Alfresco Launches Enterprise Class Open Source Web Content Management

Alfresco announce the availability of the Alfresco Web Content Management Preview release. Hat tip to MarketWire. Here is the PRESS RELEASE Alfresco Launches Enterprise Class Open Source Web Content Management.

Some highlights:

The Alfresco Web Content Management Preview release is an advanced WCM platform that includes features such as:

• Virtualization Server
• Multi-Site Transactional Publishing
• Web Content Compliance Server
• 100% Standards Based
• High-Availability
• Highly Scalable Platform   

End user features include:

• Standards-Based Forms to Create Pages – Chiba XForms
• Simple Multi-Channel XML Publishing
• Email-Based Production Workflow
• In-Context Review
• Integrated Support for Content Managers, Contributors, Reviewers, Web Designers and Application Developers in one repository
• Parallel Branching and Merging
• Dependency Management
• Pre-Built Templates and Website Components

The Alfresco folks have been really busy over the last few months. The fact that they are releasing this many products, this fast, is very impressive. I will try to carve out some time over the next two weeks to take a look at both the WCM and 1.4 preview releases.

I think Alfresco will become viewed as a credible alternative to the traditional ECM solutions like IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, and the few remaining players.

Tags: alfresco ECM ibm microsoft, WCM web+content+management

Oracle Finally Unveils Content & Records DB

Oracle finally announced general availability of Content Database and Records Database earlier this week. I wrote about the Oracle launch event for Content & Records DB back in June and my conclusion was that these two offerings were really just the Oracle Collaboration Suite 10g repackaged.

Back in June pricing was not released so the other noteworthy news in this press release was the pricing. Pricing for both Content and Record Database products is $50,000 per CPU or $1,000 per named user. This is on top of Oracle Database Enterprise Edition which is priced at $40,000 per CPU or $800 per named user. This does not include annual software update and support which is pegged at 22%.

I tried to understand the Oracle licensing model so I could estimate cost for 1,000 and 5,000 users but it was somewhat confusing. You can review the price list for yourself.

Anyway, the pricing model does not seem to fit the “ECM for the Masses” model. Last year Oracle had a price point of $65 per user for Oracle Collaboration Suite 10g which included much of the functionality in Content Database.

I guess I am confused by Oracle’s pricing strategy…seems pretty steep to me. If I just use Named User Plus for the database and Oracle Content and Records Database then my per user price is at $2,800. For 1,000 user this would be $2.8M plus another $616,000 for Update and Support.

Wow – That is over $3M for 1,000 users!

It will be interesting to see how the market reacts to this model. And hey, if I am missing something or calculating wrong then let me know.

Tags: ECM oracle records+management

Could HP Be Looking At Acquiring Open Text?

I came across an interesting article in the Globe and Mail of Canada. The title of the article: Open Text move may open door to its own takeover: Hummingbird deal could attract HP

Anyway, from their article last week:

One industry observer suggested yesterday the merger could act as a catalyst for a takeover by HP or SAP AG. Peter Misek, an analyst with Canaccord Adams, suggested in a research note that HP’s sales force are clamoring for the computer company to buy a software provider in order to compete with the likes of IBM.

“For long-suffering Open Text shareholders, we see this as an inevitable conclusion,” Mr. Misek wrote. “For HP there is only one vendor of size left — the combined firm of Open Text and Hummingbird. While some would point to the coming merger of Open Text/Hummingbird as a potential obstacle for HP, we believe HP would actually prefer to acquire both and handle the integration of the combination simultaneously.”

Very interesting indeed!

Tags: ECM HP open+text

Hummingbird Acquisition Looks Like A Done Deal

Looks like Hummingbird will be no more. This from Collaboration Loop:

Hummingbird shareholders approve acquisition by Open Text

Now all that’s left is dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.

The planned close date is October 3rd.

Here is the press release from Hummingbird.

So long Hummingbird.

Tags: ECM hummingbird open+text

Technorati Tag Generator Plugin For Windows Live Writer

I wrote about Windows Live Writer back in August and have been using this Blog editor since then for my posts on BetterECM.

Well, Windows Live Writer just got better! One of my colleagues, Frank LaVigne has written a Technorati Tag Generator Plugin for the Windows Live Writer. You can download it here.

Nice Job Frank!

Oh yeah, the tag generator in action…

Tags: Blogging Microsoft windows+live+writer