search and high-end information processing
Cambridge, UK and San Francisco, California - April 2008 - Autonomy Corporation plc, an infrastructure software organisation, has announced that Logica, an international force in IT and business services, has selected Autonomy as a preferred partner for enterprise search and high-end information processing. Autonomy technology will be fast-tracked to key customers within Logica’s customer base with requirements in the areas of Knowledge Management, Compliance and Security. The announcement comes after years of successful collaboration on projects across Logica’s organisation for a wide range of international customers. http://www.logica.com/news+and+media/350233169
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SDL Tridion and Building Blocks Announce Consulting Partnership
Maidenhead, UK - 31 March 2008 - SDL Tridion and Building Blocks, a Web Content Management consulting services organisation, have formed a partnership to offer project management and implementation services to SDL Tridion’s customers in the UK. This partnership will mean that users of SDL Tridion will have access to Building Blocks’ specialist knowledge and expertise at all stages of the project lifecycle. Building Blocks’ consultants have already been involved in the design, implementation, roll out and training at over 20 SDL Tridion customers. http://www.tridion.com/news_and_events/news/building_blocks.aspx
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Open Text Partners with the University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario - March 2008 - Open Text™ Corporation, an enterprise content management company (ECM), has announced a partnership with the University of Waterloo to create one of the world’s largest centres dedicated to research and innovation in digital media and Web 2.0 for business, government and cultural applications. http://www.opentext.com/news/pr.html?id=2031
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